Leviticus 11:43

43 '¹Do not render yourselves detestable through any of the swarming things that swarm; and you shall not make yourselves unclean with them so that you become unclean.

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 'Now every swarming thing that swarms on the earth is detestable, not to be eaten.

42 'Whatever crawls on its belly, and whatever walks on all fours, whatever has many feet, in respect to every swarming thing that swarms on the earth, you shall not eat them, for they are detestable.

43 'Do not render yourselves detestable through any of the swarming things that swarm; and you shall not make yourselves unclean with them so that you become unclean.

44 'For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth.

45 'For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.' "

Cross References

• 1. Leviticus 20:25

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "your souls"