Leviticus 11:23

23 Every creeping thing from among the birds, which has four feet, is an abomination to you.

Leviticus 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.

Leviticus 11:23 In-Context

21 But these ye shall eat of the creeping winged animals, which go upon four feet, which have legs above their feet, to leap with on the earth.

22 And these of them ye shall eat: the caterpillar and his like, and the attacus and his like, and the cantharus and his like, and the locust and his like.

23 Every creeping thing from among the birds, which has four feet, is an abomination to you.

24 And by these ye shall be defiled; every one that touches their carcases shall be unclean till the evening.

25 And every one that takes of their dead bodies shall wash his garments, and shall be unclean till the evening.