Leviticus 11:6

6 The rabbit chews the cud but doesn't have a split hoof so is unclean.

Leviticus 11:6 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 11:6

And the hare, because he cheweth the cud
Or, "though he chews" it:

but divideth not the hoof, he [is] unclean to you;
and so not to be eaten; so Plutarch ^F17 says, that the Jews are said to abstain from the hare, disdaining it as a filthy and unclean animal, and yet was in the greatest esteem with the Romans of any four footed beast, as Martial says ^F18: Moses, as Bochart ^F19 and other learned men observe, is the only writer that speaks of the hare as chewing the cud; though they also observe, that Aristotle ^F20 makes mention of that in common with those that do chew the cud, namely a "coagulum" or "runnet" in its stomach; his words are,

``all that have many bellies have what is called (puetia) , a coagulum or runnet, and of them that have but one belly, the hare;''

only that: this creature being prone to lust, may be an emblem of lustful persons, who give up themselves to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness, ( Ephesians 4:19 ) .

(The "hare" is this verse may be an animal that is now is extinct but was alive at the time of Moses. It is only other mentioned in ( Deuteronomy 14:7 ) . Editor.)

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 Sympos. l. 9. c. 5.
F18 L. 13. Epigr. 87.
F19 Ut supra, (Hierozoic par. 1. l. 3.) c. 31. col. 977.
F20 De Part. Animal. l. 3. c. 15. & Hist. Animal. l. 3. c. 21.

Leviticus 11:6 In-Context

4 but not an animal that only chews the cud or only has a split hoof. For instance, the camel chews the cud but doesn't have a split hoof, so it's unclean.

5 The rock badger chews the cud but doesn't have a split hoof and so it's unclean.

6 The rabbit chews the cud but doesn't have a split hoof so is unclean.

7 The pig has a split hoof, divided in two, but doesn't chew the cud and so is unclean.

8 You may not eat their meat nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.