איבער אַ גלייַך צווייפל

In the text of Romans 14:2–6, the word "eat" (or forms of it) appears:

5 times in the NIV translation (and the specific quote provided).

10 times in the King James Version (KJV) and the original Greek text (phagein / esthio), which repeats the phrase for both the one who eats and the one who "eateth not."

The word "unclean" does not appear once in Romans 14:2–6.

Breakdown of the Occurrences (KJV vs. NIV)

Verse 2:

KJV: "...may eat (1) all things: another, who is weak, eateth (2) herbs."

NIV: "...allows them to eat (1) anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats (2) only vegetables."

Verse 3:

KJV: "Let not him that eateth (3) despise him that eateth not (4); and let not him which eateth not (5) judge him that eateth (6)..."

NIV: "The one who eats (3) everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat (4) everything must not judge the one who does..." (NIV condenses some instances to "the one who does not")

Verse 6:

KJV: "He that eateth (7), eateth (8) to the Lord... and he that eateth not (9), to the Lord he eateth not (10)..."

NIV: "Whoever eats (5) meat does so to the Lord... and whoever abstains does so to the Lord..." (NIV renders "eateth not" as "abstains")

What the Passage Actually Addresses

Vegetables vs. Meat: The debate in verses 2–6 is between eating all things versus eating only vegetables/herbs. In the Greco-Roman world, believers often avoided meat altogether in public markets out of fear it had been dedicated to idols or slaughtered improperly.

Absence of "Unclean": The passage does not frame the issue as eating biblically unclean animals (such as pork or shellfish). It focuses on dietary scruples, vegetarianism, and personal convictions of conscience before God.

Where "Unclean" Later Appears: The word "unclean" (koinon in Greek) does not enter the discussion until Romans 14:14:

"I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean."