The Third Book of Moses, Called Leviticus

Chapter 11

What beasts may, 1-3; and what may not be eaten, 4-8. What fish, 9-12. What birds and flying insects, 13-23. The creeping things which are unclean, 29-47.

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, 2 "Speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'These are the beasts which you may eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. 3 Whatever parts the hoof, is cloven-footed, and chews the cud among the beasts, that you shall eat. 4 Nevertheless, these you shall not eat, of those that chew the cud, or of those that divide the hoof: the camel, because he chews the cud, but does not divide the hoof, he is unclean to you; 5 The coney, because he chews the cud, but does not divide the hoof, he is unclean to you; 6 The hare, because he chews the cud, but does not divide the hoof, he is unclean to you; 7 And the swine, though he divides the hoof and is cloven-footed, yet he does not chew the cud, he is unclean to you. 8 Of their flesh you shall not eat and their carcass you shall not touch. They are unclean to you.

9 'These you shall eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them you shall eat. 10 And all that do not have fins or scales in the seas and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living animal which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination to you. 11 They shall be even an abomination to you. You shall not eat of their flesh, but you shall consider their carcasses as an abomination. 12 Whatever has no fins or scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination to you.

13 'And these you shall consider as an abomination among the birds and they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey, 14 The falcon, the kite after his kind, 15 Every raven after his kind, 16 The owl, the night-hawk, the gull, the hawk after his kind, 17 The little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, 18 The swan, the pelican, the vulture, 19 The stork, the heron after her kind, the lapwing, and the bat.

20 'All winged things that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination to you. 21 Yet these you may eat of every flying creeping animal that goes upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap with upon the earth, 22 Even these of them you may eat: the swarming-locust after its kind, the consuming-locust after its kind, the cricket after its kind, and the locust after its kind. 23 But all other flying creeping animals which have four feet shall be an abomination to you.

24 'And for these you shall be unclean. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening. 25 And whoever bears anything of their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. 26 The carcasses of every beast which divides the hoof and is not cloven-footed, nor chews the cud, are unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean. 27 And whatever goes upon its paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean to you. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening. 28 And he who bears their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. They are unclean to you.

29 'These also shall be unclean to you among the creeping animals that creep upon the earth: the weasel, the mouse, the great lizard after its kind, 30 The ferret, the chameleon, the lizard, the snail, and the mole. 31 These are unclean to you among all that creep. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until the evening. 32 And upon whatever any of them falls when they are dead, it shall be unclean, whether it is any vessel of wood, clothing, skin, or sack, whatever vessel it is, in which any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening. Then it shall be cleansed. 33 And every earthen vessel into which any of them falls, whatever is in it shall be unclean and you shall break it. 34 Of all food which may be eaten, that on which such water comes shall be unclean. And all drink that may be drank in every such vessel shall be unclean. 35 And everything on which any part of their carcass falls shall be unclean. Whether an oven or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down, for they are unclean and shall be unclean to you. 36 Nevertheless, a fountain or pit in which there is plenty of water shall be clean, but that which touches their carcass shall be unclean. 37 And if any part of their carcass shall fall upon any sowing-seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean. 38 But if any water is put upon the seed, and any part of their carcass falls on it, it shall be unclean to you.

39 'And if any beast of which you may eat dies, he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening. 40 And he who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. He also who bears its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.

41 'And every creeping animal that creeps upon the earth shall be an abomination. It shall not be eaten. 42 Whatever goes upon the belly, whatever goes upon all four, or whatever has more feet among all creeping animals that creep upon the earth, them you shall not eat, for they are an abomination. 43 You shall not make your selves abominable with any creeping animal that creeps, neither shall you make yourselves unclean with them, that you should be defiled by them. 44 For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and you shall be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any manner of creeping animal that creeps upon the earth. 45 For I am the LORD who brings you 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 beasts, of the bird, of every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps upon the earth, 47 To make a difference between the unclean and the clean and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.

Commentary

Matthew Henry Commentary - Leviticus, Chapter 11[➚]

Notes

[v.3] - "I was almost made, about this time, to see something concerning the beasts that Moses counted clean and unclean. I thought those Beasts were Types of Men; the clean, types of them that were the people of God; but the unclean, types of such as were the Children of the wicked One. Now, I read that the clean beasts Chewed the cud; that is, thought I, they show us we must feed upon the Word of God. They also parted the hoof; I thought that signified we must part, if we would be saved, with the ways of ungodly men." —John Bunyan, from Grace Abounding to the Chief of sinners.

[v.20] - "winged things that creep" - This phrase, and also the mention of the flying creeping animal in verse 21, is referring to the insects.

[v.22] - "swarming-locust" - The swarming-locust (sometimes just called the locust) were known for their vast increase, the multitude they bring forth and the large numbers in which they appear.

[v.44-45] - Reference, Leviticus 19:2.

[v.44] - Quoted in 1st Peter 1:16.

[v.45] - Reference, 1st Peter 1:16

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