Leviticus11
World English Bible · Public Domain
1Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them,
2“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘These are the living things which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth.
3Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud among the animals, that you may eat.
4“‘Nevertheless these you shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those who part the hoof: the camel, because it chews the cud but doesn’t have a parted hoof, is unclean to you.
5The hyrax, because it chews the cud but doesn’t have a parted hoof, is unclean to you.
6The hare, because it chews the cud but doesn’t have a parted hoof, is unclean to you.
7The pig, because it has a split hoof, and is cloven-footed, but doesn’t chew the cud, is unclean to you.
8You shall not eat their meat. You shall not touch their carcasses. They are unclean to you.
9“‘You may eat of all these that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, that you may eat.
10All that don’t have fins and scales in the seas and rivers, all that move in the waters, and all the living creatures that are in the waters, they are an abomination to you,
11and you shall detest them. You shall not eat of their meat, and you shall detest their carcasses.
12Whatever has no fins nor scales in the waters is an abomination to you.
13“‘You shall detest these among the birds; they shall not be eaten because they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture,
14the red kite, any kind of black kite,
15any kind of raven,
16the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk,
17the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl,
18the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey,
19the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.
20“‘All flying insects that walk on all fours are an abomination to you.
21Yet you may eat these: of all winged creeping things that go on all fours, which have long, jointed legs for hopping on the earth.
22Even of these you may eat: any kind of locust, any kind of katydid, any kind of cricket, and any kind of grasshopper.
23But all winged creeping things which have four feet are an abomination to you.
24“‘By these you will become unclean: whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening.
25Whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening.
26“‘Every animal which has a split hoof that isn’t completely divided, or doesn’t chew the cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean.
27Whatever goes on its paws, among all animals that go on all fours, they are unclean to you. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening.
28He who carries their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. They are unclean to you.
29“‘These are they which are unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard,
30the gecko, and the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink, and the chameleon.
31These are they which are unclean to you among all that creep. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until the evening.
32Anything they fall on when they are dead shall be unclean; whether it is any vessel of wood, or clothing, or skin, or sack, whatever vessel it is, with which any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening. Then it will be clean.
33Every earthen vessel into which any of them falls and all that is in it shall be unclean. You shall break it.
34All food which may be eaten which is soaked in water shall be unclean. All drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean.
35Everything whereupon part of their carcass falls shall be unclean; whether oven, or range for pots, it shall be broken in pieces. They are unclean, and shall be unclean to you.
36Nevertheless a spring or a cistern in which water is gathered shall be clean, but that which touches their carcass shall be unclean.
37If part of their carcass falls on any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean.
38But if water is put on the seed, and part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.
39“‘If any animal of which you may eat dies, he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening.
40He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. He also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening.
41“‘Every creeping thing that creeps on the earth is an abomination. It shall not be eaten.
42Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, even all creeping things that creep on the earth, them you shall not eat; for they are an abomination.
43You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps. You shall not make yourselves unclean with them, that you should be defiled by them.
44For I am Yahweh your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth.
45For I am Yahweh who brought 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 animal, and of the bird, and of every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth,
47to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the living thing that may be eaten and the living thing 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.