New American Standard Bible 1995

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Deuteronomy

14

:

7

"Nevertheless, you are not to eat of these among those which chew the cud, or among those that divide the hoof in two: the camel and the rabbit and the shaphan, for though they chew the cud, they do not divide the hoof; they are unclean for you.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
"Nevertheless, surely, howbeit Adverb H389 אַ֣ךְ ach
you are not to eat to eat Verb H398 תֹֽאכְלוּ֙ to·che·lu
of these this, here Pronoun H2088 זֶ֞ה zeh
among from H4480    
those which chew to go up, ascend, climb Verb H5927 מִמַּֽעֲלֵ֣י mim·ma·'a·lei
the cud, cud Noun H1625 הַגֵּרָ֔ה hag·ge·rah,
or among from H4480    
those that divide to break in two, divide Verb H6536 וּמִמַּפְרִיסֵ֥י u·mim·maf·ri·sei
the hoof a hoof Noun H6541 הַפַּרְסָ֖ה hap·par·sah
in two: to divide, cleave Verb H8156 הַשְּׁסוּעָ֑ה ha·she·su·'ah;
Analysis:

Two: Two divergent opinions

The classic example for the number "two" is found in Matthew chapter 26. There, Yeshua says to His disciples,

"You know that after two days comes the Passover, and the Son of Man will be given over for crucifixion."  Matthew 26:2

The phrase "after two days" is somewhat meaningless because after two days can mean three or more days. The period is unspecified. The reason for such ambiguous language is because the purpose of the number two in this passage is not solely numerical. This means that the text is not intending to provide the reader with some definite information concerning a time period. Rather, the purpose of the number two in this context is one of the numerological meanings of the number two.  Often the number two relates to two divergent opinions. In the aforementioned verse, the author wants to inform the reader that there are two very different understandings for this coming Passover. Yeshua wants to emphasize that He is going up to Jerusalem in order to die as the true Passover sacrifice. Even though Yeshua states this emphatically, the disciples did not receive this. In fact, the disciples did not perceive at all what was going to take place during Passover in regard to Yeshua. In other words, Yeshua and the disciples have two divergent opinions concerning the Passover.

This same principle is also found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Covenant). In the book of Amos one reads,

"Can two walk together without them having agreed" Amos 3:3

The word which was translated into English with the phrase "them having agreed" is נועדו. The root of this word is יעד, which relates to a specific destination. The word which precedes this word is בלתי and in this context the word implies a change to the condition. In other words, had there not been a change in the condition, then the two could not walk together, i.e. they could not have arrived at the common destination.

The concept of divergent or different is also seen in the book of Genesis. In speaking about the sun and moon one reads, "And God made two great lights…" (Genesis 1:16). Obviously the sun and moon are very different, as one is a source of light, while the latter just reflects light. Also in the book of Genesis, one encounters the account of the flood. Here Noah is commanded to bring onto the ark two sorts of each type of animal. In this passage, the two relates to two different (or divergent) kinds of the same sort, i.e. male and female. 

Likewise, two angels came to Sodom, demonstrating that the people of Sodom had a very different way of living from that of the Law of God. Once again, the reader should not assume that every occurrence of the number two in the Bible demands this interpretation. However, one will find in a great majority of Biblical passages, the reader will be assisted in arriving at the proper interpretation, when he considers this divergent quality for the number two. 

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the camel a camel Noun H1581 הַ֠גָּמָל hag·ga·mal
and the rabbit a hare Noun H768 הָאַרְנֶ֨בֶת ha·'ar·ne·vet
and the shaphan, hyrax Noun H8227 הַשָּׁפָ֜ן ha·sha·fan
Analysis:
Read more about: shaphan
for though they chew to go up, ascend, climb Verb H5927 מַעֲלֵ֧ה ma·'a·leh
the cud, cud Noun H1625 גֵרָ֣ה ge·rah
they do not divide to break in two, divide Verb H6536 הִפְרִ֔יסוּ hif·ri·su,
the hoof; a hoof Noun H6541 וּפַרְסָה֙ u·far·sah
they are unclean unclean Adjective H2931 טְמֵאִ֥ים te·me·'im
for you.      

People

shaphan

hyrax

Shaphan

the name of several Israelites

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 "Nevertheless, you are not to eat of these among those which chew the cud, or among those that divide the hoof in two: the camel and the rabbit and the shaphan, for though they chew the cud, they do not divide the hoof; they are unclean for you.
King James Bible "Nevertheless, you are Nevertheless these ye shall not to eat of these among those which them that chew the cud, or among those of them that divide the hoof in two: cloven hoof; as the camel camel, and the rabbit hare, and the shaphan, coney: for though they chew the cud, they do not but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean for unto you.
Hebrew Greek English "Nevertheless, you are not to eat of these among those which chew the cud, or among those that divide the hoof in two: the camel and the rabbit and the shaphan, for though they chew the cud, they do not divide the hoof; they are unclean for you.