What the Bible Says about Meat and Dairy (And if They Can Be Mixed)

This post examines the directive from Exodus 23:19, Exodus 34:26, and Deuteronomy 14:21 about not cooking a goat in the milk of its mother. We will examine this instruction to see what it means and learn about whether or not it's okay Biblically to eat milk and meat together.

Meat and dairy. Should they be eaten together? People seem to have strong opinions about this. Some say you can, while others say they shouldn't even share a kitchen - let alone be served in the same meal. I have seen people get upset that that both meat and cheese were offered on the build-your-own-sandwich lunch buffet at conferences. There are books on this. Sometimes people message me to say that I shouldn't have liked that picture some blogger posted on Instagram because it contained both chicken and butter.  

For all this commotion you would expect the Bible to have a lot to say on this subject. But here's what it says:

"Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk." -Exodus 23:19b

That's it. Some people will tell you that this was God's way of saying that you can't eat meat and dairy together, or even store them in the same refrigerator. Or eat one within hours of having the other. How did we go from a somewhat random instruction to people being worried about storing leftover chicken in the same fridge as a gallon of milk?

Regarding the other laws around food, the Bible is very direct. "You shall not eat," "this is permissible to you," "get rid of the leaven from your homes for one week." So I'm not inclined to believe that the command to not cook a goat in the milk of its mother should be extrapolated and expanded to the point where no meat ever crosses paths with any dairy products. YHWH could have commanded that goat not be cooked in any milk, period. He could have said not to cook meat of any kind in milk. He could have said to eat either meat or dairy, but not both. But he didn't! 

Right off the bat, the specification of "its mother's" milk means that nondairy animals can be cooked or served with butter, cheese, cream, etc. Chicken, turkey, and other poultry (as well as fish) do not produce milk, so there is no way to violate the Biblical commandment of not cooking an animal in the milk of its mother. This means you can feel free to enjoy chicken alfredo or a turkey cheese sandwich.

Then the specification of "milk" means that eggs aren't in question here. This means that eggs can be freely mixed with meat. So dishes like steak and eggs, or fried chicken with egg in the batter are clean according to Scripture.

The word translated as young goat or kid is gedi. While the Bible often uses the word se which can mean sheep, cattle, lamb, or ewe, the word gedi is only used to mean a young male goat. That's an important distinction. Many people will tell you that this verse is talking about all Biblically clean animals, or at least the red meat ones, such as beef, lamb, bison, venison, etc. But since the Holy Spirit inspired the word choice of gedi - which would mean just kid goats - when it doesn't hesitate to use a more general word for clean animals in other places, I am led to believe that this passage is only prohibiting goat from being cooked in the milk of its mother. This would mean that it is Biblically permissible to mix beef and lamb and other clean animals with dairy. So cheeseburgers, or serving lamb or roast beef with buttery mashed potatoes would be considered Biblically clean.

So what does the Bible mean by telling us not to cook a young goat in its mother's milk then?

Many Biblical scholars believe this specific act was prohibited because it was a worship practice of other religions or an ungodly cultural custom. The preceding part of the verse and the verse prior to that detail instructions related to offerings brought to YHWH. So I think this theory makes sense, as elsewhere we are told "not to worship YHWH the way those nations worship their gods" (Deuteronomy 12:4). If boiling goat meat in its mother's milk was happening in worship to other gods, that would also fit with why the Bible orders the sacrificial lamb (which could also be goat) at Passover to be roasted with fire, and expressly prohibits it being boiled (Exodus 12:9). Perhaps YHWH wanted to be sure that the practices of the Israelites were distinctly different from that of the people around them.

We should also keep in mind the broader context that this instruction was given in. The passages leading up to this, starting in Exodus 23:10, talk about instructions for the Sabbath, and then details about the Biblical holidays. I don't think it's an accident that these things deal with living in a way that's set apart and different from the surrounding society. Regardless of whether we understand the reasoning behind this instruction or not, we should be obedient to what the Bible says. Under no circumstances should we boil a young goat in the milk of its mother, simply because Scripture tells us not to.

We also should not add to what this verse says. Its says not to cook a goat in its mother's milk. It does not say that no meat and dairy can be cooked or eaten together. You certainly don't have to mix meat and dairy if you don't want to, but please keep in mind that this is not a prohibition from the Bible.

Like always I would encourage you to study this passage for yourself and pray for YHWH's wisdom and understanding.

Related posts:
What is Biblically Clean Eating?
What Scripture Says Not to Eat
Understanding 1 Corinthians 10:27

What Scripture Says Not To Eat (Leviticus 11)

This post is to enumerate the things that are forbidden for us to consume. Let's note that the Bible does not consider these things foods. While there are a few things on this list that are commonly eaten in our culture, this is not what the Living God intended. See Leviticus 11 for more on unclean animals.

What Scripture tells us not to eat:

Cats - housecats, cheetahs, leopards, panthers, tigers, lions.

Dogs - wolfs, coyote, fox, hyenas, etc.

Rabbits.

Equine animals - horses, donkeys, mules, zebra.

Flying animals such as eagles, crows, flamingos, ostriches, penguins, parrots, pelicans, bats, hawks, buzzards, and owls.

Insects - except for locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers.

Snails.

Pigs - including boar. This includes all pig products such as pork, ham, bacon, pork sausage, pepperoni, lard, and porcine gelatin.

Sea mammals - whales, dolphins, seals, otters, porpoises, walrus, etc.

Shellfish - shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, sea urchin, crab, crayfish, crawfish, lobster, calamari, and so forth.

Fish without fins and scales - swordfish, catfish, marlin, sturgeon, eel, shark, squid, jellyfish, octopus, cuttlefish, etc.

Miscellaneous animals - gorillas, monkeys, elephants, camels, llamas, badgers, rodents, raccoons, possums, kangaroos, wolverines, squirrels, earth worms, hippos, groundhogs, alligators, crocodiles, snakes, and so on.

Any kind of blood.

Reading through that list is extremely unappetizing. Who wants to eat worms or racoons or a housecat? And wouldn't it be sad to eat beautiful animals we see in the wild or at zoos like zebras, penguins, and dolphins? That is how the Creator feels about everything on the list...even what is commonly consumed in our culture.

More on what Scripture says about what we eat:
Ten Times the Bible Talks About Clean Eating
Understanding Mark 7 and the Messiah Declaring All Foods Clean
How to Eat Biblically Clean
Understanding Peter's Vision

Understanding 1 Corinthians 10:27

When I was first getting an understanding of Biblically clean eating and keeping other commandments in Scripture, 1 Corinthians 10:27 kept throwing a wrench in my understanding of the Bible.

This verse often gets translated like this:

"If any unbeliever invites you to a meal, and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience." -1 Corinthians 10:27 NIV

Isn't this giving permission for us to eat anything, including unclean animals? At least when someone serves it to us? And if I shouldn't raise questions of conscience, I guess that means I should disregard any concerns I have over the ethics and decisions of multi-national corporations that are largely in control of the food supply, and not worry about things like supporting local farmers, good growing practices, or fair trade.

While it's hard to understand the above passage as anything but a free pass to do whatever we want, that is incredibly confusing in light of so many other passages from Scripture about clean eating! Why does the Bible share the story of Daniel refusing to eat unclean meat? Why does Peter mention after his vision that he has never eaten anything unclean? Why were Adam and Eve kicked out of the garden because of eating something the Creator told them not to? Why does Leviticus succinctly enumerate which animals should not be eaten? What is the point of all this if we are ultimately allowed to eat anything?

We need to know that the ancient Greek did not have punctuation. It just had words. How you string them together will greatly impact the meaning of the words! Do you remember those illustrations from middle school English on the importance of commas? Words like, "I want to eat, Mother" can mean someone is telling their mom they want to have dinner. But if you remove the comma and are left with, "I want to eat Mother," then the same words take on a cannibalistic meaning! That's a silly example but it demonstrates how punctuation can dramatically change the meaning of a sentence.

When Scripture is translated into English, it's up to the translators to add the grammar and punctuation that make it a lot more readable for us. How could their personal beliefs and the religious tradition they are surrounded with not impact where they choose to put those punctuation marks? While I believe the word of YHWH is perfect, human translations of it are not.

The word for word Greek translation goes like this:

all - the - those being offered - to you - you eat - not any - thoroughly judging - through - the - knowledge

The first time I read this I stopped after, "All being offered to you you eat." But if you keep going you have, "All being offered to you you eat not any." What a difference! This gives us an entirely opposite meaning! In the Greek, there is no punctuation to indicate if the word for 'not any' should be paired with eating or with thoroughly judging. It's up to the reader to understand how these words fit with Scripture. We do that by looking at the context this statement is made in - what's going on in the rest of the chapter? what was being discussed before that? who is the audience? - and what the rest of the Bible says about this subject.

Which translation fits better with the context of this statement?

A few verses prior in 1 Corinthians 10:21, "You cannot drink from the cup of YHWH and the cup of demons." And just a few verses later, 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of YHWH," which illustrates that our decisions around food can glorify YHWH or not. From those verses it wouldn't make sense to say to not raise questions of conscience or use judgment when it comes to food matters.

Which translation fits better with the rest of the Bible?

We have instructions like, "you shall not eat what is unclean," lists explaining what can and cannot be eaten, examples of people like Daniel and Peter, and no indication whatsoever from the Messiah that they food instructions are no longer applicable. He even went out of his way to say, "I did not come to abolish the commandments." Translating the verse as, "Eat whatever is set before you without using your judgment," would be starkly opposed to other things the Bible says about eating.

There isn't anything in the context of this chapter or the rest of the Bible to support the common translation of, "Eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience." That translation is jarring and doesn't fit with the rest of Scripture. A few chapters prior Paul literally tells us not to eat something that would cause someone else to stumble, so it wouldn't make sense for him to say to eat anything now.

Are you a follower of church tradition or YHWH's word? If we call ourselves Bible believers, would it be more fitting to translate this verse in a way that lines up with the rest of Scripture or with church doctrine? For me, that's an easy choice.

I believe a better translation of this part of Scripture would be:

"Whatever is set before you eat nothing, ask questions for conscience's sake."

When we understand the verse this way it fits with the rest of Scripture, and the verse makes more sense itself. Otherwise, why would it throw the bit in there about the conscience or "thoroughly judging through knowledge"? Does that really sound like the Bible, "Go ahead and do whatever - don't worry about your conscience"? This book is filled with commandments on how to live and stories of examples we are to follow - including people literally dying to keep YHWH's instructions - and then suddenly, "Whatever situation you're in, don't worry about turning to Scripture to see what you're supposed to do." (Because 'the knowledge' would be knowledge of what the Bible says.) Not judging if something is acceptable according to Scripture or not would also be a direct contradiction from the Messiah's instruction in John 7:24 to judge righteously!

It's also interesting to look at why this might have been said. We know that many early believers who had been part of Judaism followed an unbiblical rule of not eating with unbelievers. This began to change following Peter's vision, so many former Jews were eating with people who were new to the faith, or unbelievers, for the very first time. Paul is giving practical advice on how you act when you are in that situation, since many people he knew hadn't experienced that before. Also happening at the time was a huge evangelism push, where believers travelled far and wide to share the good news of the Messiah. These people were intentionally going to the homes of unbelievers and needed to know how to conduct themselves in a godly way. Paul is reminding his audience that unbelievers or even new believers are typically not familiar with the Biblical instructions about food, so that they don't accidentally eat something the Bible says not to while dining in someone's home.

This verse is an admonishment to actively work to keep the Bible's instructions about what we eat. It is literally telling us to ask questions before diving into a meal that someone else has prepared. When we have dinner at a family reunion, brunch at a friend's, or go out for a meal it is appropriate to ask questions about the ingredients so that we can maintain a Biblically clean diet. Questions like, "What's in this salad?" or "Is the quiche vegetarian?" or "Is this sausage beef or pork?" are okay to ask so that you can be informed about the decisions you make! Since we are to glorify YHWH with what we eat, that effort is well worth it.

More on Biblically clean eating:
Understanding Peter's Vision
Understanding the Messiah Declaring All Foods Clean
Five Reasons Believers Should Keep the Bible's Dietary Commandments

What is Biblically Clean Eating?

Biblically clean eating is eating following Scripture's instructions. Deuteronomy 28:2 says that if we are obedient to these instructions we are blessed! Many people switch to a Biblically clean diet and see improvements in their health. Regardless of if you're trying to get healthier, grow in your faith, or simply honor the Creator with how you live (or all three!), there are blessings to be had in this process. Let's delve into more of the particulars of how you can follow the Creator's instructions for your meals.

Biblically Clean Eating Is:
Eating only the foods that Scripture permits. These include vegetables, greens, herbs, berries, fruits, grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, honey, eggs, dairy products, and certain meats (beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, venison, and goat, among others), fish, and poultry. Even grasshoppers and locusts if you're so inclined! 

Personally, I want my food choices to reflect all the teachings of Scripture. Not just the dietary commands, but also other ideas like loving our neighbors, treating our bodies as temples for the Holy Spirit, and being good stewards of the land.

What we do NOT eat on a Biblically clean diet:
Pork, rabbit, shellfish, and fish without scales are the main animals we need to watch out for in the modern Western diet. Many other animals are forbidden including alligator, raccoons, horses, tigers, seagulls, bats, owls, and most insects. See Leviticus 11 for the full list, or take a look at this helpful infographic on clean and unclean animals. It's also important to not eat blood, even the blood of clean animals.

Other Restrictions:

Besides specific animals that are unclean, we have a few other instructions in Scripture to look at.

-We are not to cook an animal in the milk of its mother. People interpret this verse in many ways from literally not cooking a specific cut of meat in the milk of that animal's actual mother to not mixing dairy and meat at all. I would encourage you to pray about how the Creator wants you to live out this instruction.

-During the Feast of Matzah each year we are instructed to not eat leaven or even have it in our homes. You can learn more about that here.

-Occasionally in Scripture people took what is called a Nazarite vow, during which they didn't consume wine or other grape products (see Numbers 6 for more information). This is an optional vow though and if you haven't taken it you are free to enjoy grapes and grape products.

A note about GE/GMO plants:

While the Bible permits us to eat plants, it is my opinion that believers should use considerable caution before consuming anything that has been genetically engineered. Common GE/GMO plants are soybeans, canola, corn (not sweet corn, but field corn that gets turned into corn syrup and other processed forms), and sugar beets (not red beets, but beets used to make granulated sugar). These plants have been engineered by scientists, and have differences from the Creator's design that could never happen on their own in nature or through generations of seed selection by farmers. While there is an outcry in the scientific community that questions the safety of these, my question is: does this fit with how Scripture says to eat?

Leviticus 19:19 tells us that seed should not be mixed. The process of making GE/GMO seeds involves splicing the DNA of the plant with DNA of another species (not just other plants, but bacteria, insects, and even fish). To my thinking, that goes directly against what Scripture says. Additionally the amount of greed in this multi-billion dollar industry that robs government support from small farmers, to say nothing of the possible health concerns, makes me work to avoid consuming these products and supporting this industry.

If I eat something with soy, canola, corn, or sugar beets I make sure that it is organic, and not GE/GMO. (GE/GMO ingredients are not allowed in certified organic products.)

What do you eat on a Biblically clean lifestyle?

You have so many choices! Biblically clean eating doesn't have to be ultra health-food where everything is sprouted or fermented. It doesn't have to be traditional Jewish foods. It does not have to be vegan or include weird things you don't like. You don't have to throw out all your family recipes. It can be meat and potatoes. It can be high-carb or high-protein. It can be home cooking and ordering pizza. It doesn't have to be homegrown or homemade. You are free to enjoy dessert and go out for lunch. You can choose healthy options or eat French fries and beef hotdogs. You can make casserole or make curry.

I think ideally we would all eat well enough that we can feel our best and treat our bodies as the Holy Spirit's temple. The process of learning to eat well does not happen all at once. Focus on eating only food permitted by Scripture, and once you have that down pray and see what else the Creator is calling you to in terms of food.

What Biblically clean eating is NOT:

Following Scripture's instructions for eating does not mean that we don't trust the Messiah or that we are trying to 'earn salvation.' I could eat Biblically clean my whole life, but I am still in need of the Savior, just like everyone else.

But Biblically clean eating is a way to honor God by doing what he told us to do. Trusting in him means I don't have to worry about if there's a reason for his instructions. It's about blessing YHWH with my obedience.

Want some recipe ideas?
I have several posts of meal ideas for the Sabbath and Biblical holidays that are linked below. They are all Biblically clean and great for any day of the week!
Biblically Clean Meal Ideas

20 Grill Recipes with No Pork or Shellfish

Sheet Pan Meals that are Biblically Clean

More about eating the Bible's way:
How to Eat Biblically Clean

Did the Messiah "make all foods clean"?
What Scripture Teaches About Peter's Vision
What the Bible Says about Meat and Dairy

10 Times the Bible Talks About Clean Eating

The Bible has a lot to say about what we eat! From Adam and Eve being kicked out of Eden because of their consumption choices, to enumerating animals that shouldn't be eaten, to New Testament debates about eating with unwashed hands, food is a topic that comes up a lot. Here I want to focus on Biblically clean eating. The Creator gave us many delicious things to eat that he calls clean, while certain animals he forbids us to eat, calling them unclean. I use clean eating to mean eating in the way that Scripture instructs us to.

Ten Times the Bible Talks About Clean Eating:

1. Genesis 1:29

"I have given you every seed-yielding plant on the earth, and the fruit trees to you as food."

This is the second recorded thing that the Creator speaks following the creation of mankind. And it's instructions about eating!

2. Genesis 2:16-17

"And YHWH commanded the man saying, 'Eat of every tree of the garden, but do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for if you eat of it you will certainly die.'"

We know that Adam and Eve were not obedient to this instruction and as a result they were sent out of the paradisaical garden of Eden. In Eden they walked with YHWH; something they ate literally took them away from his presence.

3. Genesis 7:2

"Of the clean animals take with you seven pairs, a male and female, and of the unclean animals take two, a male and female."

The distinction of clean and unclean animals began way before the list of dietary instructions in Leviticus. Noah was instructed to take different amounts of clean and unclean animals on board the ark. This tells us that Noah and his family knew which types of animals were considered clean.

4. Genesis 9:3

"The living creatures I give to you for food. I have given them to you as I gave you the green plants." 

Mankind is now allowed to eat meat. But wait a minute, what was that fuss about the clean versus unclean animals just a few chapters prior?  Is YHWH now saying that any animal is okay to eat? Let's not miss the catch here: as I gave you the green plants. Mankind was not permitted by the Creator to eat every single plant that grew on earth. They were restricted to plants that were green and bear seed, as well as the fruit trees. They did not consume every plant, just as we don't eat Kentucky bluegrass or poison ivy. In both cases of eating plants and animals distinctions are made.

5. Leviticus 11:2-8

"These are the living creatures which you eat: whatever has a split hoof completely divided, and chews the cud, you may eat. These you do not eat: the camel, the rabbit, the hare, the pig. Their flesh you do not eat, and their carcasses you do not touch. They are unclean."

This chapter in Leviticus plainly lays out which animals are forbidden as food. There is the guideline that the hoofs of animals need to be divided, and they need to chew the cud. But just to be doubly clear we are specifically told not to eat things like camels, rabbits, and pigs. It's interesting to me that eating something like camel or horse is very repulsive in Western culture, but most people think nothing of eating a pig. In many places in the Middle East that thinking is reversed as camel is considered food, but eating pig would be abhorrent. That abhorrence is how the entire list of unclean animals in Leviticus 11 is meant to be understood. If the Bible says not to eat something, then it shouldn't even cross our minds to do so.

If you're familiar with the Chronicles of Narnia you may remember that the characters eat meat on their adventures, but eating an animal that talks is anathema. When the giants serve a talking stag in The Silver Chair it is a major sign that something is wrong; and the true Narnians are horrified. Something similar I've noticed in the dietary laws of Scripture is that the unclean animals tend to be much smarter creatures than the clean. Cows are clean but their intelligence doesn't touch that of unclean horses. Pigs are incredibly smart and I've heard many stories of small-scale farmers being unable to butcher them after looking them in the eyes. My dog is much more intelligent than clean sheep and goats. I'm not saying clean animals don't have their own strengths, but it really interesting to think about.

6. Leviticus 11:9

"Of the fish in the water you may eat any that have fins and scales. If a water creatures does not have fins and scales it is an abomination."

Fish like trout, perch, salmon, whiting, tuna, sea bass, pollock, halibut, and mahi mahi all have scales and fins and are permissable to eat according to Scripture. Fish without fins and scales (such as catfish, swordfish, and monkfish) we are told are unclean for us to eat. Crustaceans such as lobster, crab, clams, and shrimp are also off-limits according to Scripture since they don't have fins or scales.

7. Daniel 1:8

"Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's food."

Why would Daniel reject the food he was provided with in captivity? Because he was being served animals that we are commanded not to eat! He wasn't just being picky, he knew that if he ate those things it would be polluting and defiling to him and a dishonor to YHWH. 

8. Daniel 1:15

"At the end of ten days their appearances looked better than all the young men who ate the portion of the king's food."

Fitting with Biblical dietary instructions, Daniel asked the chief eunuch if he and three others could eat only vegetables. The chief was initially concerned that this diet would provide inadequate nutrition for Daniel and his companions and didn't want to get in trouble with the king, but he agreed to let them try this for ten days. At the end of this time the difference was so noticeable, and Daniel and his friends looked so much better than those eating a Biblically unclean diet that the chief put everyone on same diet as Daniel. Don't miss that eating a Biblically clean diet made Daniel and his companions stand out in the crowd. The difference in their health was noticeable!

9. Acts 10:14

"I have never eaten food that was unclean."

Peter made this statement probably ten years after the Messiah ascended into heaven; he was still following Scripture's instructions for how to eat. This tells us that all the meals he shared with Yahusha were clean. It also tells us that Peter and the rest of the disciples and leaders didn't think these commandments were done away with.

10. 1 Corinthians 10:31

"Whether you eat or drink, do it to the glory of YHWH."

Our choices about what we eat can glorify YHWH - or not. Here is a New Testament verse that calls for us to eat in a way that honors YHWH. It doesn't say that anything we eat glorifies him. It is a reminder that in every thing we do - including how we nourish ourselves - we should work to be obedient to Scripture's instructions.

These are just ten passages where the Bible talks about clean eating, but there are many more. Throughout Scripture we can see the foods eaten by YHWH's people fit into the clean category (think of Isaac craving goat meat, Jacob making lentil stew, Abigail taking David lamb, roasted grains, and figs, the lovers in Song of Songs talking about pomegranates and apples, the Messiah serving bread and fish, the Israelites desiring quail). In Isaiah 65:4 YHWH himself is lamenting about disobedient people who "provoke me continually...who eat the flesh of pigs." We don't have to participate in the offense of unclean eating! He gives us instructions on how to eat. And we can see from the above stories that there is blessing for us when we live out those instructions.

Learn more details about clean eating here.
More about Daniel's food choices here.
Peter had a vision about eating unclean animals - what did it mean?