Leviticus 11:1-47

Cross-references For Better Understanding a Related Topics b Additional Materials c

Summary

• A list of "clean" and "unclean" kinds of animals - indicating which could be eaten, and which could not.

Details and/or Comments

About the Categories

• This list is somewhat like a generalized taxonomy of animal “kinds” (the Hebrew word "min" - also used in Genesis 1), and helps us to see how the various types of animals fit into categories within that context. It is not intended to be an exhaustive listing of all species!

• The concepts of “clean” and “unclean” animals existed even before the Flood (see Genesis 7:2, 8. These specific regulations in Leviticus focus on how the people were to interact with such animals (the primary focus being on whether or not they could be used as food), within the context of the Old Covenant.

Translation Issues

• One must be careful to realize that the names given in this list are translations from Old Testament Hebrew (from nearly 3500 years ago); and the descriptions are given within the context of that time period. Because of this, there are two important considerations to remember:

1. In a few instances, the exact modern counterpart (assuming the species still exists) is uncertain.
2. It must be remembered that the Hebrew descriptions are based on the external visual appearances of the animals, rather than by internal anatomical features. The text must be understood this way, or false conclusions may result.

"Unexpected" Descriptions of Animals

• Because of the differences in perspectives and word definitions, the descriptions of certain animals at the time this account was written does not match what we would expect today. To fail to take this into consideration can result in some very false perceptions of what they were saying at the time the account was written!

• For instance, the concept of "cud chewing" focuses on the movement of the animal's mouth parts, rather than the anatomical structure of the animal's stomach. Because of this, the animal called a "hare" (or "rabbit") is described as one that "chews the cud." (It is also possible that the word translated as "hare" actually describes an animal that is currently unknown.)

• Another example involves creatures that fly: Most translations use the word "bird." The only problem with this is that the modern concept of “bird” refers to something that has feathers and lays eggs. In contrast, the Hebrew concept meant “winged flyer” and included anything that had wing-like appendages and flew (not including small creatures such as insects, which belonged to a different category). Because of this, bats – which are defined as “mammals” in modern terms – would be appropriately called “winged flyers” in Old Testament Hebrew terms.

Scripture

Leviticus 11:1-47 – Clean and unclean animals.

• See: Holiness and the Concepts of "Clean" and "Unclean".
• See: The Concept of "Kind" (Hebrew Word "min")

Scripture Passage	Comments and Links
Lev 11:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, Lev 11:2 "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. Lev 11:3 Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud among the animals, that you may eat. Lev 11:4 " 'Nevertheless these you shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those who part the hoof: the camel, because he chews the cud but doesn't have a parted hoof, he is unclean to you. Lev 11:5 The coney, because he chews the cud but doesn't have a parted hoof, he is unclean to you. Lev 11:6 The hare, because she chews the cud but doesn't part the hoof, she is unclean to you. Lev 11:7 The pig, because he has a split hoof, and is cloven-footed, but doesn't chew the cud, he is unclean to you. Lev 11:8 Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you.	Land animals. See notes above, about "unexpected" descriptions of animals, such as the "hare."
Lev 11:9 " 'These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, that you may eat. Lev 11:10 All that don't have fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of all the living creatures that are in the waters, they are an abomination to you, Lev 11:11 and you detest them. You shall not eat of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses. Lev 11:12 Whatever has no fins nor scales in the waters, that is an abomination to you.	Water creatures.
Lev 11:13 " 'These you shall detest among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the vulture, and the black vulture, Lev 11:14 and the red kite, any kind of black kite, Lev 11:15 any kind of raven, Lev 11:16 the horned owl, the screech owl, and the gull, any kind of hawk, Lev 11:17 the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, Lev 11:18 the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, Lev 11:19 the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.	Flying creatures. Today most of these are called “birds.” See notes above, about the differences between the Old Testament Hebrew definition of "bird" and the modern definition of that word.
Lev 11:20 " 'All flying insects that walk on all fours are an abomination to you. Lev 11:21 Yet you may eat these: of all winged creeping things that go on all fours, which have legs above their feet, with which to hop on the earth. Lev 11:22 Even of these you may eat: any kind of locust, any kind of katydid, any kind of cricket, and any kind of grasshopper. Lev 11:23 But all winged creeping things which have four feet, are an abomination to you.	“Walking on all fours” basically meant that they did not walk upright. It does not mean the Hebrews didn't know how to count! Also, though we (today) describe insects as having six legs, the first pair of legs are often used by the insects for many purposes in addition to walking – functions we often attribute to being done by arms and hands..
Lev 11:24 " 'By these you will become unclean: whoever touches the carcass of them shall be unclean until the evening. Lev 11:25 Whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. Lev 11:26 " 'Every animal which parts the hoof, and is not cloven-footed, nor chews the cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean. Lev 11:27 Whatever 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. Lev 11:28 He who carries their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. They are unclean to you.	Some of the restrictions that would apply to contact with the unclean animals. (These are ceremonial restrictions, which applicable to the Old Covenant.) Holiness - focusing on the ceremonial aspect (under the Old Covenant).
Lev 11:29 " '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, Lev 11:30 the gecko, and the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink, and the chameleon. Lev 11:31 These are they which are unclean to you among all that creep. Whoever touches them when they are dead, shall be unclean until the evening. Lev 11:32 On whatever any of them falls when they are dead, it 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. Lev 11:33 Every earthen vessel, into which any of them falls, all that is in it shall be unclean, and you shall break it. Lev 11:34 All food 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. Lev 11:35 Everything 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. Lev 11:36 Nevertheless a spring or a cistern in which water is a gathered shall be clean: but that which touches their carcass shall be unclean. Lev 11:37 If part of their carcass falls on any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean. Lev 11:38 But if water is put on the seed, and part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.	“Creeping things” and ceremonial regulations related to them.
Lev 11:39 " 'If any animal, of which you may eat, dies; he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening. Lev 11:40 He 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.	Restrictions regarding “clean” animals that die.
Lev 11:41 " 'Every creeping thing that creeps on the earth is an abomination. It shall not be eaten. Lev 11:42 Whatever 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. Lev 11:43 You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps, neither shall you make yourselves unclean with them, that you should be defiled thereby.	More about “creeping things.”
Lev 11:44 For I am Yahweh your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy: neither shall you defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth. Lev 11:45 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 the reason for these regulations about “creeping things” - a reason that is probably also applicable to the other restricted creatures. The Holiness of God
Lev 11:46 " '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, Lev 11:47 to 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.' "	Summary.

Scripture Passages (Only books that have relevance to this study have active links. The others are in italics.) Genesis  •  Exodus  •  Leviticus  •  Numbers  •  Deuteronomy  •  Joshua  •  Judges  •  Ruth  •  1 Samuel  •  2 Samuel  •  1 Kings  •  2 Kings  •  1 Chronicles  •  2 Chronicles  •  Ezra  •  Nehemiah  •  Esther  •  Job  •  Psalms  •  Proverbs  •  Ecclesiastes  •  Song of Solomon  •  Isaiah  •  Jeremiah  •  Lamentations  •  Ezekiel  •  Daniel  •  Hosea  •  Joel  •  Amos  •  Obadiah  •  Jonah  •  Micah  •  Nahum  •  Habakkuk  •  Zephaniah  •  Haggai  •  Zechariah  •  Malachi Matthew  •  Mark  •  Luke  •  John  •  Acts  •  Romans  •  1 Corinthians  •  2 Corinthians  •  Galatians  •  Ephesians  •  Philippians  •  Colossians  •  1 Thessalonians  •  2 Thessalonians  •  1 Timothy  •  2 Timothy  •  Titus  •  Philemon  •  Hebrews  •  James  •  1 Peter  •  2 Peter  •  1 John  •  2 John  •  3 John  •  Jude  •  Revelation

—— To avoid any copyright issues, all Scripture is either from a public domain translation (such as the World English Bible), my own translation, or a combination of these. ——

The name "Yahweh," when present in an Old Testament passage, represents the Hebrew name for the God of the Bible.

Unless otherwise noted, all notes and comments are © by Dennis Hinks.