Worthy.Bible » Parallel » Deuteronomy » Chapter 14 » Verse 3-21

Deuteronomy 14:3-21 King James Version (KJV)

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3 Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.

4 These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,

5 The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.

6 And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.

7 Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you.

8 And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcass.

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

10 And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.

11 Of all clean birds ye shall eat.

12 But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,

13 And the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind,

14 And every raven after his kind,

15 And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckoo, and the hawk after his kind,

16 The little owl, and the great owl, and the swan,

17 And the pelican, and the gier eagle, and the cormorant,

18 And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

19 And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.

20 But of all clean fowls ye may eat.

21 Ye shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.

Deuteronomy 14:3-21 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

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3 Thou shalt not eat H398 any abominable thing. H8441

4 These are the beasts H929 which ye shall eat: H398 the ox, H7794 the sheep, H7716 H3775 and the goat, H5795

5 The hart, H354 and the roebuck, H6643 and the fallow deer, H3180 and the wild goat, H689 and the pygarg, H1788 and the wild ox, H8377 and the chamois. H2169

6 And every beast H929 that parteth H6536 the hoof, H6541 and cleaveth H8157 the cleft H8156 into two H8147 claws, H6541 and cheweth H5927 the cud H1625 among the beasts, H929 that ye shall eat. H398

7 Nevertheless these ye shall not eat H398 of them that chew H5927 the cud, H1625 or of them that divide H6536 the cloven H8156 hoof; H6541 as the camel, H1581 and the hare, H768 and the coney: H8227 for they chew H5927 the cud, H1625 but divide H6536 not the hoof; H6541 therefore they are unclean H2931 unto you.

8 And the swine, H2386 because it divideth H6536 the hoof, H6541 yet cheweth not the cud, H1625 it is unclean H2931 unto you: ye shall not eat H398 of their flesh, H1320 nor touch H5060 their dead carcase. H5038

9 These ye shall eat H398 of all that are in the waters: H4325 all that have fins H5579 and scales H7193 shall ye eat: H398

10 And whatsoever hath not fins H5579 and scales H7193 ye may not eat; H398 it is unclean H2931 unto you.

11 Of all clean H2889 birds H6833 ye shall eat. H398

12 But these are they of which ye shall not eat: H398 the eagle, H5404 and the ossifrage, H6538 and the ospray, H5822

13 And the glede, H7201 and the kite, H344 and the vulture H1772 after his kind, H4327

14 And every raven H6158 after his kind, H4327

15 And the owl, H1323 H3284 and the night hawk, H8464 and the cuckow, H7828 and the hawk H5322 after his kind, H4327

16 The little owl, H3563 and the great owl, H3244 and the swan, H8580

17 And the pelican, H6893 and the gier eagle, H7360 and the cormorant, H7994

18 And the stork, H2624 and the heron H601 after her kind, H4327 and the lapwing, H1744 and the bat. H5847

19 And every creeping thing H8318 that flieth H5775 is unclean H2931 unto you: they shall not be eaten. H398

20 But of all clean H2889 fowls H5775 ye may eat. H398

21 Ye shall not eat H398 of any thing that dieth of itself: H5038 thou shalt give H5414 it unto the stranger H1616 that is in thy gates, H8179 that he may eat H398 it; or thou mayest sell H4376 it unto an alien: H5237 for thou art an holy H6918 people H5971 unto the LORD H3068 thy God. H430 Thou shalt not seethe H1310 a kid H1423 in his mother's H517 milk. H2461

Deuteronomy 14:3-21 American Standard (ASV)

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3 Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.

4 These are the beasts which ye may eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,

5 the hart, and the gazelle, and the roebuck, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the antelope, and the chamois.

6 And every beast that parteth the hoof, and hath the hoof cloven in two, `and' cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that may ye eat.

7 Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that have the hoof cloven: the camel, and the hare, and the coney; because they chew the cud but part not the hoof, they are unclean unto you.

8 And the swine, because he parteth the hoof but cheweth not the cud, he is unclean unto you: of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcasses ye shall not touch.

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

10 and whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye shall not eat; it is unclean unto you.

11 Of all clean birds ye may eat.

12 But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the gier-eagle, and the ospray,

13 and the glede, and the falcon, and the kite after its kind,

14 and every raven after its kind,

15 and the ostrich, and the night-hawk, and the sea-mew, and the hawk after its kind,

16 the little owl, and the great owl, and the horned owl,

17 and the pelican, and the vulture, and the cormorant,

18 and the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.

19 And all winged creeping things are unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.

20 Of all clean birds ye may eat.

21 Ye shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself: thou mayest give it unto the sojourner that is within thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto a foreigner: for thou art a holy people unto Jehovah thy God. Thou shalt not boil a kid in its mother's milk.

Deuteronomy 14:3-21 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

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3 `Thou dost not eat any abominable thing;

4 `this `is' the beast which ye do eat: ox, lamb of the sheep, or kid of the goats,

5 hart, and roe, and fallow deer, and wild goat, and pygarg, and wild ox, and chamois;

6 and every beast dividing the hoof, and cleaving the cleft into two hoofs, bringing up the cud, among the beasts -- it ye do eat.

7 `Only, this ye do not eat, of those bringing up the cud, and of those dividing the cloven hoof: the camel, and the hare, and the rabbit, for they are bringing up the cud but the hoof have not divided; unclean they `are' to you;

8 and the sow, for it is dividing the hoof, and not `bringing' up the cud, unclean it `is' to you; of their flesh ye do not eat, and against their carcase ye do not come.

9 `This ye do eat of all that `are' in the waters; all that hath fins and scales ye do eat;

10 and anything which hath not fins and scales ye do not eat; unclean it `is' to you.

11 `Any clean bird ye do eat;

12 and these `are' they of which ye do not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,

13 and the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after its kind,

14 and every raven after its kind;

15 and the owl, and the night-hawk, and the cuckoo, and the hawk after its kind;

16 the `little' owl, and the `great' owl, and the swan,

17 and the pelican, and the gier-eagle, and the cormorant,

18 and the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the lapwing, and the bat;

19 and every teeming thing which is flying, unclean it `is' to you; they are not eaten;

20 any clean fowl ye do eat.

21 `Ye do not eat of any carcase; to the sojourner who `is' within thy gates thou dost give it, and he hath eaten it; or sell `it' to a stranger; for a holy people thou `art' to Jehovah thy God; thou dost not boil a kid in its mother's milk.

Deuteronomy 14:3-21 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

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3 Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.

4 These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat;

5 the hart, and the gazelle, and the stag, and the wild goat, and the dishon and the oryx, and the wild sheep.

6 And every beast that hath cloven hoofs, and the feet quite split open into double hoofs, [and] which cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that ye shall eat.

7 Only these ye shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those with hoofs cloven and split open: the camel, and the hare, and the rock-badger; for they chew the cud, but have not cloven hoofs -- they shall be unclean unto you;

8 and the swine, for it hath cloven hoofs, yet cheweth not the cud -- it shall be unclean unto you. Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch.

9 These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales shall ye eat;

10 but whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye shall not eat: it shall be unclean unto you.

11 All clean birds shall ye eat.

12 But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the sea-eagle,

13 and the falcon, and the kite, and the black kite after its kind;

14 and every raven after its kind;

15 and the female ostrich, and the male ostrich, and the sea-gull, and the hawk after its kind;

16 the owl, and the ibis and the swan,

17 and the pelican, and the carrion vulture, and the gannet,

18 and the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.

19 And every winged crawling thing shall be unclean unto you; they shall not be eaten.

20 All clean fowls shall ye eat.

21 Ye shall eat of no carcase; thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is within thy gates, that he may eat it, or sell it unto a foreigner; for thou art a holy people to Jehovah thy God. Thou shalt not boil a kid in its mother's milk.

Deuteronomy 14:3-21 World English Bible (WEB)

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3 You shall not eat any abominable thing.

4 These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,

5 the hart, and the gazelle, and the roebuck, and the wild goat, and the ibex, and the antelope, and the chamois.

6 Every animal that parts the hoof, and has the hoof cloven in two, [and] chews the cud, among the animals, that may you eat.

7 Nevertheless these you shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of those who have the hoof cloven: the camel, and the hare, and the rabbit; because they chew the cud but don't part the hoof, they are unclean to you.

8 The pig, because it has a split hoof but doesn't chew the cud, is unclean to you: of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch.

9 These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales may you eat;

10 and whatever doesn't have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean to you.

11 Of all clean birds you may eat.

12 But these are they of which you shall not eat: the eagle, and the gier-eagle, and the ospray,

13 and the red kite, and the falcon, and the kite after its kind,

14 and every raven after its kind,

15 and the ostrich, and the night-hawk, and the sea-mew, and the hawk after its kind,

16 the little owl, and the great owl, and the horned owl,

17 and the pelican, and the vulture, and the cormorant,

18 and the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.

19 All winged creeping things are unclean to you: they shall not be eaten.

20 Of all clean birds you may eat.

21 You shall not eat of anything that dies of itself: you may give it to the foreigner living among you who is within your gates, that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner: for you are a holy people to Yahweh your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk.

Deuteronomy 14:3-21 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

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3 No disgusting thing may be your food.

4 These are the beasts which you may have for food: the ox, the sheep, and the goat;

5 The hart, the gazelle, and the roe, the mountain goat and the pygarg and the antelope and the mountain sheep.

6 Any beast which has a division in the horn of its foot and whose food comes back into its mouth to be crushed again, may be used for food.

7 But even among these, there are some which may not be used for food: such as the camel, the hare, and the coney, which are unclean to you, because, though their food comes back, the horn of their feet is not parted in two.

8 And the pig is unclean to you, because though it has a division in the horn of its foot, its food does not come back; their flesh may not be used for food or their dead bodies touched by you.

9 And of the things living in the waters, you may take all those who have wings for swimming with and skins formed of thin plates.

10 But any which have no skin-plates or wings for swimming, you may not take; they are unclean for you.

11 All clean birds may be used for food.

12 But these birds you may not take: the eagle and the gier-eagle and the ospray;

13 The falcon and the kite, and birds of that sort;

14 Every raven, and all birds of that sort;

15 And the ostrich and the night-hawk and the sea-hawk and birds of that sort;

16 The little owl and the great owl and the water-hen;

17 And the pelican and the vulture and the cormorant;

18 The stork and the heron and birds of that sort, and the hoopoe and the bat.

19 Every winged thing which goes flat on the earth is unclean to you and may not be used as food.

20 But all clean birds you may take.

21 You may not have as food anything which has come to a natural death; the man from another country who is living with you may take it for food, or you may get a price for it from one of another nation; for you are a holy people to the Lord your God. The young goat is not to be cooked in its mother's milk.

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Deuteronomy 14

Commentary on Deuteronomy 14 Matthew Henry Commentary

John Gill   Keil & Delitzsch   Robert Jamieson: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible  

Chapter 14

Moses in this chapter teaches them,

  • I. To distinguish themselves from their neighbours by a singularity,
  • II. To devote themselves unto God, and, in token of that, to give him his dues out of their estates, the yearly tithe, and that every third year, for the maintenance of their religious feasts, the Levites, and the poor (v. 22, etc.).

Deu 14:1-21

Moses here tells the people of Israel,

  • I. How God had dignified them, as a peculiar people, with three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things with which God has in Christ blessed us.
    • 1. Here is election: The Lord hath chosen thee, v. 2. Not for their own merit, nor for any good works foreseen, but because he would magnify the riches of his power and grace among them. He did not choose them because they were by their own dedication and subjection 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, Eph. 1:4.
    • 2. Here is adoption (v. 1): "You are the children of the Lord your God, formed by him into a people, owned by him as his people, nay, his family, a people near unto him, nearer than any other.' Israel is my son, my first-born; not because he needed children, but because they were orphans, and needed a father. Every Israelite is indeed a child of God, a partaker of his nature and favour, his love and blessing Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us!
    • 3. Here is sanctification (v. 2): "Thou art a holy people, separated and set apart for God, devoted to his service, designed for his praise, governed by a holy law, graced by a holy tabernacle, and the holy ordinances relating to it.' God's people are under the strongest obligations to be holy, and, if they are holy, are indebted to the grace of God that makes them so. The Lord has set them apart for himself, and qualified them for his service and the enjoyment of him, and so has made them holy to himself.
  • II. How they ought to distinguish themselves by a sober singularity from all the nations that were about them. And, God having thus advanced them, let not them debase themselves by admitting the superstitious customs of idolaters, and, by making themselves like them, put themselves upon the level with them. Be you the children of the Lord your God; so the Seventy read it, as a command, that is, "Carry yourselves as becomes the children of God, and do nothing to disgrace the honour and forfeit the privileges of the relation.' In two things particularly they must distinguish themselves:-
    • 1. In their mourning: You shall not cut yourselves, v. 1. This forbids (as some think), not only their cutting themselves at their funerals, either to express their grief or with their own blood to appease the infernal deities, but their wounding and mangling themselves in the worship of their gods, as Baal's prophets did (1 Ki. 18:28), or their marking themselves by incisions in their flesh for such and such deities, which in them, above any, would be an inexcusable crime, who in the sign of circumcision bore about with them in their bodies the marks of the Lord Jehovah. So that,
      • (1.) They are forbidden to deform or hurt their own bodies upon any account. Methinks this is like a parent's change to his little children, that are foolish, careless, and wilful, and are apt to play with knives: Children, you shall not cut yourselves. This is the intention of those commands which oblige us to deny ourselves; the true meaning of them, if we understood them aright, would appear to be, Do yourselves no harm. And this also is the design of those providences which most cross us, to remove from us those things by which we are in danger of doing ourselves harm. Knives are taken from us, lest we should cut ourselves. Those that are dedicated to God as a holy people must do nothing to disfigure themselves; the body is for the Lord, and is to be used accordingly.
      • (2.) They are forbidden to disturb and afflict their own minds with inordinate grief for the loss of near and dear relations: "You shall not express or exasperate you sorrow, even upon the most mournful occasions, by cutting yourselves, and making baldness between your eyes, like men enraged, or resolvedly hardened in sorrow for the dead, as those that have no hope,' 1 Th. 4:13. It is an excellent passage which Mr. Ainsworth here quotes from one of the Jewish writers, who understands this as a law against immoderate grief for the death of our relations. If your father (for instance) die, you shall not cut yourselves, that is, you shall not sorrow more than is meet, for you are not fatherless, you have a Father, who is great, living, and permanent, even the holy blessed God, whose children you are, v. 1. But an infidel (says he), when his father dies, hath no father that can help him in time of need; for he hath said to a stock, Thou art my father, and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth (Jer. 2:27); therefore he weeps, cuts himself, and makes himself bald. We that have a God to hope in, and a heaven to hope for, must bear up ourselves with that hope under every burden of this kind.
    • 2. They must be singular in their meat. Observe,
      • (1.) Many sorts of flesh which were wholesome enough, and which other people did commonly eat, they must religiously abstain from as unclean. This law we had before Lev. 11:2, where it was largely opened. It seems plainly, by the connection here, to be intended as a mark of peculiarity; for their observance of it would cause them to be taken notice of in all mixed companies as a separate people, and would preserve them from mingling themselves with, and conforming themselves to, their idolatrous neighbours.
        • [1.] Concerning beasts, here is a more particular enumeration of those which they were allowed to eat then was in Leviticus, to show that they had no reason to complain of their being restrained from eating swines' flesh, and hares, and rabbits (which were all that were then forbidden, but are now commonly used), when they were allowed so great a variety, not only of that which we call butcher's meat (v. 4), which alone was offered in sacrifice, but of venison, which they had great plenty of in Canaan, the hart, and the roe-buck, and the fallow deer (v. 5), which, though never brought to God's altar, was allowed them at their own table. See ch. 12:22. When of all these (as Adam of every tree of the garden) they might freely eat, those were inexcusable who, to gratify a perverse appetite, or (as should seem) in honour of their idols, and in participation of their idolatrous sacrifices, ate swines' flesh, and had broth of abominable things (made so by this law) in their vessels, Isa. 65:4.
        • [2.] Concerning fish there is only one general rule given, that whatsoever had not fins and scales (as shell-fish and eels, besides leeches and other animals in the water that are not proper food) was unclean and forbidden, v. 9, 10.
        • [3.] No general rule is given concerning fowl, but those are particularly mentioned that were to be unclean to them, and there are few or none of them which are here forbidden that are now commonly eaten; and whatsoever is not expressly forbidden is allowed, v. 11-20. Of all clean fowls you may eat.
        • [4.] They are further forbidden,
          • First, To eat the flesh of any creature that died of itself, because the blood was not separated from it, and, besides the ceremonial uncleanness which it lay under (from Lev. 11:39), it is not wholesome food, nor ordinarily used among us, except by the poor.
          • Secondly, To seethe a kid in its mother's milk, either to gratify their own luxury, supposing it a dainty bit, or in conformity to some superstitious custom of the heathen. The Chaldee paraphrasts read it, Thou shalt not eat flesh-meats and milk-meats together; and so it would forbid the use of butter as sauce to any flesh.
      • (2.) Now as to all these precepts concerning their food,
        • [1.] It is plain in the law itself that they belonged only to the Jews, and were not moral, nor of perpetual use, because not of universal obligation; for what they might not eat themselves they might give to a stranger, a proselyte of the gate, that had renounced idolatry, and therefore was permitted to live among them, though not circumcised; or they might sell it to an alien, a mere Gentile, that came into their country for trade, but might not settle it, v. 21. They might feed upon that which an Israelite might not touch, which is a plain instance of their peculiarity, and their being a holy people.
        • [2.] It is plain in the gospel that they are now antiquated and repealed. For every creature of God is good, and nothing now to be refused, or called common and unclean, 1 Tim. 4:4.

Deu 14:22-29

We have here a part of the statute concerning tithes. The productions of the ground were twice tithed, so that, putting both together, a fifth part was devoted to God out of their increase, and only four parts of five were for their own common use; and they could not but own they paid an easy rent, especially since God's part was disposed of to their own benefit and advantage. The first tithe was for the maintenance of their Levites, who taught them the good knowledge of God, and ministered to them in holy things; this is supposed as anciently due, and is entailed upon the Levites as an inheritance, by that law, Num. 18:24, etc. But it is the second tithe that is here spoken of, which was to be taken out of the remainder when the Levites had had theirs.

  • I. They are here charged to separate it, and set it apart for God: Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of they seed, v. 22. The Levites took care of their own, but the separating of this was left to the owners themselves, the law encouraging them to be honest by reposing a confidence in them, and so trying their fear of God. They are commanded to tithe truly, that is, to be sure to do it, and to do it faithfully and carefully, that God's part might not be diminished either with design or by oversight. Note, We must be sure to give God his full dues out of our estates; for, being but stewards of them, it is required that we be faithful, as those that must give account.
  • II. They are here directed how to dispose of it when they had separated it. Let every man lay by as God prospers him and gives him success, and then let him lay out in pious uses as God gives him opportunity; and it will be the easier to lay out, and the proportion will be more satisfying, when first we have laid by. This second tithe may be disposed of,
    • 1. In works of piety, for the first two years after the year of release. They must bring it up, either in kind or in the full value of it, to the place of the sanctuary, and there must spend it in holy feasting before the Lord. If they could do it with any convenience, they must bring it in kind (v. 23); but, if not, they might turn it into money (v. 24, 25), and that money must be laid out in something to feast upon before the Lord. The comfortable cheerful using of what God has given us, with temperance and sobriety, is really the honouring of God with it. Contentment, holy joy, and thankfulness, make every meal a religious feast. The end of this law we have (v. 23): That thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always; it was to keep them right and firm to their religion,
      • (1.) By acquainting them with the sanctuary, the holy things, and the solemn services that were there performed. What they read the appointment of their Bibles, it would do them good to see the observance of in the tabernacle; it would make a deeper impression upon them, which would keep them out of the snares of the idolatrous customs. Note, It will have a good influence upon our constancy in religion never to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, Heb. 10:25. By the comfort of the communion of saints, we may be kept to our communion with God.
      • (2.) By using them to the most pleasant and delightful services of religion. Let them rejoice before the Lord, that they may learn to fear him always. The more pleasure we find in the ways of religion the more likely we shall be to persevere in those ways. One thing they must remember in their pious entertainments-to bid their Levites welcome to them. Thou shalt not forsake the Levites (v. 27): "Let him never be a stranger to thy table, especially when thou eatest before the Lord.'
    • 2. Every third year this tithe must be disposed of at home in works of charity (v. 28, 29): Lay it up within they own gates, and let it be given to the poor, who, knowing the provision this law had made for them, no doubt would come to seek it; and, that they might make the poor familiar to them and not disdain their company, they are here directed to welcome them to their houses. "Thither let them come, and eat and be satisfied.' In this charitable distribution of the second tithe they must have an eye to the poor ministers and add to their encouragement by entertaining them, then to poor strangers (not only for the supply of their necessities, but to put a respect upon them, and so to invite them to turn proselytes), and then to the fatherless and widow, who, though perhaps they might have a competent maintenance left them, yet could not be supposed to live so plentifully and comfortably as they had done in months past, and therefore they were to countenance them, and help to make them easy by inviting them to this entertainment. God has a particular care for widows and fatherless, and he requires that we should have the same. It is his honour, and will be ours, to help the helpless. And if we thus serve God, and do good with what we have, it is promised here that the Lord our God will bless us in all the work of our hand. Note,
      • (1.) The blessing of God is all in all to our outward prosperity, and, without that blessing, the work of our hands which we do will bring nothing to pass.
      • (2.) The way to obtain that blessing is to be diligent and charitable. The blessing descends upon the working hand: "Except not that God should bless thee in thy idleness and love of ease, but in all the work of they hand.' It is the hand of the diligent, with the blessing of God upon it, that makes rich, Prov. 10:4, 22. And it descends upon the giving hand; he that thus scatters certainly increases, and the liberal soul will be made fat. It is an undoubted truth, though little believed, that to be charitable to the poor, and to be free and generous in the support of religion and any good work, is the surest and safest way of thriving. What is lent to the Lord will be repaid with abundant interest. See Eze. 44:30.