Leviticus 11:24-40

Purification after Touching Dead Animals

24 "These will make you unclean. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening,

25 and whoever carries any of their carcasses must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening.^[a]

26 All animals that have hooves but do not have a divided hoof and do not chew the cud are unclean for you. Whoever touches them becomes unclean.

27 All the four-footed animals that walk on their paws are unclean for you. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening,

28 and anyone who carries their carcasses must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening. They are unclean for you.

29 "These creatures that swarm on the ground are unclean for you: the weasel,^[b] the mouse, the various kinds of large lizard,^[c]

30 the gecko, the monitor lizard,^[d] the common lizard,^[e] the skink,^[f] and the chameleon.^[g]

31 These are unclean for you among all the swarming creatures. Whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean until evening.

32 When any one of them dies and falls on anything it becomes unclean-any item of wood, clothing, leather, sackcloth, or any implement used for work. It is to be rinsed with water and will remain unclean until evening; then it will be clean.

33 If any of them falls into any clay pot, everything in it will become unclean; you must break it.

34 Any edible food coming into contact with [that unclean] water will become unclean, and any drinkable liquid in any container will become unclean.

35 Anything one of their carcasses falls on will become unclean. If it is an oven or stove, it must be smashed; it is unclean and will remain unclean for you.

36 A spring or cistern containing water will remain clean, but someone who touches a carcass [in it] will become unclean.

37 If one of their carcasses falls on any seed that is to be sown, it is clean;

38 but if water has been put on the seed and one of their carcasses falls on it, it is unclean for you.

39 "If one of the animals that you use for food dies,^[h] anyone who touches its carcass will be unclean until evening.

40 Anyone who eats some of its carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening. Anyone who carries its carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening.

Leviticus 11:24-40 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]. Lv 16:28; 17:15-16; Nm 19:7-10
• [b]. Or mole rat, or rat
• [c]. Or of thorn-tailed or dabb lizard, or of crocodile
• [d]. Or the spotted lizard, or the chameleon
• [e]. Or the gecko, or the newt, or the salamander
• [f]. Or sand lizard, or newt, or snail
• [g]. Or salamander, or mole
• [h]. Dies of itself or by predators; this does not apply to animals slaughtered for food.