Leviticus 11:1-10

1 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

2 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. “Of all the land animals, these are the ones you may use for food.

3 You may eat any animal that has completely split hooves and chews the cud.

4 You may not, however, eat the following animals that have split hooves or that chew the cud, but not both. The camel chews the cud but does not have split hooves, so it is ceremonially unclean for you.

5 The hyrax chews the cud but does not have split hooves, so it is unclean.

6 The hare chews the cud but does not have split hooves, so it is unclean.

7 The pig has evenly split hooves but does not chew the cud, so it is unclean.

8 You may not eat the meat of these animals or even touch their carcasses. They are ceremonially unclean for you.

9 “Of all the marine animals, these are ones you may use for food. You may eat anything from the water if it has both fins and scales, whether taken from salt water or from streams.

10 But you must never eat animals from the sea or from rivers that do not have both fins and scales. They are detestable to you. This applies both to little creatures that live in shallow water and to all creatures that live in deep water.

Leviticus 11:1-10 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. The identification of some of the animals, birds, and insects in this chapter is uncertain.
• [b]. Or coney, or rock badger.