Deuteronomy 14 · Verse 1

Deuteronomy 14:1

Ye are the children of the Lord your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
Deuteronomy 14:1, King James Version

Deuteronomy 14:1 in other translations

BSBYou are sons of the LORD your God; do not cut yourselves or shave your foreheads on behalf of the dead,
WEBYou are the children of the LORD your God. You shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
ASVYe are the children of Jehovah your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
YLT‘Sons ye are to Jehovah your God; ye do not cut yourselves, nor make baldness between your eyes for the dead;
DARBYYe are sons of Jehovah your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for a dead person.
BBEYou are the children of the Lord your God: you are not to make cuts on your bodies or take off the hair on your brows in honour of the dead;
WebsterYe are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.

What does Deuteronomy 14:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
De 14:1, 2. God's People Must Not Disfigure Themselves in Mourning. 1. ye shall not cut yourselves ... for the dead--It was a common practice of idolaters, both on ceremonious occasions of their worship (1Ki 18:28), and at funerals (compare Jr 16:6; 41:5), to make ghastly incisions on their faces and other parts of their persons with their finger nails or sharp instruments. The making a large bare space between the eyebrows was another heathen custom in honor of the dead (see on Le 19:27, 28; Le 21:5). Such indecorous and degrading usages, being extravagant and unnatural expressions of hopeless sorrow (1Th 4:13), were to be carefully avoided by the Israelites, as derogatory to the character, and inconsistent with the position, of those who were the people of God [De 14:2].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

The Israelites are not to adopt superstitious customs in mourning, Deu 14:1, Deu 14:2. The different kinds of clean and unclean animals, vv. 3-20. Nothing to be eaten that dieth of itself, Deu 14:21. Concerning offerings which, from distance cannot be carried to the altar of God, and which may be turned into money, Deu 14:22-26. The Levite is not to be forsaken, Deu 14:27. The third year's tithe for the Levite, stranger, widow, etc., Deu 14:28, Deu 14:29. Verse 1 Ye are the children of the Lord - The very highest character that can be conferred on any created beings; ye shall not cut yourselves, i. e., their hair, for it was a custom among idolatrous nations to consecrate their hair to their deities, though they sometimes also made incisions in their flesh.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 14:1-21
Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is election; "The Lord hath chosen thee." He did not choose them because they were by their own acts a peculiar people to him above other nations, but he chose them that they might be so by his grace; and thus were believers chosen, Ep 1:4. Here is adoption; "Ye are the children of the Lord your God;" not because God needed children, but because they were orphans, and needed a father. Every spiritual Israelite is indeed a child of God, a partaker of his nature and favour. Here is sanctification; "Thou art a holy people." God's people are required to be holy, and if they are holy, they are indebted to the grace God which makes them so. Those whom God chooses to be his children, he will form to be a holy people, and zealous of good works. They must be careful to avoid every thing which might disgrace their profession, in the sight of those who watch for their halting. Our heavenly Father forbids nothing but for our welfare. Do thyself no harm; do not ruin thy health, thy reputation, thy domestic comforts, thy peace of mind. Especially do not murder thy soul. Do not be the vile slave of thy appetites and passions. Do not render all around thee miserable, and thyself wretched; but aim at that which is most excellent and useful. The laws which regarded many sorts of flesh as unclean, were to keep them from mingling with their idolatrous neighbours. It is plain in the gospel, that these laws are now done away. But let us ask our own hearts, Are we of the children of the Lord our God? Are we separate from the ungodly world, in being set apart to God's glory, the purchase of Christ's blood? Are we subjects of the work of the Holy Ghost? Lord, teach us from these precepts how pure and holy all thy people ought to live!

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Deuteronomy 14:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

בָּנִ֣יםba.Nim[are] childrenH1121
אַתֶּ֔ם'a.TemyouH859
לַֽיהוָ֖הla.Yah.wehof YahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם'e.lo.hei.KhemGod yourH430
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
תִתְגֹּֽדְד֗וּtit.go.de.Duyou will cut yourselvesH1413
וְלֹֽא\־ve.lo'-and notH3808
תָשִׂ֧ימוּta.Si.muyou will makeH7760
קָרְחָ֛הka.re.ChahbaldnessH7144
בֵּ֥יןbeinbetweenH996
עֵינֵיכֶ֖ם'ei.nei.Khemeyes yourH5869
לָמֵֽת\׃la.Metto a dead [person]H4191

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 14:1

  • Romans 9:8

    That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

  • Leviticus 21:5

    They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

  • Galatians 3:26

    For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

  • Romans 9:26

    And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

  • Jeremiah 41:5

    That there came certain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the Lord.

  • Hosea 1:10

    Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

  • John 1:12

    But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

  • Romans 8:16

    The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

  • Jeremiah 16:6

    Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:

  • Hebrews 2:10

    For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

  • John 11:52

    And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

  • Psalms 82:6-7

    I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 God's children are not to disfigure themselves in mourning.
3 What may, and what may not be eaten;
4 of beasts;
9 of fishes;
11 of fowls.
21 That which dieth of itself may not be eaten.
22 Tithes of divine service.
23 Tithes and firstlings to be eaten before the Lord.
28 The third year's tithe of alms and charity.

the children.
Ge 6:2,4; Ex 4:22,23; Ps 82:6,7; Jer 3:19; Ho 1:10; Joh 1:12; 11:52
Ro 8:16; 9:8,26; 2Co 6:18; Ga 3:26; Heb 2:10; 1Jo 3:1,2,10; 5:2
ye shall not.The heathen nations not only did these things in honour of their gods, but in grief for the death of a relative.
Le 19:27,28; 21:5; Jer 16:6; 41:5; 47:5; 1Th 4:13

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Deuteronomy 14:1

    Ye are the children of the Lord your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.

  • Deuteronomy 14:2

    For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

Read all of Deuteronomy 14

Deuteronomy 14:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		HIJOS sois de Jehová vuestro Dios: no os sajaréis, ni pondréis calva sobre vuestros ojos por muerto;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Vous êtes les fils de l’ Éternel, votre Dieu: Vous ne vous ferez pas d’incisions, et vous ne vous ferez pas de tonsure entre les yeux, pour un mort.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Ihr seid Kinder Jehovas, eures Gottes; ihr sollt euch nicht wegen eines Toten Einschnitte machen und euch nicht kahl scheren zwischen euren Augen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Filii estote Domini Dei vestri: non vos incidetis, nec facietis calvitium super mortuo: