Leviticus 11:39-47

39 'Also if one of the animals dies which you have for food, the one who touches its carcass becomes unclean until evening.
40 '1He too, who eats some of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening, and the one who picks up its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.
41 '2Now 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 '3Do 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 4I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and 5be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth.
45 '6For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus 7you shall be holy, for I am holy.' "
46 This is the law regarding the animal and the bird, and every living thing that moves in the waters and everything that swarms on the earth,
47 8to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the edible creature and the creature which is not to be eaten.

Leviticus 11:39-47 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.

Cross References 8

  • 1. Leviticus 17:15; Leviticus 22:8; Deuteronomy 14:21; Ezekiel 44:31
  • 2. Leviticus 11:29
  • 3. Leviticus 20:25
  • 4. Exodus 6:7; Exodus 16:12; Exodus 23:25; Isaiah 43:3; Isaiah 51:15
  • 5. Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:16
  • 6. Exodus 6:7; Exodus 20:2; Leviticus 22:33; Leviticus 25:38; Leviticus 26:45
  • 7. Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:16
  • 8. Leviticus 10:10; Ezekiel 22:26; Ezekiel 44:23

Footnotes 1

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