Leviticus 11:5-25

5 The rock badger, for even though it chews the cud, it does not have divided hoofs; it is unclean for you.

6 The hare, for even though it chews the cud, it does not have divided hoofs; it is unclean for you.

7 The pig, for even though it has divided hoofs and is cleft-footed, it does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.

8 Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean for you.

9 These you may eat, of all that are in the waters. Everything in the waters that has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the streams—such you may eat.

10 But anything in the seas or the streams that does not have fins and scales, of the swarming creatures in the waters and among all the other living creatures that are in the waters—they are detestable to you

11 and detestable they shall remain. Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall regard as detestable.

12 Everything in the waters that does not have fins and scales is detestable to you.

13 These you shall regard as detestable among the birds. They shall not be eaten; they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey,

14 the buzzard, the kite of any kind;

15 every raven of any kind;

16 the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind;

17 the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl,

18 the water hen, the desert owl, the carrion vulture,

19 the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.

20 All winged insects that walk upon all fours are detestable to you.

21 But among the winged insects that walk on all fours you may eat those that have jointed legs above their feet, with which to leap on the ground.

22 Of them you may eat: the locust according to its kind, the bald locust according to its kind, the cricket according to its kind, and the grasshopper according to its kind.

23 But all other winged insects that have four feet are detestable to you.

24 By these you shall become unclean; whoever touches the carcass of any of them shall be unclean until the evening,

25 and whoever carries any part of the carcass of any of them shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.

Leviticus 11:5-25 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

• [a] Or [pelican]
• [b] Identification of several of the birds in verses 13-19 is uncertain