What does the Bible say about eating meat?

Top passages, ranked by readers

Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

• Genesis 9:3

  Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As the green herb, I have given everything to you.

• Romans 14:1-23

  [1] Now receive one who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions. [2] One man has faith to eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. [3] Don't let him who eats despise him who doesn't eat. Don't let him who doesn't eat judge him who eats, for God has received him. [4] Who are you who judge another's servant? To his own lord he stands or falls. Yes, he will be made to stand, for God has power to make him stand. [5] One man esteems one day as more important. Another esteems every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. [6] He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. He who doesn't eat, to the Lord he doesn't eat, and gives God thanks. [7] For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself. [8] For if we live, we live to the Lord. Or if we die, we die to the Lord. If therefore we live or die, we are the Lord's. [9] For to this end Christ died, rose, and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. [10] But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. [11] For it is written, "'As I live,' says the Lord, 'to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to God.'" [12] So then each one of us will give account of himself to God. [13] Therefore let's not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brother's way, or an occasion for falling. [14] I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself; except that to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. [15] Yet if because of food your brother is grieved, you walk no longer in love. Don't destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. [16] Then don't let your good be slandered, [17] for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. [18] For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. [19] So then, let us follow after things which make for peace, and things by which we may build one another up. [20] Don't overthrow God's work for food's sake. All things indeed are clean, however it is evil for that man who creates a stumbling block by eating. [21] It is good to not eat meat, drink wine, nor do anything by which your brother stumbles, is offended, or is made weak. [22] Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who doesn't judge himself in that which he approves. [23] But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it isn't of faith; and whatever is not of faith is sin. (14:24) Now to him who is able to establish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret through long ages, (14:25) but now is revealed, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known for obedience of faith to all the nations; (14:26) to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.

• Leviticus 11:1-47

  [1] Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, [2] "Speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'These are the living things which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. [3] Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud among the animals, that you may eat. [4] "'Nevertheless these you shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those who part the hoof: the camel, because he chews the cud but doesn't have a parted hoof, he is unclean to you. [5] The coney, because he chews the cud but doesn't have a parted hoof, he is unclean to you. [6] The hare, because she chews the cud but doesn't part the hoof, she is unclean to you. [7] The pig, because he has a split hoof, and is cloven-footed, but doesn't chew the cud, he is unclean to you. [8] Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you. [9] These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, that you may eat. [10] All that don't have fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of all the living creatures that are in the waters, they are an abomination to you, [11] and you detest them. You shall not eat of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses. [12] Whatever has no fins nor scales in the waters, that is an abomination to you. [13] "'These you shall detest among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the vulture, and the black vulture, [14] and the red kite, any kind of black kite, [15] any kind of raven, [16] the horned owl, the screech owl, and the gull, any kind of hawk, [17] the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, [18] the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, [19] the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat. [20] "'All flying insects that walk on all fours are an abomination to you. [21] Yet you may eat these: of all winged creeping things that go on all fours, which have legs above their feet, with which to hop on the earth. [22] Even of these you may eat: any kind of locust, any kind of katydid, any kind of cricket, and any kind of grasshopper. [23] But all winged creeping things which have four feet, are an abomination to you. [24] "'By these you will become unclean: whoever touches the carcass of them shall be unclean until the evening. [25] Whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. [26] "'Every animal which parts the hoof, and is not cloven-footed, nor chews the cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean. [27] Whatever goes on its paws, among all animals that go on all fours, they are unclean to you. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening. [28] He who carries their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. They are unclean to you. [29] "'These are they which are unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard, [30] the gecko, and the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink, and the chameleon. [31] These are they which are unclean to you among all that creep. Whoever touches them when they are dead, shall be unclean until the evening. [32] On whatever any of them falls when they are dead, it shall be unclean; whether it is any vessel of wood, or clothing, or skin, or sack, whatever vessel it is, with which any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening; then it will be clean. [33] Every earthen vessel, into which any of them falls, all that is in it shall be unclean, and you shall break it. [34] All food which may be eaten, that on which water comes, shall be unclean; and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean. [35] Everything whereupon part of their carcass falls shall be unclean; whether oven, or range for pots, it shall be broken in pieces: they are unclean, and shall be unclean to you. [36] Nevertheless a spring or a cistern in which water is a gathered shall be clean: but that which touches their carcass shall be unclean. [37] If part of their carcass falls on any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean. [38] But if water is put on the seed, and part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you. [39] "'If any animal, of which you may eat, dies; he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening. [40] He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. He also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. [41] "'Every creeping thing that creeps on the earth is an abomination. It shall not be eaten. [42] Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, even all creeping things that creep on the earth, them you shall not eat; for they are an abomination. [43] You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps, neither shall you make yourselves unclean with them, that you should be defiled thereby. [44] For I am Yahweh your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy: neither shall you defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth. [45] For I am Yahweh who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. [46] "'This is the law of the animal, and of the bird, and of every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth, [47] to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the living thing that may be eaten and the living thing that may not be eaten.'"

• Genesis 1:29

  God said, "Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food.

• Romans 14:2

  One man has faith to eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.

• Romans 14:21

  It is good to not eat meat, drink wine, nor do anything by which your brother stumbles, is offended, or is made weak.

• Mark 7:19

  because it doesn't go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, thus making all foods clean?"

• 1 Corinthians 10:31

  Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

• 1 Corinthians 8:8

  But food will not commend us to God. For neither, if we don't eat, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we the better.

• Deuteronomy 14:1-29

  [1] You are the children of Yahweh your God: you shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead. [2] For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God, and Yahweh has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth. [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. [22] You shall surely tithe all the increase of your seed, that which comes forth from the field year by year. [23] You shall eat before Yahweh your God, in the place which he shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, the tithe of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock; that you may learn to fear Yahweh your God always. [24] If the way be too long for you, so that you are not able to carry it, because the place is too far from you, which Yahweh your God shall choose, to set his name there, when Yahweh your God shall bless you; [25] then shall you turn it into money, and bind up the money in your hand, and shall go to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose: [26] and you shall bestow the money for whatever your soul desires, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever your soul asks of you; and you shall eat there before Yahweh your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. [27] The Levite who is within your gates, you shall not forsake him; for he has no portion nor inheritance with you. [28] At the end of every three years you shall bring forth all the tithe of your increase in the same year, and shall lay it up within your gates: [29] and the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the foreigner living among you, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that Yahweh your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

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