Deuteronomy 14:9
New International Version
Of all the creatures living in the water, you may eat any that has fins and scales.

New Living Translation
“Of all the marine animals, you may eat whatever has both fins and scales.

English Standard Version
“Of all that are in the waters you may eat these: whatever has fins and scales you may eat.

Berean Standard Bible
Of all the creatures that live in the water, you may eat anything with fins and scales,

King James Bible
These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:

New King James Version
“These you may eat of all that are in the waters: you may eat all that have fins and scales.

New American Standard Bible
“These you may eat of everything that is in the water: anything that has fins and scales you may eat,

NASB 1995
“These you may eat of all that are in water: anything that has fins and scales you may eat,

NASB 1977
“These you may eat of all that are in water: anything that has fins and scales you may eat,

Legacy Standard Bible
“These you may eat of all that are in water: anything that has fins and scales you may eat,

Amplified Bible
“Of all [creatures] that are in the waters, you may eat these: anything that has fins and scales you may eat,

Christian Standard Bible
“You may eat everything from the water that has fins and scales,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You may eat everything from the water that has fins and scales,

American Standard Version
These ye may eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales may ye eat;

Contemporary English Version
You can eat any fish that has fins and scales. But there are other creatures that live in the water,

English Revised Version
These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales shall ye eat:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Here's what you may eat of every creature that lives in the water: You may eat any creature that has fins and scales.

Good News Translation
"You may eat any kind of fish that has fins and scales,

International Standard Version
"You may choose to eat from these creatures in the water: you may eat anything with fin and scale,

Majority Standard Bible
Of all the creatures that live in the water, you may eat anything with fins and scales,

NET Bible
These you may eat from among water creatures: anything with fins and scales you may eat,

New Heart English Bible
These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales may you eat;

Webster's Bible Translation
These ye shall eat, of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:

World English Bible
These you may eat of all that are in the waters: you may eat whatever has fins and scales.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
This you eat of all which [are] in the waters: anything that has fins and scales you eat;

Young's Literal Translation
This ye do eat of all that are in the waters; all that hath fins and scales ye do eat;

Smith's Literal Translation
This shall ye eat from all which is in the waters: all which to it are fins and scales, ye shall eat:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
These shall you eat of all that abide in the waters: All that have fins and scales, you shall eat.

Catholic Public Domain Version
These you shall eat out of all that dwells in the waters: whatever has fins and scales, you shall eat.

New American Bible
These you may eat, of all that live in the water: whatever has both fins and scales you may eat,

New Revised Standard Version
Of all that live in water you may eat these: whatever has fins and scales you may eat.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
These you shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales you shall eat:

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And of all that is in water eat these: eat everything that has fins and scales:
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
These ye may eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales may ye eat;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And these ye shall eat of all that are in the water, ye shall eat all that have fins and scales.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Clean and Unclean Animals
8as well as the pig; though it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. It is unclean for you. You must not eat its meat or touch its carcass. 9 Of all the creatures that live in the water, you may eat anything with fins and scales, 10but you may not eat anything that does not have fins and scales; it is unclean for you.…

Cross References
Leviticus 11:9-12
Of all the creatures that live in the water, whether in the seas or in the streams, you may eat anything with fins and scales. / But the following among all the teeming life and creatures in the water are detestable to you: everything in the seas or streams that does not have fins and scales. / They shall be an abomination to you; you must not eat their meat, and you must detest their carcasses. ...

Genesis 7:2
You are to take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate; a pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate;

Genesis 9:3-4
Everything that lives and moves will be food for you; just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you all things. / But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it.

Leviticus 20:25
You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.

Acts 10:12-15
It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air. / Then a voice said to him: “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” / “No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” ...

Mark 7:18-19
“Are you still so dull?” He asked. “Do you not understand? Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him, / because it does not enter his heart, but it goes into the stomach and then is eliminated.” (Thus all foods are clean.)

Matthew 15:11
A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.”

Romans 14:14
I am convinced and fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.

1 Timothy 4:4-5
For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected, / because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Ezekiel 47:9-10
Wherever the river flows, there will be swarms of living creatures and a great number of fish, because it flows there and makes the waters fresh; so wherever the river flows, everything will flourish. / Fishermen will stand by the shore; from En-gedi to En-eglaim they will spread their nets to catch fish of many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.

Isaiah 66:17
“Those who consecrate and purify themselves to enter the groves—to follow one in the center of those who eat the flesh of swine and vermin and rats—will perish together,” declares the LORD.

1 Corinthians 10:31
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.

Colossians 2:16-17
Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. / These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.

Acts 15:28-29
It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements: / You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.

Romans 14:20
Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his eating be a stumbling block.


Treasury of Scripture

These you shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall you eat:

Leviticus 11:9-12
These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat…

Jump to Previous
Creatures Eat Plates Scales Skins Swimming Thin Water Waters Whatever Whatsoever Wings
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Creatures Eat Plates Scales Skins Swimming Thin Water Waters Whatever Whatsoever Wings
Deuteronomy 14
1. God's children are not to disfigure themselves in mourning
3. What may and may not be eaten
4. of animals
9. of fishes
11. of fowls
21. That which dies of itself may not be eaten
22. Tithes of Divine Service
23. Tithes and firstborns to be eaten before the Lord
28. The third year's tithe of alms and charity














Of all the creatures
This phrase sets the stage for a comprehensive categorization of aquatic life. In the Hebrew text, the word for "creatures" is "נֶפֶשׁ" (nephesh), which often refers to living beings or souls. This indicates a recognition of the life and vitality inherent in these beings, reflecting God's creation and His sovereignty over all life forms. The phrase underscores the inclusivity of God's creation, acknowledging the diversity and abundance of life in the waters.

that live in the water
The Hebrew word for "water" is "מַיִם" (mayim), which is a fundamental element in the biblical narrative, symbolizing life, chaos, and purification. Water is a recurring motif in Scripture, from the creation narrative in Genesis to the waters of baptism in the New Testament. Here, it signifies the habitat of these creatures, emphasizing the natural order established by God. The phrase reminds us of the divine provision and the sustaining power of God in the natural world.

you may eat
This directive is part of the dietary laws given to the Israelites, highlighting the concept of holiness and separation. The Hebrew verb "אָכַל" (akal) means "to eat" or "to consume," and it is used here to denote permission and divine approval. This permission is not merely about physical sustenance but also about spiritual obedience and covenantal faithfulness. It reflects God's care for His people, providing them with guidelines for healthy living and spiritual purity.

anything that has fins and scales
The specific criteria of "fins and scales" serve as a distinguishing mark for permissible aquatic creatures. In Hebrew, "fins" is "סְנַפִּיר" (snapir) and "scales" is "קַשְׂקֶשֶׂת" (qaskeset). These features are not arbitrary but are indicative of a broader principle of discernment and separation. The requirement for fins and scales can be seen as a metaphor for spiritual discernment, encouraging believers to distinguish between what is holy and unholy, clean and unclean. Historically, these dietary laws set the Israelites apart from surrounding nations, reinforcing their identity as God's chosen people. This phrase invites reflection on the importance of discernment in our spiritual lives, urging us to seek what is pure and pleasing to God.

(9-10) See Leviticus 11:9-12.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Of all
מִכֹּ֖ל (mik·kōl)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

[the creatures]
אֲשֶׁ֣ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

in the water,
בַּמָּ֑יִם (bam·mā·yim)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

you may eat
תֹּֽאכְל֔וּ (tō·ḵə·lū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 398: To eat

anything
כֹּ֧ל (kōl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

with fins
סְנַפִּ֥יר (sə·nap·pîr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5579: A fin

and scales,
וְקַשְׂקֶ֖שֶׂת (wə·qaś·qe·śeṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7193: A scale, a coat of mail


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 14:9 These you may eat of all that (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 14:8
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