Leviticus 11:29-38
Context11:29 “‘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.
[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.”