Leviticus 11:43

43 Ye shall not defile your souls with any reptile that creeps, neither shall ye contaminate yourselves with them, that ye should be unclean with them.

Leviticus 11:43 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 11:43

Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping
thing that creepeth
With any creeping thing that flies in the air, excepting the four sorts of locusts, ( Leviticus 11:22 ) and with any creeping thing in the waters, ( Leviticus 11:10 ) or with anything that creeps on the land, by eating any of them; which being abominable for food, would make the eater of them so to God, he thereby breaking a command of his:

neither shall you make yourselves unclean with them;
by touching and bearing them, as with dead beasts, so with dead flies and the like:

that ye should be defiled thereby;
in a ceremonial sense.

Leviticus 11:43 In-Context

41 And every reptile that creeps upon the earth is an abomination; it shall not be eaten.

42 Whatever goes upon the belly and whatever goes upon four or more feet among all reptiles that creep upon the earth, ye shall not eat; for it is abomination.

43 Ye shall not defile your souls with any reptile that creeps, neither shall ye contaminate yourselves with them, that ye should be unclean with them.

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 your souls with any reptile that moves upon the earth.

45 For I am the LORD that causes you to come up out of the land of Egypt to be your God; ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.