Leviticus 11:24-45

Unclean animals

24 You make yourself unclean by the following animals—whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening,
25 and anyone who carries any part of their dead bodies must wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening:
26 All animals that have divided hoofs, but they are not completely split, and that do not rechew food are unclean for you—whoever touches them will be unclean.
27 Of all the animals that walk on four feet, the ones that walk on their paws are unclean for you—anyone who touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening.
28 Anyone who carries one of their dead bodies must wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening; these animals are unclean for you.
29 The following are unclean for you among the small creatures that move about on the ground: the rat, the mouse, any kind of large lizard,
30 the gecko, the spotted lizard, the lizard, the skink, and the chameleon.
31 Of all small moving creatures, these are unclean for you—anyone who touches them when they are dead will be unclean until evening.
32 Moreover, anything on which one of these creatures falls when it is dead will be unclean, whether it is wood, cloth, skin, or funeral clothing—any such item that can be used to do work. It must be put into water and will be unclean until evening. Then it will be clean again.
33 If any of these creatures fall into a pottery jar, everything inside it will be unclean; you must smash the pot.
34 If water from such a jar gets on any edible food, it will be unclean; any drinkable beverage in such a jar will be unclean.
35 Anything on which a part of these animals' dead bodies might fall will be unclean. If it is an oven or stove, it must be destroyed; they are unclean for you and must remain that way.
36 Now, a spring or cistern that collects water is clean, but anyone who touches one of these animals' dead bodies in it will be unclean.
37 If any part of these animals' dead bodies falls on seed that is to be planted, the seed is still clean.
38 But if water is poured on some seed and part of their dead bodies falls on it, it is unclean for you.
39 If one of the animals that you are allowed to eat dies naturally, anyone who touches its dead body will be unclean until evening.
40 Anyone who eats from the dead body must wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening. Anyone who carries such a dead body must wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening.
41 Every creature that swarms on the earth is detestable; it must not be eaten.
42 Among all such creatures that swarm on the earth, you must not eat anything that moves on its belly or anything that walks on four or more feet because they are detestable.
43 Do not make yourselves detestable by means of any swarming creatures. Do not make yourselves unclean with them or be made unclean by them.
44 I am the LORD your God. You must keep yourselves holy and be holy, because I am holy. You must not make yourselves unclean by any swarming creature that crawls on the ground.
45 I am the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God. You must be holy, because I am holy.

Leviticus 11:24-45 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 2

  • [a]. Many of the species in 11:29–30 cannot be identified with certainty.
  • [b]. Heb lacks in it.
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