Leviticus 11:27-37

27 Whatever goes on its paws, among all animals that go on all fours, is unclean for you; whoever touches its carcass will be unclean until evening;

28 and whoever picks up its carcass is to wash his clothes and be unclean until evening -these are unclean for you.

29 "'The following are unclean for you among the small creatures that swarm on the ground: the weasel, the mouse, the various kinds of lizards,

30 the gecko, the land crocodile, the skink, the sand-lizard and the chameleon.

31 They are unclean crawling creatures; whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean until evening.

32 Anything on which one of them falls when dead will become unclean -wooden utensil, article of clothing, leather, sacking -any utensil used for work; it must be put in water, and it will be unclean until evening; then it will be clean.

33 If one of them falls into a clay pot, whatever is in it will become unclean, and you are to break the pot.

34 Any food permitted to be eaten that water from such a vessel gets on will become unclean, and any permitted liquid in such a vessel will become unclean.

35 Everything on which any carcass-part of theirs falls will become unclean, whether oven or stove; it is to be broken in pieces -they are unclean and will be unclean for you;

36 although a spring or cistern for collecting water remains clean. But anyone who touches one of their carcasses will become unclean.

37 If any carcass-part of theirs falls on any kind of seed to be sown, it is clean;

Leviticus 11:27-37 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.