20 Bible Verses about Meat

Daniel determined within himself not to become defiled by the king's menu of rich foods or by the king's wine, so he requested permission from the chief officer not to defile himself.

"When a person brings an offering that is, a grain offering to the LORD, his offering is to consist of fine flour. He is to pour olive oil mixed with frankincense over it.

"This is the law concerning grain offerings: Aaron's sons are to offer them in the LORD's presence, in front of the altar.

Next, he brought the grain offering, filled his hand with it, and burned it on the altar next to the burnt offering for that morning.

Then Moses told Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Take the leftovers from the grain offering and the offerings made by fire and eat the unleavened bread beside the altar, because it is most holy to the LORD.

Along with the loaves of bread, bring seven lambs (each of them one year old and without defect), one young bull as an offering, and two rams as offerings to the LORD along with your gift and drink offerings and present them as an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

If this is how you treat me, please kill me right now, if I've found favor in your eyes, because I don't want to keep staring at all of this misery!"

and distributed to all the people the entire multitude of Israel, including both men and women a cake made of bread, one made of dates, and one made of raisins to each one. Then all the people left, each headed for home.

She has prepared her food, she has spiced her wine, and she also has set her dining table.

For God's kingdom does not consist of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy produced by the Holy Spirit.

"I am your God. I've separated you from the people. You are to differentiate between the clean animal and the unclean and between the unclean bird and the clean. You are not to make yourselves detestable on account of any animal, bird, or any creeping creature of the ground that I've separated for you as unclean.

"You are to be people set apart for me. You are not to eat flesh torn apart in the field; you are to throw it to the dogs."

"Tell the Israelis that these are the living creatures that you may eat among the animals of the earth: You may eat any animal that has divided hooves with cloven feet and that ruminates its cud, except you are not to eat the following animals that have divided hooves or ruminate their cud: the camel (because it chews the cud but doesn't have divided hooves, it is to be unclean for you), read more.
the rock badger (because it chews its cud but its hooves aren't divided, it is to be unclean for you), the hare (because it chews its cud, but its hooves aren't divided, it is to be unclean for you), and the pig (because it has divided hooves and is therefore cloven-footed, but it doesn't ruminate its cud, it is to be unclean for you). You are not to eat their flesh or even touch their carcasses. They are to be unclean for you." "You may eat anything that lives in the water that is, you may eat anything that has fins and scales either from the seas or from the rivers. But anything that doesn't have fins or scales whether from the seas or the rivers any of the swarming creatures and living creatures in the waters are detestable for you. They are to remain detestable for you. You are not to eat of their meat and you are to detest their carcasses. Anything that doesn't have fins or scales in the waters is a detestable thing for you." "These are detestable things for you among winged creatures that you are not to eat, because they are detestable for you: the eagle, vulture, osprey, red kite, falcons of any kind, every kind of raven, ostrich, nighthawk, seagull, hawks of every kind, owls, cormorants, the ibis, water-hens, pelicans, carrion, storks, herons of every kind, the hoopoe, bata, and any winged insect that crawls on four legs is detestable for you. However, you may eat winged creatures that crawl on four legs that extend over its head and by which it hops on the ground. These creatures that you may eat include the locust of any kind, the bald locust of any kind, the cricket of any kind, and the grasshopper of any kind. But any other winged insect that has four legs is detestable for you and is unclean. Anyone who touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening. And anyone who carries their carcasses is to wash his clothes, since he will remain unclean until evening." "Any animal that has divided hooves and is cloven-footed but doesn't chew the cud is unclean for you. Anyone who touches them is unclean. Among the animals, anything that walks on their paws and on four legs is unclean for you. Anyone who touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening. Whoever carries their carcass is to wash their clothes, because they've become unclean until evening. They're unclean for you. "These are unclean for you among the swarming creatures that crawl over the land: the rat, mouse, lizards of every kind, the gecko, crocodile, lizard, sand lizard, and chameleon. These are unclean for you among the swarming creatures, so anyone who touches them when they're dead becomes unclean until evening. Furthermore, anything on which they fall when they're dead becomes unclean, whether on an article of wood, clothing, skin, or a sack. And any vessel used for any work is to be washed in water, because it has become unclean until evening. Any earthen vessel into which any of these things fall becomes unclean, along with everything in it. You are to destroy it, along with all its contents." "Any food that may be eaten, but into which water has soaked, becomes unclean. Any drink that may be drunk in any of these vessels becomes unclean, and anything into which their carcass falls becomes unclean. An oven or stove is to be broken in pieces. They're unclean and therefore unclean for you. "A spring or a cistern that holds water is clean, but whoever touches the carcass of an unclean animal will be unclean. If their carcass falls on a seed, which is for sowing, what is to be sown is clean. But if water is put on the seed and part of their carcass falls on it, then it has become unclean for you. "If any of the animals that you may eat dies, the one who touches its carcass becomes unclean until evening. The one who eats from its carcass is to wash his clothes, because he has become unclean until evening. Even the one who carries the carcass is to wash his clothes, because he has become unclean until evening." "Every swarming thing that swarms the land is detestable for you. It is not to be eaten. You are not to eat anything that crawls on its belly, anything that walks on four legs, anything that has many legs, or any of the swarming creatures that swarm the land, because they're detestable. You are not to make yourselves detestable on account of any swarming creature that swarms the land, and you are not to defile yourselves and become unclean due to them, because I, the LORD, am your God. Set yourselves apart and be holy, because I am holy. You are not to defile yourselves with any of the swarming creatures that swarm the earth. I am the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You are to be holy, because I am holy. This is the law concerning animals, every living creature that moves on the waters or swarms on land. You are to differentiate between the clean and unclean, between the living creature that can be eaten and the living creature that is not to be eaten."

"You must not eat any detestable food. These are the animals that you may eat: ox, sheep, goat, deer, gazelle, roebuck, wild goat, ibex, antelope, and mountain sheep. read more.
You may eat every animal with a divided hoof those with split cloven hooves that chews the cud. However, you must not eat these animals that chew the cud or have a divided hoof: the camel, hare, and rock badger. Even though they chew the cud, their hooves are not divided. Therefore they are unclean for you. And also the pig, because even though its hoof is divided, it does not chew the cud. It is therefore unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or even touch their carcasses. "You may choose to eat from these creatures in the water: you may eat anything with fin and scale, but you may not eat anything without fin and scale, since it is unclean to you. "You may eat all clean birds. But you must not eat from any of these: the eagle, vulture, osprey, buzzard, any kind of kite, any kind of raven, the ostrich, night hawk, seagull, any kind of falcon, the little owl, the great owl, the horned owl, the pelican, the carrion vulture, the cormorant, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat. Any winged, swarming insect is unclean to you. They must not be eaten. You may eat every bird that is clean. "You must not eat any carcass. But you may give it to the alien in your cities so he may eat it or sell it to a foreigner, for you are a holy people to the LORD your God. "You must not cook a young goat in its mother's milk."

I know and have been persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in and of itself, but it is unclean to a person who thinks it is unclean. For if your brother is being hurt by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not destroy the person for whom the Messiah died by what you eat. Do not allow what seems good to you to be spoken of as evil. read more.
For God's kingdom does not consist of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy produced by the Holy Spirit. For the person who serves the Messiah in this way is pleasing to God and approved by people. Therefore, let's keep on pursuing those things that bring peace and that lead to building up one another. Do not destroy God's action for the sake of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong to make another person stumble because of what you eat. The right thing to do is to avoid eating meat, drinking wine, or doing anything else that makes your brother stumble, upset, or weak. As for the faith you do have, have it as your own conviction before God. How blessed is the person who has no reason to condemn himself because of what he approves! But the person who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not act in faith; and anything that is not done in faith is sin.

Now concerning food offered to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone thinks he really knows something, he has not yet learned it as he ought to know it. But anyone who loves God is known by him. read more.
Now concerning eating food offered to idols: We know that no idol is real in this world and that there is only one God. For even if there are "gods" in heaven and on earth (as indeed there are many so-called "gods" and "lords"), yet for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom everything came into being and for whom we live. And there is only one Lord, Jesus the Messiah, through whom everything came into being and through whom we live. But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are so accustomed to idolatry that when they eat food that has been offered to an idol, their conscience becomes contaminated because it is weak. However, food will not bring us closer to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat food that has been offered to an idol, and no better off if we do. But you must see to it that this right of yours does not become a stumbling block for those who are weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you, who know better, eating in an idol's temple, he will be encouraged to eat what has been offered to idols, won't he? In that case, the weak brother for whom the Messiah died is ruined by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak consciences, you are sinning against the Messiah. Therefore, if food that I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, in order to keep my brother from stumbling.

And so, my dear friends, keep on running away from idolatry. I am talking to sensible people. Apply what I am saying to yourselves. The cup of blessing that we bless is our fellowship in the blood of the Messiah, isn't it? The bread that we break is our fellowship in the body of the Messiah, isn't it? read more.
Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body, because all of us eat from the same loaf. Look at the Israelis from a human point of view. Those who eat the sacrifices share in what is on the altar, don't they? Am I suggesting that an offering made to idols means anything, or that an idol itself means anything? Hardly! What they offer, they offer to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to become partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot dine with the Lord and dine with demons, or you'll provoke the Lord to jealousy, won't you? Are we stronger than he is? Everything is permissible, but not everything is helpful. Everything is permissible, but not everything builds up. No one should seek his own welfare, but rather his neighbor's. Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without raising any question about it on the grounds of conscience, for "the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord." If an unbeliever invites you to his house and you wish to go, eat whatever is set before you, raising no question on the grounds of conscience. However, if someone says to you, "This was offered as a sacrifice," don't eat it, both out of consideration for the one who told you and also for the sake of conscience. I mean, of course, his conscience, not yours. For why should my freedom be determined by someone else's conscience? If I eat with thankfulness, why should I be denounced because of what I am thankful for? Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Don't become a stumbling block to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God, just as I myself try to please everybody in every way. I don't look out for my own benefit, but rather for the benefit of many people, so that they might be saved.

God blessed Noah and his sons and ordered them, "Be productive, multiply, and fill the earth. All the living creatures of the earth will be filled with fear and terror of you from now on, including all the creatures that fly in the sky, everything that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the ocean. They've been assigned to live under your dominion. "Every living, moving creature will be food for you. Just as I gave you green plants before, so now you have everything. read more.
However, you are not to eat meat with its life that is, its blood in it!

"When a person brings an offering that is, a grain offering to the LORD, his offering is to consist of fine flour. He is to pour olive oil mixed with frankincense over it.

"This is the law concerning grain offerings: Aaron's sons are to offer them in the LORD's presence, in front of the altar.

Next, he brought the grain offering, filled his hand with it, and burned it on the altar next to the burnt offering for that morning.

Then Moses told Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Take the leftovers from the grain offering and the offerings made by fire and eat the unleavened bread beside the altar, because it is most holy to the LORD.

Along with the loaves of bread, bring seven lambs (each of them one year old and without defect), one young bull as an offering, and two rams as offerings to the LORD along with your gift and drink offerings and present them as an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

"When you bring an offering that is, a grain offering baked in an oven it is to consist of fine flour baked into unleavened bread mixed with olive oil or of wafers made of unleavened bread and smeared with olive oil.

"Any grain offering that you bring to the LORD is not to be prepared with yeast, because anything with leaven and honey may not be offered in smoke as an offering by fire to the LORD.

He is to offer the ram, a sacrifice of peace offering to the LORD, along with the basket of unleavened bread. Then the priest is to present his grain and drink offerings.

"This is the law concerning grain offerings: Aaron's sons are to offer them in the LORD's presence, in front of the altar. He is to take a handful of fine flour for a grain offering, some olive oil, and all of the frankincense for the grain offering, and make a sacrifice of smoke on the altar as a memorial portion, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Aaron and his sons are to eat what remains of the unleavened offering at this sacred place the court of the Tent of Meeting. read more.
It is not to be baked with leaven. I've given it as their portion out of my offerings made by fire. It's a most holy thing, like the sin and guilt offerings. Every male of Aaron's sons is to eat it as a portion continually allotted for your generations from the offerings made by fire to the Lord. Anyone who touches them is to be holy."

Then Moses told Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Take the leftovers from the grain offering and the offerings made by fire and eat the unleavened bread beside the altar, because it is most holy to the LORD. Eat at a sacred place, because it's your and your sons' prescribed portions. It's from the offering made by fire to the LORD, since I've commanded it.

The offeror is to bring the oblation to the LORD, containing one tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with one fourth of a hin of olive oil.

This is what is to belong to you from consecrated offerings spared from the fire: all of their offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, and trespass offerings that they render to me. They're to be considered most sacred to you and your sons. You may eat them as consecrated gifts. Every male may eat them. They're sacred for you.

Eat at a sacred place, because it's your and your sons' prescribed portions. It's from the offering made by fire to the LORD, since I've commanded it.

Also at that time men were appointed over the storerooms for the contributions, for the first fruits, and for the tithes, so those portions required by the Law could be gathered from the fields adjacent to the towns to benefit the priests and descendants of Levi, for the people of Judah rejoiced over the priests and the descendants of Levi who were serving.

had prepared a great chamber for him, in the place where they used to place the grain offerings, incense, and vessels, along with the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil that was mandated for the descendants of Levi, the singers, the gate keepers, and the priests' offerings. During all of this time, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to the king in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon. After a while I obtained permission from the king

when you enter the land where you'll be living that I'm about to give you, you are to make an offering by fire to the LORD, either a burnt offering, a sacrificial offering to fulfill a vow, or a voluntary offering at the appointed time, to make a pleasing aroma to the LORD either from your cattle or from your flocks. The offeror is to bring the oblation to the LORD, containing one tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with one fourth of a hin of olive oil. Also prepare one fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering or for the sacrifice of each lamb. read more.
"For a ram, prepare a grain offering consisting of two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one third of a hin of olive oil. Now as for your drink offering, offer one third of a hin of wine as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. "When you prepare a bull as a burnt offering, or as a sacrifice to fulfill a vow, or for peace offerings to the LORD, then the bullock is to be presented accompanied by a meal offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil. "As for drink offerings, offer half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire is a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Do this for each bullock, ram, male lamb, or goat. Depending on the number of offerings that you prepare, do for each one according to their number. Every native born person is to do these things, bringing an offering made by fire as a pleasing aroma to the LORD." "Now, if a resident alien lives with you, or whoever else is with you throughout your generations, let him make an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Just as you do, so is he to do. There is to be a single standard for your community, one statute for you and the resident alien who lives with you, a long lasting statute throughout your generations. Just as you do, so is the resident alien to do in the presence of the LORD. There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the resident alien who lives with you."

Then he told me, "The north and south chamber, which are opposite the courtyard, are consecrated areas where the priests who approach the LORD will eat consecrated offerings and lay the consecrated grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings, because the area is holy.

so he asked the LORD, "Why did you bring all this trouble to your servant? Why haven't I found favor in your eyes? After all, you're putting the burden of this entire people on me! Did I conceive this people or give birth to them, so that you would tell me to carry them near my heart like a wet nurse carries a suckling baby to the land that you promised to their forefathers? Where am I going to get meat to give this people? After all, they're crying in front of me, "Give us meat to eat!' read more.
I cannot carry this whole nation! The burden is too heavy for me! If this is how you treat me, please kill me right now, if I've found favor in your eyes, because I don't want to keep staring at all of this misery!" Then the LORD told Moses, "Gather together for me 70 men who are elders of Israel, men whom you know to be elders of the people and officers over them. Then bring them to the Tent of Meeting and let them stand there with you. Then I'll come down and speak with you. I'll take some of the spirit that rests on you and apportion it among them, so that they may help you bear the burden of the people. That way, you won't bear it by yourself." "But give this command to the people: "You are to consecrate yourselves, because tomorrow you're going to eat meat, since you've complained where the LORD can hear it, "Who can give us meat to eat? After all, life was better with us in Egypt." Therefore, the LORD is going to give you meat and you'll eat not only for a day, or for two days, or for five days, or for ten days, or for 20 days, but for a whole month until it comes out your nostrils and makes you vomit. This is because you've despised the LORD, who is among you, and you cried out in his presence by complaining, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?"'" Moses responded, "I'm with 600,000 people on foot and you're saying I am to give them enough meat to eat for a whole month? What if we were to slaughter our entire inventory of flocks and herds for them? Would that be enough? What if we could gather all the fish in the sea in nets for them? Would that be enough, either?" But the LORD responded to Moses, "Is the LORD short on power? You're now going to witness whether what I say will come to pass or not." So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD had said. He gathered 70 men from the elders of the people and stationed them around the tent. The LORD came down in a cloud, spoke to Moses, and made an apportionment from the spirit who rested on him to the 70 elders. When the spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but that was it. Now two men had remained in camp. One was named Eldad and the other was named Medad. When the spirit rested on them, since they were among those who were listed but had not gone out to the tent, they stayed behind and prophesied in the camp. A young man ran and reported to Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!" In response, Nun's son Joshua, Moses' attendant and one of his choice men, exclaimed, "My master Moses! Stop them!" "Are you jealous on account of me?" Moses asked in reply. "I wish all of the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!" Then Moses that is, he and the elders of Israel returned to the camp. Just then, a wind burst forth from the LORD, who brought quails from the sea and spread them all around the camp, about a day's journey in each direction, completely encircling the camp about two cubits deep on top of the ground! The people stayed up all that day, all that night, and all through the next day, gathering quails. The one who gathered least gathered enough to fill ten omers, as they spread out all around the camp. But even as they were chewing the meat and before they had swallowed it, the LORD became very angry with the people and struck them with a disastrous plague. That's why the place was named Kibroth-hattaavah, because they buried the people there who had an insatiable appetite for meat. Later, the people left Kibroth-hattaavah for Hazeroth and camped there.

I know and have been persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in and of itself, but it is unclean to a person who thinks it is unclean. For if your brother is being hurt by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not destroy the person for whom the Messiah died by what you eat. Do not allow what seems good to you to be spoken of as evil. read more.
For God's kingdom does not consist of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy produced by the Holy Spirit. For the person who serves the Messiah in this way is pleasing to God and approved by people. Therefore, let's keep on pursuing those things that bring peace and that lead to building up one another. Do not destroy God's action for the sake of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong to make another person stumble because of what you eat. The right thing to do is to avoid eating meat, drinking wine, or doing anything else that makes your brother stumble, upset, or weak. As for the faith you do have, have it as your own conviction before God. How blessed is the person who has no reason to condemn himself because of what he approves! But the person who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not act in faith; and anything that is not done in faith is sin.

Now concerning food offered to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone thinks he really knows something, he has not yet learned it as he ought to know it. But anyone who loves God is known by him. read more.
Now concerning eating food offered to idols: We know that no idol is real in this world and that there is only one God. For even if there are "gods" in heaven and on earth (as indeed there are many so-called "gods" and "lords"), yet for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom everything came into being and for whom we live. And there is only one Lord, Jesus the Messiah, through whom everything came into being and through whom we live. But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are so accustomed to idolatry that when they eat food that has been offered to an idol, their conscience becomes contaminated because it is weak. However, food will not bring us closer to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat food that has been offered to an idol, and no better off if we do. But you must see to it that this right of yours does not become a stumbling block for those who are weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you, who know better, eating in an idol's temple, he will be encouraged to eat what has been offered to idols, won't he? In that case, the weak brother for whom the Messiah died is ruined by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak consciences, you are sinning against the Messiah. Therefore, if food that I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, in order to keep my brother from stumbling.

And so, my dear friends, keep on running away from idolatry. I am talking to sensible people. Apply what I am saying to yourselves. The cup of blessing that we bless is our fellowship in the blood of the Messiah, isn't it? The bread that we break is our fellowship in the body of the Messiah, isn't it? read more.
Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body, because all of us eat from the same loaf. Look at the Israelis from a human point of view. Those who eat the sacrifices share in what is on the altar, don't they? Am I suggesting that an offering made to idols means anything, or that an idol itself means anything? Hardly! What they offer, they offer to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to become partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot dine with the Lord and dine with demons, or you'll provoke the Lord to jealousy, won't you? Are we stronger than he is? Everything is permissible, but not everything is helpful. Everything is permissible, but not everything builds up. No one should seek his own welfare, but rather his neighbor's. Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without raising any question about it on the grounds of conscience, for "the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord." If an unbeliever invites you to his house and you wish to go, eat whatever is set before you, raising no question on the grounds of conscience. However, if someone says to you, "This was offered as a sacrifice," don't eat it, both out of consideration for the one who told you and also for the sake of conscience. I mean, of course, his conscience, not yours. For why should my freedom be determined by someone else's conscience? If I eat with thankfulness, why should I be denounced because of what I am thankful for? Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Don't become a stumbling block to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God, just as I myself try to please everybody in every way. I don't look out for my own benefit, but rather for the benefit of many people, so that they might be saved.

"You must not eat any carcass. But you may give it to the alien in your cities so he may eat it or sell it to a foreigner, for you are a holy people to the LORD your God. "You must not cook a young goat in its mother's milk."