Leviticus 11:1-47
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.
3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.
4 Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
5 And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
6 And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.
8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.
9 These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:
11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.
12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.
13 And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,
14 And the vulture, and the kite after his kind;
15 Every raven after his kind;
16 And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,
17 And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,
18 And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,
19 And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.
20 All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you.
21 Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;
22 Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.
23 But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.
24 And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even.
25 And whosoever beareth ought of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.
26 The carcases of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean.
27 And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even.
28 And he that beareth the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you.
29 These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind,
30 And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole.
31 These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even.
32 And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; so it shall be cleansed.
33 And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it.
34 Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which such water cometh shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean.
35 And every thing whereupon any part of their carcase falleth shall be unclean; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean, and shall be unclean unto you.
36 Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean.
37 And if any part of their carcase fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean.
38 But if any water be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcase fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you.
39 And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even.
40 And he that eateth of the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.
41 And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten.
42 Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.
43 Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.
44 For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
45 For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
46 This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth 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.
Leviticus 11:2. The beasts which ye shall eat. The Talmud calls this chapter the Thirteenth class of Prohibitions. From the beginning of the world there was a distinction between clean and unclean beasts, as was intimated to Noah, when he received into the ark seven of the clean for one of the unclean. The reasons for this distinction are in the first place such as regard health. Cattle which feed on grass and chew the cud, are allowed to be the most salubrious for food. Dr. Buchan says that scrophulous diseases are mostly predominant in large towns, where children live very much on greasy ailments. Vegetables are supposed to grow to the same perfection as in the first ages after the creation: to live therefore on fruits and vegetables must have a tendency to perfect the stature and vigour of man, while in large cities it is too apparent that the population diminish both in muscular strength and in character. In the distinction which the scriptures make on the subject of meats, there is also a spiritual designation. The Lord had a right to appoint the animals that should be offered on the altar, and to say, amidst the cattle on a thousand hills, which would be best for the food of his people. The Israelites being at that time especially a rude uncultivated people, these distinctions would keep them apart from the idolatrous feasts of the gentiles, and so render them a peculiar people. It must however be confessed that several of the birds and beasts here mentioned, afford much exercise for critics, as to the distinction of the several species. Vide Poli Synop.The ancient fathers at the same time amuse us with moral improvements, on unclean birds and beasts. By the hawk they designate those who prey on their weaker neighbours; by the vulture, those who delight in war; by the raven, unnatural parents; by the ostrich, the specious hypocrite; by the owl, the solitary works of darkness.
Leviticus 11:5. The coney; so all the versions read. But Dr. Shaw, who spent a considerable time in oriental travels, thinks that the shaphan, or saphan, as an animal of mount Libanus, and common in Syria. It burrows like the rabbit, and takes refuge in the cliffs and rocks. Hence he thinks that the saphan is not the jerboa, as some have thought, because it burrows in a stiff loamy soil.
Leviticus 11:6. The hare, or arnebeth, he thinks, is the Daman-Israel, because it is a harmless creature of the same size as the rabbit, and with the like incurvated posture of the foreteeth. But it is of a browner colour, with smaller eyes, and a head more pointed, like the marmot. Whatever doubts may be entertained of the species, the whole genus or class was undoubtedly forbidden.
Leviticus 11:7. The swine; that is, every species of the hog was forbidden. The Egyptians would not eat of it, from a notion that it occasioned disease.
Leviticus 11:8. Their carcase shall ye not touch, after they are dead: any creature unclean to eat might be touched while alive, as horses, dogs, &c. The carcase of a clean beast did not defile, unless it died of itself. Most of the birds and beasts here forbidden, often fed on putrid prey; to eat them must then be as injurious to health, as the idea is revolting to the mind.
REFLECTIONS.
Moses having settled the priesthood, proceeds next to guide the priest in judging of persons and things that were clean and unclean; as houses, garments, and marriages, as well as of beasts, birds, and fishes. When God reviewed the creation, every creature he pronounced good; but since the fall, many of the beasts and birds live by rapine and blood. Hence to teach temperance and purity, he made a selection of the creatures acceptable in sacrifice, and best for food. He also had in view to preserve his people from all impurity of body and mind, and to separate them from the heathen who indulged in lascivious feasts. They would spiritually understand, that they must avoid the filth and luxury of the hog; and while they contemplated the innocence of lambs, and the laborious tractableness of the ox, they would endeavour to acquire those virtues. No man should resemble the hog, which seems to live only for his belly, and for the sake of sleeping and wallowing in the mire. On the contrary, the clean beasts are of the greatest utility to man. Some of them clothe us with their wool, others feed us with their milk, and are useful in various ways. In the distinction between creatures clean and unclean, is spiritually set before us the nature of vice and of virtue; and it evidently appears that St. Paul alluded to this, when he said, “Touch not, taste not the unclean thing.”
Although the distinction between creatures clean and unclean was known to Adam, and of course miraculously regarded in drawing them into the ark; and although the Egyptians and others partially regarded these laws, yet we have an express exemption in the christian scriptures. “Let no man judge you in respect of meats and drinks; and what God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” But let not our liberty be an occasion of sin; rather let us understand it as a figure, that all nations, on embracing the gospel, become one fold and family in the Lord.