Leviticus11
New King James Version
1Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them,
2“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘These are the animals which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth:
3Among the animals, whatever divides the hoof, having cloven hooves and chewing the cud—that you may eat.
4Nevertheless these you shall not eat among those that chew the cud or those that have cloven hooves: the camel, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you;
5the rock hyrax, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you;
6the hare, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you;
7and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.
8Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch. They are unclean to you.
9‘These you may eat of all that are in the water: whatever in the water has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers—that you may eat.
10But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water, they are an abomination to you.
11They shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their flesh, but you shall regard their carcasses as an abomination.
12Whatever in the water does not have fins or scales—that shall be an abomination to you.
13‘And these you shall regard as an abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard,
14the kite, and the falcon after its kind;
15every raven after its kind,
16the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the sea gull, and the hawk after its kind;
17the little owl, the fisher owl, and the screech owl;
18the white owl, the jackdaw, and the carrion vulture;
19the stork, the heron after its kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.
20‘All flying insects that creep on all fours shall be an abomination to you.
21Yet these you may eat of every flying insect that creeps on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth.
22These you may eat: the locust after its kind, the destroying locust after its kind, the cricket after its kind, and the grasshopper after its kind.
23But all other flying insects which have four feet shall be an abomination to you.
24‘By these you shall become unclean; whoever touches the carcass of any of them shall be unclean until evening;
25whoever carries part of the carcass of any of them shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening:
26The carcass of any animal which divides the foot, but is not cloven-hoofed or does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches it shall be unclean.
27And whatever goes on its paws, among all kinds of animals that go on all fours, those are unclean to you. Whoever touches any such carcass shall be unclean until evening.
28Whoever carries any such carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. It is unclean to you.
29‘These also shall be unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth: the mole, the mouse, and the large lizard after its kind;
30the gecko, the monitor lizard, the sand reptile, the sand lizard, and the chameleon.
31These are unclean to you among all that creep. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening.
32Anything on which any of them falls, when they are dead shall be unclean, whether it is any item of wood or clothing or skin or sack, whatever item it is, in which any work is done, it must be put in water. And it shall be unclean until evening; then it shall be clean.
33Any earthen vessel into which any of them falls you shall break; and whatever is in it shall be unclean:
34in such a vessel, any edible food upon which water falls becomes unclean, and any drink that may be drunk from it becomes unclean.
35And everything on which a part of any such carcass falls shall be unclean; whether it is an oven or cooking stove, it shall be broken down; for they are unclean, and shall be unclean to you.
36Nevertheless a spring or a cistern, in which there is plenty of water, shall be clean, but whatever touches any such carcass becomes unclean.
37And if a part of any such carcass falls on any planting seed which is to be sown, it remains clean.
38But if water is put on the seed, and if a part of any such carcass falls on it, it becomes unclean to you.
39‘And if any animal which you may eat dies, he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until evening.
40He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. He also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.
41‘And every creeping thing that creeps on the earth shall be an abomination. It shall not be eaten.
42Whatever crawls on its belly, whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet among all creeping things that creep on the earth—these you shall not eat, for they are an abomination.
43You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps; nor shall you make yourselves unclean with them, lest you be defiled by them.
44For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth.
45For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
46‘This is the law of the animals and the birds and every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth,
47to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten.’ ”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Leviticus 11.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: What animals were clean and unclean. (1-47).
vv1-47
These laws seem to have been intended, 1. As a test of the people's obedience, as Adam was forbidden to eat of the tree of knowledge; and to teach them self-denial, and the government of their appetites. 2. To keep the Israelites distinct from other nations. Many also of these forbidden animals were objects of superstition and idolatry to the heathen. 3. The people were taught to make distinctions between the holy and unholy in their companions and intimate connexions. 4. The law forbad, not only the eating of the unclean beasts, but the touching of them. Those who would be kept from any sin, must be careful to avoid all temptations to it, or coming near it. The exceptions are very minute, and all were designed to call forth constant care and exactness in their obedience; and to teach us to obey. Whilst we enjoy our Christian liberty, and are free from such burdensome observances, we must be careful not to abuse our liberty. For the Lord hath redeemed and called his people, that they may be holy, even as he is holy. We must come out, and be separate from the world; we must leave the company of the ungodly, and all needless connexions with those who are dead in sin; we must be zealous of good works devoted followers of God, and companions of his people.
Key Words
דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
אַהֲרוֹן: Aharon, the brother of Moses
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
זֹאת: this (often used adverb)
חַי: alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively
אָכַל: to eat (literally or figuratively)
בְּהֵמָה: properly, a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often collective)
Cross References
Leviticus 11Parallel Deuteronomic law listing clean and unclean beasts, sharing identical taxonomy and criteria.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin, JFB
Explicitly quotes the divine injunction here: 'Be ye holy; for I am holy.'
Supported by Matthew Henry
Peter's vision of unclean beasts, signaling the end of these Mosaic food restrictions.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin, JFB
John the Baptist's diet of locusts directly instantiates the exception for permitted leaping insects in verse 22.
Supported by John Calvin
Parallel Deuteronomic law repeating prohibitions on unclean beasts, cloven hoofs, and chewing the cud.
Directly links the duty of priests to distinguish between the unclean and clean.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Echoes the priestly mandate to teach the people the difference between clean and unclean.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Apostolic instruction that believers are no longer to be judged regarding meat or drink.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin
Identifies food laws as carnal ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin
Condemns Israel's rebellion, specifically citing eating swine's flesh as an abominable act.
Supported by John Calvin
Deuteronomic parallel prohibiting Israel from eating any beast that dies of itself (carcase).
Priestly prohibition against eating what dies of itself or is torn by beasts, causing uncleanness.
Ezekiel reinforces the prohibition for priests eating anything that died of itself or was torn.
Parallels the warning against making oneself abominable by eating unclean creeping things.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Applies the calling of a holy God as the basis for personal holiness in all conduct.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Explicitly links dietary distinctions to Israel's national separation from other peoples.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Prophetic condemnation of those sanctifying themselves while eating swine's flesh and abominable things.
Supported by John Calvin
Deuteronomy's parallel prohibition of the swine, reiterating its cloven foot yet lack of cud-chewing.
Supported by John Calvin
Parallel Deuteronomic list detailing forbidden unclean birds and flying insects.
Supported by John Calvin, JFB
Markan account of John the Baptist eating locusts, a clean flying insect according to verse 22.
Reinforces the strict prohibition against touching the carcases of unclean animals.
Supported by Matthew Henry
General law regarding uncleanness contracted by touching dead bodies or carcases.
Matches the specific cleansing ritual: earthen vessels must be broken; wooden vessels must be rinsed.
Reiterates that infected earthen vessels must be broken, illustrating their porous, absorbency characteristics.
Commandment to be holy men; forbids eating meat torn of beasts in the field.
The national calling of Israel to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Condemns priests who failed to distinguish or teach the difference between clean and unclean.
Paul declares nothing is unclean of itself, reversing the ceremonial restrictions of Leviticus.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallel text prohibiting the camel, hare, and coney for failing the dual test.
Supported by John Calvin
Deuteronomic parallel for clean aquatic life requiring fins and scales.
Supported by John Calvin
Ezekiel's vision of unclean creeping things portrayed on the temple walls, echoing these specific prohibitions.
Paul's analogical use of agricultural sowing seed, which remains clean in Leviticus 11.
Ezekiel appeals to his lifelong obedience to the food laws, never eating what died of itself.
Verbal link with 'goeth upon the belly,' the curse pronounced upon the serpent.
Repeats the central covenantal call to national holiness based on Yahweh's own holiness.
Reiterates the command to sanctify oneself and be holy.