Leviticus chapter 11

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Permitted and forbidden prey: mammals, fish, flying creatures. Unclean animals.

 

 

PERMITTED AND FORBIDDEN PREY

 

VERSE 1. The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them,

 

VERSE 2. “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘These are the living things which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth.

These are the living things which you may eat. Many people assume that keeping Kosher simply means to not eat pork.

But there are far more prohibitions than merely pork.

 

MAMMALS

 

VERSE 3. Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud among the animals, that you may eat.

 

VERSE 4. “ ‘Nevertheless these you shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those who part the hoof: the camel, because it chews the cud but doesn’t have a parted hoof, is unclean to you.

the camel. It is one of the five forbidden mammals:

is unclean to you. We wonder if the word “unclean” could be paraphrased as “protected.

In other words, the “unclean” animals could be seen as protected species.

In our day, the Spotted Owl is a protected species. If we paraphrased that into an Old Testament way, we might say that the Spotted Owl is unclean. You may not eat it. Or even touch it.

But then again, the “unclean” animals were very numerous. They were not in danger of extinction.

 

VERSE 5. The hyrax, because it chews the cud but doesn’t have a parted hoof, is unclean to you.

The hyrax. Or rock badger. Or cony. It is one of the five forbidden mammals:

 

VERSE 6. The hare, because it chews the cud but doesn’t have a parted hoof, is unclean to you.

The hare. It is one of the five forbidden mammals:

 

VERSE 7. The pig, because it has a split hoof, and is cloven-footed, but doesn’t chew the cud, is unclean to you.

The pig. It is one of the five forbidden mammals:

 

VERSE 8. You shall not eat their meat. You shall not touch their carcasses. They are unclean to you.

 

FISH

 

VERSE 9. “ ‘You may eat of all these that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, that you may eat.

 

VERSE 10. All that don’t have fins and scales in the seas and rivers, all that move in the waters, and all the living creatures that are in the waters, they are an abomination to you,

 

VERSE 11. and you shall detest them. You shall not eat of their meat, and you shall detest their carcasses.

 

VERSE 12. Whatever has no fins nor scales in the waters is an abomination to you.

 

FLYING CREATURES

 

VERSE 13. “ ‘You shall detest these among the birds; they shall not be eaten because they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture,

A great number of birds are forbidden:

 

VERSE 14. the red kite, any kind of black kite,

 

VERSE 15. any kind of raven,

 

VERSE 16. the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk,

 

VERSE 17. the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl,

 

VERSE 18. the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey,

 

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

the bat. It is one of the five forbidden mammals:

 

VERSE 20. “ ‘All flying insects that walk on all fours are an abomination to you.

 

VERSE 21. Yet you may eat these: of all winged creeping things that go on all fours, which have long, jointed legs for hopping on the earth.

 

VERSE 22. Even of these you may eat: any kind of locust, any kind of katydid, any kind of cricket, and any kind of grasshopper.

Even of these you may eat. These four insects are permitted:

  • cricket
  • katydid
  • locust
  • grasshopper

 

VERSE 23. But all winged creeping things which have four feet are an abomination to you.

 

UNCLEAN ANIMALS

 

VERSE 24. “ ‘By these you will become unclean: whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening.

 

VERSE 25. Whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening.

 

VERSE 26. “ ‘Every animal which has a split hoof that isn’t completely divided, or doesn’t chew the cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean.

 

VERSE 27. Whatever goes on its paws, among all animals that go on all fours, they are unclean to you. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening.

 

VERSE 28. He who carries their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. They are unclean to you.

 

VERSE 29. “ ‘These are they which are unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard,

 

VERSE 30. the gecko, and the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink, and the chameleon.

 

VERSE 31. These are they which are unclean to you among all that creep. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until the evening.

 

VERSE 32. Anything they fall on when they are dead shall be unclean; whether it is any vessel of wood, or clothing, or skin, or sack, whatever vessel it is, with which any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening. Then it will be clean.

 

VERSE 33. Every earthen vessel into which any of them falls and all that is in it shall be unclean. You shall break it.

 

VERSE 34. All food which may be eaten which is soaked in water shall be unclean. All drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean.

 

VERSE 35. Everything whereupon part of their carcass falls shall be unclean; whether oven, or range for pots, it shall be broken in pieces. They are unclean, and shall be unclean to you.

 

VERSE 36. Nevertheless a spring or a cistern in which water is gathered shall be clean, but that which touches their carcass shall be unclean.

 

VERSE 37. If part of their carcass falls on any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean.

 

VERSE 38. But if water is put on the seed, and part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.

 

VERSE 39. “ ‘If any animal of which you may eat dies, he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening.

Later in the biblical narrative, Samson will violate this verse:

Judges 14:9. He took it into his hands, and went on, eating as he went. He came to his father and mother and gave to them, and they ate, but he didn’t tell them that he had taken the honey out of the lion’s body.

 

VERSE 40. He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. He also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening.

 

VERSE 41. “ ‘Every creeping thing that creeps on the earth is an abomination. It shall not be eaten.

 

VERSE 42. Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, even all creeping things that creep on the earth, them you shall not eat; for they are an abomination.

 

VERSE 43. You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps. You shall not make yourselves unclean with them, that you should be defiled by them.

 

VERSE 44. For I am the LORD your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth.

The LORD God is holy. He calls us to be holy. Holy people apply themselves, and all their actions, to God. They imitate the LORD God. Read more »

 

VERSE 45. For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

The LORD God is holy. He calls us to be holy. Holy people apply themselves, and all their actions, to God. They imitate the LORD God. Read more »

 

VERSE 46. “ ‘This is the law of the animal, and of the bird, and of every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth,

 

VERSE 47. to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the living thing that may be eaten and the living thing that may not be eaten.’ ”

 

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LEVITICUS

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27

RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, The Scapegoat, Female Sacrificial Animals

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.