Deuteronomy 14:1-21

3. Laws arising from the third commandment 14:1-21

The third commandment is, "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain" (Deuteronomy 5:11). This section of laws deals with the exclusiveness of the Lord and His worship as this pertains to Israel’s separation from all other nations. The theme of refraining from Canaanite practices continues in this chapter. However here it is not the obviously idolatrous practices but the more subtle ones associated with Canaanite religion that Moses proscribed. The whole chapter deals with eating. The Hebrew verb bal (eat) occurs in Deuteronomy 14:3-4; Deuteronomy 14:6-12; Deuteronomy 14:19-21; Deuteronomy 14:23; Deuteronomy 14:26; Deuteronomy 14:29.