Leviticus 11:17-27

17 little owls, cormorants, great owls,

18 white owls, desert owls, ospreys,

19 storks, any kind of heron, hoopoes, or bats.

20 "'Don't eat insects that have wings and walk on all four feet; they also are to be hated.

21 "'But you may eat certain insects that have wings and walk on four feet. You may eat those that have legs with joints above their feet so they can jump.

22 These are the insects you may eat: all kinds of locusts, winged locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers.

23 But all other insects that have wings and walk on four feet you are to hate.

24 Those insects will make you unclean, and anyone who touches the dead body of one of these insects will become unclean until evening.

25 Anyone who picks up one of these dead insects must wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.

26 "'Some animals have split hoofs, but the hoofs are not completely divided; others do not chew the cud. They are unclean for you, and anyone who touches the dead body of one of these animals will become unclean.

27 Of all the animals that walk on four feet, the animals that walk on their paws are unclean for you. Anyone who touches the dead body of one of these animals will become unclean until evening.

Leviticus 11:17-27 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.