Leviticus 11:39

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

Leviticus 11:39 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 11:39

And if any beast of which ye may eat die
Any clean beast, as the ox, sheep, goat, deer what, if rightly killed, is very lawful to eat of; but if it died of itself through any distemper, or was torn by the wild beasts, so the Targum of Jonathan:

he that toucheth the carcass thereof shall be unclean until the
even;
not the bones, nerves, horns, hoofs, or skin, as Jarchi observes; these might be handled, because some of them, at least, were wrought up into one instrument or another, by artificers, for use and service, but the flesh of them might not be touched; whoever did touch it was ceremonially unclean, and might not go into the sanctuary, or have conversation with men, until the evening of the day in which this was done.

Leviticus 11:39 In-Context

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, 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.

41 "All the creatures that swarm on the earth are detestable; they must not be eaten.

Footnotes

• [a] Dies of itself or by predators; this does not apply to animals slaughtered for food.