Vayikra 11:27

27 And whatsoever goeth upon its paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all fours, those are temei’im unto you; whosoever toucheth their nevelah shall be tamei until erev.

Vayikra 11:27 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 11:27

Whatsoever goeth upon his paws
Or "the palms" ^F4 of his hands; meaning such creatures, whose feet are not divided into two parts, but into many, like the fingers of an hand, as apes, lions, bears, wolves, foxes, dogs, cats

among all manner of beasts that go on [all] four;
this is added, to distinguish them from fowl, such as are clean; who walk but on two feet, though their feet are divided into fingers or talons, and may be called hands on which they walk:

these [are] unclean unto you:
and as they might not be eaten, so neither touched, as follows:

whoso toucheth their carcass shall be unclean until the even;
(See Gill on Leviticus 11:24).

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 (wypk le) "super volas suas", Pagninus, Montanus, "super manus suas", Munster, Tigurine version, Drusius.

Vayikra 11:27 In-Context

25 And whosoever pick up any of the nevelah of them shall wash his clothes, and be tamei until erev.

26 Every beast which spliteth the hooves, and is not completely split, nor cheweth the cud, are temei’im unto you; every one that toucheth them shall be tamei.

27 And whatsoever goeth upon its paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all fours, those are temei’im unto you; whosoever toucheth their nevelah shall be tamei until erev.

28 And he that beareth the nevelah of them shall wash his clothes, and be tamei until erev; they are temei’im unto you.

29 These also shall be tamei unto you among the creeping things that creep upon ha’aretz: the weasel, and the rat, and the great lizard after its kind,