CLEAN AND UNCLEAN (LEVITICUS 11:1 TO LEVITICUS 15:33). The priesthood having been informed of their responsibility to discern between what was ritually clean and what was ritually unclean (Leviticus 10:10), five Chapter s now deal with the question in order to provide them with guidance (compare Eze... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CLEAN AND UNCLEAN (EDIBLE AND INEDIBLE) AMONG LIVING CREATURES. Leviticus 11:1 ‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them,' Once more we have confirmation that these are the words of Yahweh to Moses and are therefore to be treated as of the utmost importance. Here, however, Aaron... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ANIMALS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE EATEN (LEVITICUS 11:2). Leviticus 11:2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, These are the living things which you may eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. Whatever parts the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and chews the cud, among the beasts, that may... [ Continue Reading ]
SEA LIFE THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE EATEN (LEVITICUS 11:9). Leviticus 11:9 “These may you eat of all that are in the waters. Whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, that may you eat.” Once again the principle is the same. Fish intended to be eaten have fins and sca... [ Continue Reading ]
CONTACT WITH THE DEAD BODIES OF UNCLEAN ANIMALS RENDERS UNCLEAN (LEVITICUS 11:24). We now move on to dead carcasses. These are necessarily outside their proper sphere. They are always unclean apart from when offered when still alive, and then slain in sacrifice (when they are in their proper, God-g... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL CREEPING THINGS ARE UNCLEAN ESPECIALLY WHEN DEAD (LEVITICUS 11:29). Leviticus 11:29 “And these are they which are unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth; the weasel, and the rat, and the great lizard after its kind, and the gecko, and the land-crocodile, and the liza... [ Continue Reading ]
CONTAINERS CONTAMINATED BY DEAD ANIMALS OR CREEPING THINGS MUST BE WASHED OR DESTROYED (LEVITICUS 11:32). Leviticus 11:32 “And on whatever any of them, when they are dead, falls, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatever vessel it may be, with w... [ Continue Reading ]
DRY FOODS IN THOSE CONTAINERS ARE CLEAN BUT WET FOODS ARE UNCLEAN (LEVITICUS 11:34). Leviticus 11:34 “All food in them which may be eaten, that on which water comes, shall be unclean, and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean. And every thing on which any part of their... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WHOLE OF WATER SOURCES ARE NOT RENDERED UNCLEAN BY DEAD CREEPING THINGS, ONLY THE PART WHERE THEY ARE (LEVITICUS 11:36). Leviticus 11:36 “Nevertheless a spring or a pit in which is a gathering of water shall be clean, but what touches their carcase shall be unclean.” Uncleanness does not appl... [ Continue Reading ]
STORED SEED FOR SOWING IS NOT RENDERED UNCLEAN BY DEAD CREEPING THINGS UNLESS IT HAS BEEN WETTED (LEVITICUS 11:37). Leviticus 11:37 “And if any part of their carcase fall on any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean.” However, seed set aside for sowing is not affected by dead creeping thi... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CARCASES OF CLEAN BEASTS RENDER UNCLEAN WHOEVER TOUCHES THEM (LEVITICUS 11:39). Leviticus 11:39 “And if any beast, of which you may eat, die; he who touches its carcase shall be unclean until the even. And he who eats its carcase shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even, he also... [ Continue Reading ]
NO CREEPING THING IS TO BE EATEN (LEVITICUS 11:41). Having seen examples of what cannot be eaten because of contact with what is unclean we now return to what cannot be eaten. The ban on creeping things is universal. To eat such things is not only not worthy of God, it is an abomination to Him. The... [ Continue Reading ]
“For I am Yahweh your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be you holy; for I am holy: neither shall you defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing which moves on the earth.” Let them consider with Whom they have to do. He is ‘Yahweh their God'. Compare Exodus 20:2. This is their covena... [ Continue Reading ]
“For 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.” This is a clear reference to the covenant. He has brought them out of Egypt that they might be His holy people, they are therefore to be holy as He is holy, and that involves m... [ Continue Reading ]
FINAL SUMMARY (LEVITICUS 11:46). This could well be a colophon to a tablet depicting what was contained on it. It outlines what the chapter has been all about. Leviticus 11:46 “This is the law of the beast, and of the bird, and of every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creat... [ Continue Reading ]