Leviticus 11:39

39 "'Also, if an animal which you use for food dies, anyone who touches its body will be unclean until evening.

Leviticus 11:39 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 11:39

And if any beast of which ye may eat die
Any clean beast, as the ox, sheep, goat, deer what, if rightly killed, is very lawful to eat of; but if it died of itself through any distemper, or was torn by the wild beasts, so the Targum of Jonathan:

he that toucheth the carcass thereof shall be unclean until the
even;
not the bones, nerves, horns, hoofs, or skin, as Jarchi observes; these might be handled, because some of them, at least, were wrought up into one instrument or another, by artificers, for use and service, but the flesh of them might not be touched; whoever did touch it was ceremonially unclean, and might not go into the sanctuary, or have conversation with men, until the evening of the day in which this was done.

Leviticus 11:39 In-Context

37 If a dead, unclean animal falls on a seed to be planted, that seed is still clean.

38 But if you put water on some seeds and a dead, unclean animal falls on them, they are unclean for you.

39 "'Also, if an animal which you use for food dies, anyone who touches its body will be unclean until evening.

40 Anyone who eats meat from this animal's dead body must wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. Anyone who picks up the animal's dead body must wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.

41 "'Every animal that crawls on the ground is to be hated; it must not be eaten.