In biblical terms, "cud" refers to the portion of food that ruminant animals regurgitate from their stomachs to chew again. This process is part of the digestive system of certain animals, which are classified as "clean" according to the dietary laws outlined in the Old Testament. The concept of chewing the cud is significant in the context of distinguishing between clean and unclean animals, as prescribed in the Mosaic Law.

Biblical References:

The primary references to cud in the Bible are found in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, where God provides dietary laws to the Israelites. These laws are part of the broader covenantal relationship between God and His chosen people, emphasizing holiness and separation from other nations.

· Leviticus 11:3-4 : "You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud. But of those that only chew the cud or have a split hoof, you are not to eat the following: the camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you."

· Deuteronomy 14:6-7 : "You may eat any animal that has a split hoof divided in two and that chews the cud. But of those that chew the cud or have a split hoof, you are not to eat the following: the camel, the rabbit, or the rock badger. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a split hoof; they are unclean for you."

Significance in Dietary Laws:

The requirement for animals to both chew the cud and have a split hoof to be considered clean is a distinctive feature of the dietary laws given to Israel. These laws served multiple purposes, including health, hygiene, and symbolic separation from pagan practices. The act of chewing the cud is a natural process for ruminants, such as cattle, sheep, and goats, which are considered clean and permissible for consumption.

The distinction between clean and unclean animals is not merely about physical characteristics but also carries spiritual and moral implications. By adhering to these dietary laws, the Israelites demonstrated obedience to God's commandments and maintained their identity as a holy nation set apart for His purposes.

Theological Implications:

From a theological perspective, the laws concerning cud-chewing animals reflect the broader biblical theme of discernment and purity. Just as the Israelites were called to discern between clean and unclean animals, they were also called to discern between holy and unholy living. The dietary laws, including those about cud-chewing animals, are part of the larger framework of the Law, which points to the need for holiness and the ultimate fulfillment of the Law in Jesus Christ.

In the New Testament, the ceremonial aspects of the Law, including dietary restrictions, are fulfilled in Christ, who declared all foods clean (Mark 7:18-19). However, the principles of discernment and holiness continue to be relevant for believers, who are called to live lives that reflect God's holiness and righteousness.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In the ancient Near Eastern context, dietary practices were often linked to religious beliefs and cultural identity. The Israelites' adherence to dietary laws, including the consumption of cud-chewing animals, distinguished them from surrounding nations and reinforced their covenant relationship with God. These practices were not only about physical sustenance but also about spiritual obedience and communal identity.

Overall, the concept of cud in the Bible serves as a reminder of the intricate relationship between God's commandments and the daily lives of His people, highlighting the importance of obedience, discernment, and holiness in the life of faith.1. (n.) That portion of food which is brought up into the mouth by ruminating animals from their first stomach, to be chewed a second time.

2. (n.) A portion of tobacco held in the mouth and chewed; a quid.

3. (n.) The first stomach of ruminating beasts.

CHEW; CUD

choo, chu, (ma`aleh gerah, literally "bringing up" (American Revised Versions margin), i.e. "chewing the cud," from garar, "to roll," "ruminate"): One of the marks of cleanliness, in the sense of fitness for food, of a quadruped, given in Leviticus 11:3 and Deuteronomy 14:6, is the chewing of the cud. Among the animals considered clean are therefore included the ox, the sheep, the goat, the hart, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the pygarg, the antelope and the chamois. Several of the forbidden animals are expressly named in the passages, e.g. the camel, the rock-badger, the hare and the swine. In addition to the distinctions between clean and unclean animals mentioned in the Bible, the Talmud points out that the clean animals have no upper teeth, that their horns are either forked, or if not forked they are clear of splinters, notched with scales and round, and that certain portions of the meat of clean animals tear lengthwise as well as across. Many theories have been advanced as to the reasons for the distinctions with regard to the chewing of the cud and the cloven hoof. See the Jewish Encyclopedia under the word "Clean." The most obvious is that ruminating animals and animals without claws were apparently cleaner-feeding animals than the others.

Nathan Isaacs

CUD

See CHEW.

1625. gerah -- cud
... gerah. 1626 . cud. Transliteration: gerah Phonetic Spelling: (gay-raw') Short
Definition: cud. Word Origin from garar Definition cud NASB Word Usage cud (11). ...
/hebrew/1625.htm - 6k

1641. garar -- to drag, drag away
... A primitive root; to drag off roughly; by implication, to bring up the cud (ie
Ruminate); by analogy, to saw -- catch, chew, X continuing, destroy, saw. ...
/hebrew/1641.htm - 6k

Argument. --And Thus Unclean Animals are not to be Reproached ...
... clean. The creatures that are clean, it says, both chew the cud and divide
the hoof; the unclean do neither, or only one of the two. ...
/.../novatian/on the jewish meats/chapter iii argument and thus unclean.htm

A Spirit Illumined Mind.
... We call the cow a ruminant because she chews the cud. ... That is the word here"ruminate.
Chew the cud, if you would get the richest cream and butter here. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on prayer/a spirit illumined mind.htm

The Clean and the Unclean
... Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud,
among the beasts, that shall ye eat.""Leviticus 11:2, 3. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 9 1863/the clean and the unclean.htm

Whether There was any Reasonable Cause for the Ceremonial ...
... of the sound, letters and syllables of which it is composed: but in signification,
the one is clean, the other unclean." The animal that chews the cud and has ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether there was any reasonable.htm

Joy, a Duty
... joy. We are to chew the cud of delight; we are to roll the dainty morsel
under our tongue till we get the very essence out of it. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 41 1895/joy a duty.htm

Argument. --He First of all Asserts that the Law is Spiritual; and ...
... Moreover, it gave this character to those that were clean, that those which chew
the cud and divide the hoofs are clean; those are unclean which do neither one ...
/.../novatian/on the jewish meats/chapter ii argument he first of.htm

A Treatise against Eutyches and Nestorius
... [45] So I continued to ponder all the questions in my mind, not swallowing what
I had heard, but rather chewing the cud of constant meditation. ...
/.../boethius/the theological tractates/a treatise against eutyches and.htm

The Promise.
... with them preserved in the ark, two of each kind, and a sevenfold number of those
milder and purer animals which part the hoof and chew the cud, and were ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson i the promise.htm

Simplified Spelling.
... There's feeding,"the juice of the vine flows in, and is taken in; the divine word
of the divine Master is meditated, the cud of it is chewed daily. ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on johns gospel/simplified spelling.htm

The Distinction Between Clean and Unclean Animals in the Law ...
... And those that neither part the hoof nor chew the cud are entirely unclean. "But
ye Megareans," says Theognis, "are neither third, nor fourth,. ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xviiithe distinction between clean.htm

Cud (9 Occurrences)
... CHEW; CUD. ... Many theories have been advanced as to the reasons for the distinctions
with regard to the chewing of the cud and the cloven hoof. ...
/c/cud.htm - 11k

Chew (5 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) That which is chewed; that which is held in the mouth at once;
a cud. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. CHEW; CUD. ...
/c/chew.htm - 9k

Cloven (12 Occurrences)
... 11:3 Deuteronomy 14:7). Beasts with hoofs completely divided into two parts, that
were also ruminant, were allowed the Israelites as food; see CUD; HOOF. ...
/c/cloven.htm - 11k

Dividing (23 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 11:3 any dividing a hoof, and cleaving the cleft of the hoofs,
bringing up the cud, among the beasts, it ye do eat. (YLT). ...
/d/dividing.htm - 13k

Parteth (9 Occurrences)
... Parteth (9 Occurrences). Leviticus 11:3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is
cloven-footed, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat. ...
/p/parteth.htm - 8k

Cheweth (8 Occurrences)
... Cheweth (8 Occurrences). Leviticus 11:3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is
cloven-footed, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat. ...
/c/cheweth.htm - 8k

Split (36 Occurrences)
... (DBY). Leviticus 11:3 Whatever hath cloven hoofs, and feet quite split open, and
cheweth the cud, among the beasts that shall ye eat. (DBY NAS NIV). ...
/s/split.htm - 19k

Hoof (11 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 11:3 Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud
among the animals, that you may eat. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). ...
/h/hoof.htm - 11k

Divideth (20 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 11:4 Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or
of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but ...
/d/divideth.htm - 12k

Chews (6 Occurrences)
... Chews (6 Occurrences). Leviticus 11:3 Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed,
and chews the cud among the animals, that you may eat. (WEB NAS RSV NIV). ...
/c/chews.htm - 8k

Why does the Bible say that rabbits chew the cud? Is this an error in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What made some animals clean and others unclean (Genesis 7)? | GotQuestions.org

Questions about Leviticus | GotQuestions.org

Cud: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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