Leviticus 11:1-12

Laws about Animals for Food

1 The LORD spoke again to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them,

2 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, '¹These are the creatures which you may eat from all the animals that are on the earth.

3 'Whatever divides a hoof, thus making split hoofs, and chews the cud, among the animals, that you may eat.

4 'Nevertheless, ²you are not to eat of these, among those which chew the cud, or among those which divide the hoof: the camel, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you.

5 'Likewise, the shaphan, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you;

6 the rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you;

7 and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud, it is unclean to you.

8 'You shall not eat of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.

9 '³These you may eat, whatever * is in the water: all that have fins and scales, those in the water, in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat.

10 '⁴But whatever * is in the seas and in the rivers that does not have fins and scales among all the teeming life of the water, and among all the living creatures that are in the water, they are detestable things to you,

11 and they shall be abhorrent to you; you may not eat of their flesh, and their carcasses you shall detest.

12 'Whatever * in the water does not have fins and scales is abhorrent to you.

Leviticus 11:1-12 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

• 1. Deuteronomy 14:3-21
• 2. Acts 10:14
• 3. Deuteronomy 14:9
• 4. Deuteronomy 14:10

Footnotes

• [a]. A small, shy, furry animal "(Hyrax syriacus)" found in the peninsula of the Sinai, northern Israel, and the region round the Dead Sea; KJV "coney," orig NASB "rock badger"
• [b]. Or "hare"
• [c]. Lit "detestable things"
• [d]. Lit "detestable things"