Leviticus 11:1-9

1 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

2 Say to the children of Israel: These are the living things which you may have for food among all the beasts on the earth.

3 You may have as food any beast which has a division in the horn of its foot, and whose food comes back into its mouth to be crushed again.

4 But, at the same time, of those beasts, you may not take for food the camel, because its food comes back but the horn of its foot is not parted in two; it is unclean to you.

5 And the rock-badger, for the same reason, is unclean to you.

6 And the hare, because the horn of its foot is not parted in two, is unclean to you.

7 And the pig is unclean to you, because though the horn of its foot is parted, its food does not come back.

8 Their flesh may not be used for food, and their dead bodies may not even be touched; they are unclean to you.

9 These you may have for food of all things living in the water: anything living in the water, in the seas or rivers, which has special parts for swimming and skin formed of thin plates, may be used for food.

Leviticus 11:1-9 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.