Leviticus 11:29-40

Creatures that Swarm on the Land

11:29 “‘Now this is what is unclean to you among the swarming things that swarm on the land: ¹  the rat, the mouse, the large lizard of any kind, 11:30 the Mediterranean gecko, the spotted lizard, the wall gecko, the skink, and the chameleon. 11:31 These are the ones that are unclean to you among all the swarming things. Anyone who touches them when they die will be unclean until evening. 11:32 Also, anything they fall on ²  when they die will become unclean – any wood vessel or garment or article of leather or sackcloth. Any such vessel with which work is done must be immersed in water ³  and will be unclean until the evening. Then it will become clean. 11:33 As for any clay vessel they fall into, ⁴  everything in it ⁵  will become unclean and you must break it. 11:34 Any food that may be eaten which becomes soaked with water ⁶  will become unclean. Anything drinkable ⁷  in any such vessel will become unclean. ⁸  11:35 Anything their carcass may fall on will become unclean. An oven or small stove must be smashed to pieces; they are unclean, and they will stay unclean ⁹  to you. 11:36 However, a spring or a cistern which collects water ¹⁰  will be clean, but one who touches their carcass will be unclean. 11:37 Now, if such a carcass falls on any sowing seed which is to be sown, ¹¹  it is clean, 11:38 but if water is put on the seed and such a carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.

Edible Land Quadrupeds

11:39 “‘Now if an animal ¹²  that you may eat dies, ¹³  whoever touches its carcass will be unclean until the evening. 11:40 One who eats from its carcass must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening, and whoever carries its carcass must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.

[11:29]  ¹ tn For zoological analyses of the list of creatures in vv. 29-30, see J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:671-72; and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 161-62.

[11:32]  ² tn Heb “And all which it shall fall on it from them.”

[11:32]  ³ tn Heb “in water it shall be brought.”

[11:33]  ⁴ tn Heb “And any earthenware vessel which shall fall from them into its midst.”

[11:33]  ⁵ tn Heb “all which is in its midst.”

[11:34]  ⁶ tn Heb “which water comes on it.”

[11:34]  ⁷ tn Heb “any drink which may be drunk”; NASB “any liquid which may be drunk”; NLT “any beverage that is in such an unclean container.”

[11:34]  ⁸ tn This half of the verse assumes that the unclean carcass has fallen into the food or drink (cf. v. 33 and also vv. 35-38).

[11:35]  ⁹ tn Heb “be unclean.”

[11:36]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “a spring and a cistern collection of water”; NAB, NIV “for collecting water.”

[11:37]  ¹¹ tn Heb “And if there falls from their carcass on any seed of sowing which shall be sown.”

[11:39]  ¹² tn This word for “animal” refers to land animal quadrupeds, not just any beast that dwells on the land (cf. 11:2).

[11:39]  ¹³ tn Heb “which is food for you” or “which is for you to eat.”