Does Deuteronomy 7 16 promote cannibalism?

Answer 1

There is no Scripture that states directly something like: "thou shalt not eat the flesh of humans.

Leviticus 23 reveals God's law regarding what "animal flesh" is permissible for healthy human consumption. The consumption of human flesh is nowhere listed here.

Throughout The Bible, however, wherever "cannibalism" [eating human flesh] is referred to... it is NEVER inspired nor recorded in a "favorable light." It is usually, if not always, the result of SINNING against God's laws ['...sin is the transgression of the Law..." - I John 3:4]. It's always the cursed result of rejecting God's Commandments and refusing to Live by them; loving and respecting Him... and one another:

"If after this YOU STILL REFUSE TO LISTEN and STILL REMAIN HOSTILE TO ME, then I will GIVE FULL VENT TO MY HOSTILITY. I will punish you SEVEN TIMES over your sins. YOU WILL EAT THE FLESH OF YOUR OWN SONS AND DAUGHTERS..." (Lev.26:27-29 NLT New Living Translation).

"The LORD WILL BRING A DISTANT NATION AGAINST YOU... they will lay siege to your cities... they will attack all the towns in the land the LORD your God has given you. The siege will be so severe that YOU WILL EAT THE FLESH OF YOUR OWN SONS AND DAUGHTERS, whom the LORD has given you. The most TENDERHEARTED MAN among you will have NO COMPASSION for his own brother, his beloved wife, and his surviving children. He will refuse to give them a share of THE FLESH HE IS DEVOURING - THE FLESH OF HIS OWN CHILDREN - because HE HAS NOTHING ELSE TO EAT DURING THE SIEGE that your enemy will inflict on all your towns..." (Deut.28:49-55 NLT)

"...Then those trapped inside [a besieged city that has refused to repent and submit to the Laws of God] WILL HAVE TO EAT THEIR OWN SONS AND DAUGHTERS AND FRIENDS. Then they will be driven to UTTER DESPAIR." (Jer.19:9 NLT)

"Tenderhearted women have COOKED THEIR OWN CHILDREN and EATEN THEM IN ORDER TO SURVIVE THE SIEGE." (Lam.4:10 NLT)

NOWHERE does the Bible PROMOTE the consumption of human flesh. But it does reveal that His "special creation, man, created in His own image"... due to his "hostile, rebellious nature" [see Rom.7:7] will be driven to such deplorable barbarity throughout his generations from time to time... as history bears out.

"BECAUSE OF YOUR DETESTABLE IDOLS, I WILL PUNISH YOU MORE SEVERELY THAN I HAVE PUNISHED ANYONE BEFORE OR EVER WILL AGAIN. Parents WILL EAT THEIR OWN CHILDREN, and THE CHILDREN WILL EAT THEIR PARENTS. And I WILL PUNISH YOU BY SCATTERING THE FEW WHO SURVIVE TO THE FAR REACHES OF THE EARTH. 'As surely AS I LIVE, says the Sovereign LORD, I WILL CUT YOU OFF COMPLETELY. I will show you NO PITY AT ALL BECAUSE YOU HAVE DEFILED MY TEMPLE [in modern day spiritual terms, think of God's Temple as HIS CHURCH - '...Don't you realize that all of you together ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD and that the Spirit of God Lives in you? - I Cor.3:16. "...don't you know that your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, that Lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price...' - I Cor.6:19-20] WITH IDOLS AND VILE PRACTICES." (Ezek.5:10-11 NLT)

God definitely doesn't promote cannibalism in His Word. But He does refer to its reality due to man's penchant for rebelling against His Commandments [which is what SIN is - see again I John 3:4].

Answer 2

No. It looks like it is telling the recipients of this text to fight against their enemies, but it says nothing about eating them.

Answer 3

No, it is not meant literally, just as "an eye for an eye" was never taken literally in Jewish tradition and legal practice or enforcement.