Leviticus 11:1-9

Clean and Unclean Land Animals

1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:

2 "Tell the Israelites: You may eat all these [kinds] of land animals.^[a]

3 You may eat any animal with divided hooves and that chews the cud.

4 But among the ones that chew the cud or have hooves you are not to eat [these]: the camel, though it chews the cud, does not have hooves-it is unclean for you;

5 the hyrax,^[b] though it chews the cud, does not have hooves-it is unclean for you;

6 the hare, though it chews the cud, does not have hooves-it is unclean for you;

7 the pig, though it has divided hooves, does not chew the cud-it is unclean for you.

8 Do not eat any of their meat or touch their carcasses-they are unclean for you.^[c]

Clean and Unclean Aquatic Animals

9 "This [is what] you may eat from all that is in the water: You may eat everything in the water that has fins and scales, whether in the seas or streams.

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Leviticus 11:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 11

This chapter treats of creatures clean and unclean, as fit or not fit to be eaten; and first of beasts, whose signs are given, Le 11:1-8 then of fishes, which are likewise described, Le 11:9-12 after that of fowls, and those that are not to be eaten are particularly named, Le 11:13-19 next of creeping things, which are distinguished into two sorts, as flying creeping things, of which those that are unclean, their carcasses are not even to be touched, as neither the carcasses of unclean beasts, Le 11:20-28 and creeping things on the earth, which defile by touching, as well as eating, and make everything unclean, upon which, being dead, they fall, Le 11:29-43 and these laws are enforced from the holiness and goodness of God, Le 11:44,45 and the chapter is concluded with a recapitulation of them, Le 11:46,47.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Footnotes 3

[a]. Dt 14:4-21; Ac 10:9-16; Rm 14:14
[b]. A rabbitlike animal
[c]. Lv 7:21; 11:24-27; Isa 52:11; 2 Co 6:17