_A.M. 2514. B.C. 1490._ Of clean and unclean beasts, Leviticus 11:1. Fishes, Leviticus 11:9. Fowls, Leviticus 11:13. Creeping things, whether flying, Leviticus 11:20, or creeping upon the earth, Leviticus 11:29. An exhortation to holiness, Leviticus 11:44; Leviticus 11:45. The conclusion,... [ Continue Reading ]
The _Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron_ This charge is given to them jointly; to the one, as chief governor, and to the other, as high-priest; both being greatly concerned in the execution of it. The priest was to direct the people about the things forbidden or allowed, and the magistrate was to see t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Speak unto the children of Israel_ From the laws concerning the priests, he now comes to those which belonged to all the people; and in this chapter treats of clean and unclean meats; in the 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th, of unclean _persons, garments_, and _dwellings;_ in the 17th, of the principal s... [ Continue Reading ]
_Whatsoever parteth the hoof_ That is, divides it into two parts only; or, _is cloven-footed_ As is here expressed. These qualities are not assigned as reasons why such animals are proper for food, but merely as _marks_ whereby to distinguish them. In some animals the hoofs are solid, and not divide... [ Continue Reading ]
_The camel_ A usual food in Arabia, but yielding bad nourishment; for though its food is only vegetables and water, the fibres of its flesh are hardened, and rendered in a great measure indigestible, and the salts highly exalted, by its habitual and great exercise. This prohibition cut off all famil... [ Continue Reading ]
_The coney_ Hebrews שׁפן, _shapan._ It is doubted whether we translate the word right; Bochart takes it to be a large species of rat, somewhat between a coney and a rat, which was common both in Egypt and Palestine. This animal, it appears, chews the cud, but divides not the hoof, and therefore answ... [ Continue Reading ]
_The hare, because_ (rather, _though_) _he cheweth the cud_ He has a runnet in his stomach, as those animals have which chew the cud, and therefore is said to chew it. The hare is extremely timorous, and therefore uses a great deal of exercise, by way of precaution, when it goes to seek its food, an... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the swine_ This animal is remarkable for filthiness, and for feeding on all manner of ordure, even carrion if it falls in its way, and therefore a _sow wallowing in the mire_ is set forth as an emblem of impurity, by writers sacred and profane. And Maimonides alleges its filthiness as the chief... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye shall not touch_ Not in order to eating. But the fat and skins of some of the forbidden creatures were useful, and might be used by them.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Whatsoever hath fins and scales_ Both of them. Such fishes being more cleanly and more wholesome food than others. _All that have not fins nor scales shall be an abomination_ A late commentator, by a strange mistake, probably of the press, says here: “Fish with scales sooner incline to putrefaction... [ Continue Reading ]
All such fowls and birds as are rapacious, and live upon prey, as the eagle, and its several kinds, hawks, kites, vultures, ravens, &c., are forbidden, and probably on a moral as well as a natural account, their flesh not only being not so good in itself as that of others, but not so fit to be used... [ Continue Reading ]
_The vulture and the kite_ Known birds of prey. _Every raven_ All interpreters agree that the Hebrew word ערב, _gnoreb_, signifies _raven_, from _gnereb, evening_, on account of its colour. _After his kind_ Including crows, rooks, pyes. _The owl_ The original word, literally _daughter of the echo_,... [ Continue Reading ]
_The bat_ Moses begins his catalogue of birds with the noblest, and ends it with the vilest, which is the bat, an animal of a dubious kind, between a bird and a mouse. It feeds on insects, as Dr. James observes, and so is improper food for the inhabitants of very warm climates.... [ Continue Reading ]
_All fowls that creep_ The original word signifies any animal or moving creature, especially of the reptile or insect kind, (Genesis 1:20; Genesis 7:21,) and ought to be rendered _every winged reptile_, or, _every flying, creeping thing that goeth upon four_, as in Leviticus 11:21, upon four legs, o... [ Continue Reading ]
_The locust after his kind_ The Hebrew word ארבה _arbeh_, is sometimes a common name for all locusts, but here signifies a peculiar sort of them The name derived from רבה _rabah_, to multiply, imports a _multitude_, no animal being more prolific. _The bald locust_ As it is not easy to determine what... [ Continue Reading ]
_All other_ That is, which have not those legs above and beside their feet, mentioned Leviticus 11:21. _For these ye shall be unclean_ If they did either eat, or so much as touch the carcasses of them, they were not, for that day, to come into the tabernacle, to eat of any holy thing, or to converse... [ Continue Reading ]
_The carcasses of every beast, &c., are unclean_ They were prohibited from touching their dead bodies, but not their bodies when alive: for they used camels, horses, asses, &c., for necessary service, Leviticus 11:31.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Upon his paws_ Hebrew, _upon his hands;_ that is, which hath feet divided into several parts, like fingers, as dogs, cats, apes, lions, bears.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the mole_ The Hebrew word is the same with that which (Lev 11:18) we translate _swan._ But it is plain, that there it signifies a sort of _fowl_, as, in all probability, it here does a sort of _lizard._ All the reptiles here mentioned, according to Dr. James, are extremely subject to putrefacti... [ Continue Reading ]
_That on which such water cometh_ That flesh, or herbs, or other food which is dressed in water, in a vessel so polluted, shall be unclean: not so, if it be food which is eaten dry, as bread, or fruits; the reason of which difference seems to be this, that the water did sooner receive the pollution... [ Continue Reading ]
_Nevertheless, a fountain or pit shall be clean_ Of this no reason can be given, but the will of the Lawgiver, and his merciful condescension to men's necessities, water being scarce in those countries; and for the same reason God would have the ceremonial law of sacrifices give place to the law of... [ Continue Reading ]
_If any water be on the seed_, &c. Bishop Kidder observes, the meaning is, If water be put upon the seed to prepare it for food; thus distinguishing it from seed that was intended to be sown. But others have thought the reason of the difference to be, partly that wet seed sooner receives, and longer... [ Continue Reading ]
_If any beast die_ Either of itself, or being killed by some wild beast, in which cases the blood was not poured forth, as it was when they were killed by men either for food or sacrifice. _He that eateth_ Unwittingly, for if he did it knowingly, it was a presumptuous sin against an express law, (De... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye shall be holy_ By this he gives them to understand, that all these cautions about eating or touching these creatures was not for any real uncleanness in them, but only that by the diligent observation of these rules they might learn with greater care to avoid all moral pollutions, and to keep th... [ Continue Reading ]
_That bringeth you up out of Egypt_ This was a reason why they should cheerfully submit to distinguishing laws, who had been so honoured with distinguishing favours.... [ Continue Reading ]
_This is the law of the beasts_, &c. It was to them a statute as long as that dispensation lasted, but under the gospel we find it expressly repealed, by a voice from heaven to Peter, (Acts 10:15,) as it had before been virtually set aside by the death of Christ, with other ordinances that perished... [ Continue Reading ]