The Meaning of Exodus 22:31 Explained

Exodus 22:31

KJV: And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.

YLT: 'And ye are holy men to Me, and flesh torn in the field ye do not eat, to a dog ye do cast it.

Darby: And ye shall be holy men unto me; and ye shall not eat flesh torn in the field: ye shall cast it to the dog.

ASV: And ye shall be holy men unto me: therefore ye shall not eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And ye shall be holy  men  unto me: neither shall ye eat  [any] flesh  [that is] torn of beasts  in the field;  ye shall cast  it to the dogs. 

What does Exodus 22:31 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Animal flesh torn in the field before humans ate it was unsuitable for Israelite consumption. Not only might the animal have died from a communicable disease, but second-rate food like this was inappropriate for people set apart to a holy God.

Chapter Summary: Exodus 22

1  Of Theft
5  Of damage
7  Of trespasses
14  Of borrowing
16  Of fornication
18  Of witchcraft
19  Of bestiality
20  Of idolatry
21  Of strangers, widows, and fatherless
25  Of usury
26  Of pledges
28  Of reverence to magistrates
29  Of the first fruits
31  Of torn flesh

What do the individual words in Exodus 22:31 mean?

And men holy you shall be To Me and meat in the field torn [by beasts] not you shall eat To the dogs you shall throw it -
וְאַנְשֵׁי־ קֹ֖דֶשׁ תִּהְי֣וּן לִ֑י וּבָשָׂ֨ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֤ה טְרֵפָה֙ לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֔לוּ לַכֶּ֖לֶב תַּשְׁלִכ֥וּן אֹתֽוֹ ס

וְאַנְשֵׁי־  And  men 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
קֹ֖דֶשׁ  holy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
תִּהְי֣וּן  you  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לִ֑י  To  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
וּבָשָׂ֨ר  and  meat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
בַּשָּׂדֶ֤ה  in  the  field 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
טְרֵפָה֙  torn  [by  beasts] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: טְרֵפָה  
Sense: that which is torn, animal torn (by beasts).
תֹאכֵ֔לוּ  you  shall  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
לַכֶּ֖לֶב  To  the  dogs 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּלֶב  
Sense: dog.
תַּשְׁלִכ֥וּן  you  shall  throw 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation