Understanding Cud: What the Bible Teaches

What is a Cud?

In the Bible, 'cud' refers to the act of ruminant animals chewing and regurgitating partially digested food, serving as a key criterion for determining clean animals under Mosaic law.

Leviticus 11:3 and Deuteronomy 14:6 specify that animals both chewing the cud and having a split hoof are considered clean for consumption. This practice of chewing cud highlights dietary distinctions central to biblical holiness codes, leading to an examination of which animals meet these criteria.

The Biblical Criteria for Cud-Chewing Animals

The Bible specifies two key physical and dietary markers - cloven hooves and cud-chewing - as criteria for determining clean animals under Mosaic law.

Leviticus 11:3 explicitly states, 'the beast which divides the hoof and has the hoof cleft in two and chews the cud' is clean, while Deuteronomy 14:6 repeats this dual requirement. Animals lacking either trait are deemed unclean, emphasizing the necessity of both characteristics. This standard applies consistently to creatures like cattle, sheep, and goats, which meet both criteria.

The combination of these traits likely signified dietary purity and separation from scavenging or omnivorous animals. This section will now explore examples of animals that satisfy these biblical standards.

Theological Significance of Cud-Chewing

The practice of chewing the cud in Scripture extends beyond dietary law to symbolize divine order and holiness inherent in God’s creation.

By designating cud-chewing as a marker of clean animals (Lev 11:3; Deut 14:6), the biblical text links this act to a broader theological framework. Proverbs 3:19 declares, 'The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens.' This suggests that the natural world reflects God’s intentional design. The requirement for animals to both chew cud and have cloven hooves underscores a harmonious structure within creation, mirroring the wisdom and purpose behind divine law.

This dietary symbolism likely served to reinforce the Israelites’ identity as a people set apart (Lev 20:26). The act of chewing cud, requiring patience and deliberate reprocessing of food, may parallel the call to meditate on God’s Word and live in obedience to His will. Such practices, rooted in creation itself, remind believers that holiness involves alignment with the inherent order God established from the beginning.

How to Read Cud References Correctly

To interpret cud-related passages accurately, readers must distinguish between literal dietary criteria and symbolic theological meanings rooted in ancient Israelite law.

The biblical texts explicitly define cud-chewing as a literal marker of clean animals when paired with cloven hooves (Leviticus 11:3 and Deuteronomy 14:6), but these physical traits also symbolize divine order and separation from unclean practices. Scholars caution that isolating 'cud' from its legal context risks oversimplifying its purpose, as the criteria functioned holistically within Mosaic dietary laws. For instance, camels chew cud but lack split hooves (Deuteronomy 14:7-8), demonstrating that both traits are required for cleanness.

Understanding these passages requires situating them within the broader framework of creation and covenant, as the dietary laws reflect God’s design for holiness. This approach prepares readers to examine how specific animals meet - or fail to meet - these dual criteria in subsequent analysis.

Going Deeper

For further study, readers are encouraged to explore related terms like 'Clean Animals' and examine specific biblical passages that outline dietary laws.

Leviticus 11:3 and Deuteronomy 14:6 explicitly state that animals both chewing the cud and having a split hoof are considered clean, forming the foundation of Mosaic dietary laws. Studying these chapters in full provides a comprehensive understanding of how ancient Israelite communities distinguished permissible from forbidden foods.