Levitico 11:23

23 Ogni altro insetto alato che ha quattro piedi vi sarà in abominio.

Levitico 11:23 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 11:23

But all [other] flying creeping things
Excepting the four sorts before mentioned, wherefore we rightly supply the word "other":

which have four feet;
or more; the Vulgate Latin version adds, "only", but wrongly; for those that have more are unclean, and forbidden to be eaten, excepting those in the preceding verse; and most creeping things that fly have six feet, as the locusts themselves, reckoning their leaping legs into the number; though it may be observed, that those creatures that have six feet have but four equal ones, on which they walk or creep; and the two foremost, which are longer, are as hands to them to wipe their eyes with, and protect them from anything that may fall into them and hurt them; they not being able to see clearly because of the hardness of their eyes, as Aristotle

---

FOOTNOTES:

F1 observes, and particularly it may be remarked of the fly, as it is by Lucian ^F2, that though it has six feet it only goes on four, using the other two foremost as hands; and therefore you may see it walking on four feet, with something eatable in its hands, lifting them up on high, just after the manner of men: now all such creatures that have four feet or more, excepting the above,

[shall be] an abomination unto you;
abhorred as food, and abstained from.

F1 Ut supra. (Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 6.)
F2 De Musca.

Levitico 11:23 In-Context

21 Però, fra tutti gl’insetti alati che camminano su quattro piedi, mangerete quelli che hanno gambe al disopra de’ piedi per saltare sulla terra.

22 Di questi potrete mangiare: ogni specie di cavalletta, ogni specie di solam, ogni specie di hargol e ogni specie di hagab.

23 Ogni altro insetto alato che ha quattro piedi vi sarà in abominio.

24 Questi animali vi renderanno impuri; chiunque toccherà il loro corpo morto sarà impuro fino alla sera.

25 E chiunque porterà i loro corpi morti si laverà le vesti, e sarà impuro fino alla sera.