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Texts -- Leviticus 11:1-47 (NET)

Context
Clean and Unclean Land Creatures
11:1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron , saying to them, 11:2 “Tell the Israelites : ‘This is the kind of creature you may eat from among all the animals that are on the land . 11:3 You may eat any among the animals that has a divided hoof (the hooves are completely split in two ) and that also chews the cud . 11:4 However , you must not eat these from among those that chew the cud and have divided hooves : The camel is unclean to you because it chews the cud even though its hoof is not divided . 11:5 The rock badger is unclean to you because it chews the cud even though its hoof is not divided . 11:6 The hare is unclean to you because it chews the cud even though its hoof is not divided . 11:7 The pig is unclean to you because its hoof is divided (the hoof is completely split in two ), even though it does not chew the cud . 11:8 You must not eat from their meat and you must not touch their carcasses ; they are unclean to you.
Clean and Unclean Water Creatures
11:9 “‘These you can eat from all creatures that are in the water : Any creatures in the water that have both fins and scales , whether in the seas or in the streams , you may eat . 11:10 But any creatures that do not have both fins and scales , whether in the seas or in the streams , from all the swarming things of the water and from all the living creatures that are in the water , are detestable to you. 11:11 Since they are detestable to you, you must not eat their meat and their carcass you must detest . 11:12 Any creature in the water that does not have both fins and scales is detestable to you.
Clean and Unclean Birds
11:13 “‘These you are to detest from among the birds – they must not be eaten , because they are detestable : the griffon vulture , the bearded vulture , the black vulture , 11:14 the kite , the buzzard of any kind , 11:15 every kind of crow , 11:16 the eagle owl , the short-eared owl , the long-eared owl , the hawk of any kind , 11:17 the little owl , the cormorant , the screech owl , 11:18 the white owl , the scops owl , the osprey , 11:19 the stork , the heron of any kind , the hoopoe , and the bat .
Clean and Unclean Insects
11:20 “‘Every winged swarming thing that walks on all fours is detestable to you. 11:21 However , this you may eat from all the winged swarming things that walk on all fours , which have jointed legs to hop with on the land . 11:22 These you may eat from them: the locust of any kind , the bald locust of any kind , the cricket of any kind , the grasshopper of any kind . 11:23 But any other winged swarming thing that has four legs is detestable to you.
Carcass Uncleanness
11:24 “‘By these you defile yourselves; anyone who touches their carcass will be unclean until the evening , 11:25 and anyone who carries their carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until the evening .
Inedible Land Quadrupeds
11:26 “‘All animals that divide the hoof but it is not completely split in two and do not chew the cud are unclean to you; anyone who touches them becomes unclean . 11:27 All that walk on their paws among all the creatures that walk on all fours are unclean to you. Anyone who touches their carcass will be unclean until the evening , 11:28 and the one who carries their carcass must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening ; they are unclean to you.
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 : 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 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 and will be unclean until the evening . Then it will become clean . 11:33 As for any clay vessel they fall into , everything in it will become unclean and you must break it. 11:34 Any food that may be eaten which becomes soaked with water will become unclean . Anything drinkable in any such vessel will become unclean . 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 to you. 11:36 However , a spring or a cistern which collects water 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 , 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 that you may eat dies , 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 . 11:41 Every swarming thing that swarms on the land is detestable ; it must not be eaten . 11:42 You must not eat anything that crawls on its belly or anything that walks on all fours or on any number of legs of all the swarming things that swarm on the land , because they are detestable . 11:43 Do not make yourselves detestable by any of the swarming things . You must not defile yourselves by them and become unclean by them, 11:44 for I am the Lord your God and you are to sanctify yourselves and be holy because I am holy . You must not defile yourselves by any of the swarming things that creep on the ground , 11:45 for I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God , and you are to be holy because I am holy . 11:46 This is the law of the land animals , the birds , all the living creatures that move in the water , and all the creatures that swarm on the land , 11:47 to distinguish between the unclean and the clean , between the living creatures that may be eaten and the living creatures that must not be eaten .’”

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Food

    [ebd] Originally the Creator granted the use of the vegetable world for food to man (Gen. 1:29), with the exception mentioned (2:17). The use of animal food was probably not unknown to the antediluvians. There is, however, a disti...
    [isbe] FOOD - food: I. VEGETABLE FOODS 1. Primitive Habits 2. Cereals 3. Leguminous Plants 4. Food of Trees II. ANIMAL FOOD LITERATURE In a previous article (see BREAD) it has been shown that in the Bible "bread" usually stands for...
    [smith] The diet of eastern nations has been in all ages light and simple. Vegetable food was more used than animal. The Hebrews used a great variety of articles, (John 21:5) to give a relish to bread. Milk and its preparations hold ...
    [nave] FOOD. Articles of Milk, Gen. 49:12; Prov. 27:27; butter, Deut. 32:14; 2 Sam. 17:29; cheese, 1 Sam. 17:18; Job 10:10; bread, Gen. 18:5; 1 Sam. 17:17; parched grain, Ruth 2:14; 1 Sam. 17:17; flesh, 2 Sam. 6:19; Prov. 9:2; fi...

  • JOHN THE BAPTIST

    [isbe] JOHN THE BAPTIST - (Ioanes): I. SOURCES II. PARENTAGE III. EARLY LIFE IV. MINISTRY 1. The Scene 2. His First Appearance 3. His Dress and Manner 4. His Message 5. His Severity V. BAPTISM 1. Significance (1) Lustrations Requir...
    [smith] was of the priestly race by both parents, for his father, Zacharias, was himself a priest of the course of Abia or Abijah, (1 Chronicles 24:10) and Elisabeth was of the daughters of Aaron. (Luke 1:5) His birth was foretold...

  • GENESIS, 3

    [isbe] GENESIS, 3 - III. The Structure of the Individual Pericopes. In this division of the article, there is always to be found (under 1) a consideration of the unity of the Biblical text and (under 2) the rejection of the customa...

  • EZEKIEL, 2

    [isbe] EZEKIEL, 2 - II. Significance of Ezekiel in Israel's Religious History. Under the first head we will consider the formal characteristics and significance of the book; and the examination of its contents will form the subject...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Animals

    [nave] ANIMALS Creation of, Gen. 1:24, 25; 2:19; Jer. 27:5. Food of, Gen. 1:30. Named, Gen. 2:20. Ordained as food for mankind, Gen. 9:2, 3; Lev. 11:3, 9, 21, 22; Deut. 14:4-6, 9, 11, 20. God's care of, Gen. 9:9, 10; Deut. 25:4...

  • ISRAEL, RELIGION OF, 1

    [isbe] ISRAEL, RELIGION OF, 1 - || I. INTRODUCTION: HISTORICAL CONSIDERATION OF THE RELIGION OF ISRAEL II. HISTORICAL OUTLINE 1. Pre-Mosaic Religion of the Ancestors of Israel (1) The Traditional View (2) The Modern View (3) A High...

  • LAW IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

    [isbe] LAW IN THE OLD TESTAMENT - || I. TERMS USED 1. Torah ("Law") 2. Synonyms of Torah (1) Mitswah ("Command") (2) `Edhah ("Witness," "Testimony") (3) MishpaTim ("Judgments") (4) Chuqqim ("Statutes") (5) Piqqudhim ("Precepts") II...

  • TOTEMISM

    [isbe] TOTEMISM - to'-tem-iz'-m: How far the belief in totems and totemistic relationships existed in early Israel cannot be discussed at length here. Evidence of the belief in deified animal ancestors is supposed by some writers t...

  • WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL

    [isbe] WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL - won'-der-ingz: I. CONDITIONS 1. The Wilderness 2. Four Separate Regions Included 3. "The Sandy Tract" 4. Description of the Arabah 5. Physical Condition of the Wilderness 6. Difficulties Regarding the ...

  • LEVITICUS, 2

    [isbe] LEVITICUS, 2 - III. Origin. 1. Against the Wellhausen Hypothesis: As in the article ATONEMENT, DAY OF, sec. I, 2, (2), we took a stand against the modern attempts at splitting up the text, and in III, 1 against theory of the...

  • LEVITICUS, 1

    [isbe] LEVITICUS, 1 - le-vit'-i-kus: I. GENERAL DATA 1. Name 2. Character of Book 3. Unity of Book: Law of Holiness Examination of Critical Theory II. STRUCTURE 1. Modern Analyses (1) Theories of Disintegration (2) Reasons for Dism...

  • ATONEMENT, DAY OF

    [isbe] ATONEMENT, DAY OF - a-ton'-ment: I. THE LEGAL ENACTMENTS 1. Named 2. Leviticus 16 (1) Contents, Structure and Position (a) Leviticus 16:1-10 (b) Leviticus 16:11-24 (c) Leviticus 16:25-28 (d) Leviticus 16:29-34 Use of Number ...

  • Unclean

    [nave] UNCLEAN, creatures designated as such, Lev. 11; Deut. 14. See: Uncleaess.

  • Clean

    [ebd] The various forms of uncleanness according to the Mosaic law are enumerated in Lev. 11-15; Num. 19. The division of animals into clean and unclean was probably founded on the practice of sacrifice. It existed before the Floo...

  • Animal

    [ebd] an organized living creature endowed with sensation. The Levitical law divided animals into clean and unclean, although the distinction seems to have existed before the Flood (Gen. 7:2). The clean could be offered in sacrifi...

  • Sanitation

    [nave] SANITATION. Carcasses Lev. 5:2; Lev. 10:4, 5; Lev. 11:24-28, 31-40; Lev. 22:4, 6; Num. 9:6, 10; Num. 19:11-16; Num. 31:19; Deut. 21:22, 23 Childbirth Lev. 12:3; Ezek. 16:4 Circumcision See: Circumcision. Contagion Le...

  • UNCLEANNESS

    [isbe] UNCLEANNESS - un-klen'-nes: I. TERMS 1. In the Old Testament (Hebrew) 2. In the New Testament 3. In the Septuagint II. POSSIBLE RELATION OF ISRAEL'S LAWS ON UNCLEANNESS WITH THE LAWS OF TABOO AMONG THE NATIONS III. TEACHING ...

  • Creeping Things

    [nave] CREEPING THINGS A general term for animals, Gen. 1:26; Lev. 11:20-23, 29-31, 42; Psa. 104:20, 25; Rom. 1:23. Unclean, Lev. 5:2; 11:20, 29-44; Deut. 14:19. Clean, Lev. 11:21, 22. Uses of, in idolatrous worship, Ezek. 8:10....

  • Defilement

    [nave] DEFILEMENT Laws relating to, Lev. 7:18-21; 11:43; 22:2-7. Caused by leprosy, Lev. 13:3, 44-46; 14; 22:4-7; gonorrhea, Lev. 15:1-15; 22:4; copulation, Lev. 15:17; emission of semen, Lev. 15:16, 17; childbirth, Lev. 12:2-8; L...
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  • There are no direct references in the Bible to dinosaurs, at least not by that name, but some words could possibly have included them (as will be illustrated from some quotes below). Good material written on this subject may ...
  • While angels generally appear as men in Scripture, Zechariah 5:9 may suggest this is not always the case. The two women mentioned in this passage are not specifically called angels, but they are clearly agents of God or, as s...
  • 19:3-4. As the Israelites were camped by Sinai, Moses went on the mountain and there God spoke to him about the pact He would ratify with the people (Jacob and Israel were synonyms for the nation). God compared His deliverin...

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 1:9 "Seas"(Heb. yammim) refers broadly to all bodies of water, not just oceans.1:10 "Good"indicates beauty as well as purpose and order.65It was only when the land was ready for man that God called it good. This shows God's l...
  • 8:1-5 When Moses wrote that God remembered someone (v. 1), he meant God extended mercy to him or her by delivering that person from death (here; 19:29) or from barrenness (30:22).311God's rescue of Noah foreshadows His delive...
  • Abram asked God to strengthen his faith. In response Yahweh promised to give the patriarch innumerable descendants. This led Abram to request some further assurance that God would indeed do what He promised. God graciously ob...
  • "At first sight the book of Leviticus might appear to be a haphazard, even repetitious arrangement of enactments involving the future life in Canaan of the Israelite people. Closer examination will reveal, however, that quite...
  • Leviticus continues revelation concerning the second of three elements necessary for any nation to exist, namely, a people (Gen. 12:10--Exod. 19), their law (Exod. 20--Num. 10:10), and their land (Num. 10:11--Josh. 24).Leviti...
  • This section closes with a summary. This is a common feature of Leviticus (cf. 11:46-47; 13:59; 14:54-57; 15:32-33)."The sacrificial law, therefore, with the five species of sacrifices which it enjoins, embraces every aspect ...
  • A change of subject matter indicates another major division in Leviticus. We move now from narrative to more legislation. These five chapters pick up the idea introduced in 10:10: ". . . make a distinction between the holy an...
  • "This chapter contains a selected list of creatures that divides each type of creature into various classes of purity. According to the final verse in the chapter, the decisive question was whether a class of animals was uncl...
  • We have here the same threefold division of animals that inhabit the land, sea, and air as the one that appears in the story of creation (Gen. 1:20-23)."It has long been recognized . . . that the order of the purity laws in L...
  • The rest of this chapter addresses questions arising from human contact with unclean animals. Only dead animals polluted human beings (vv. 24, 27, 31, 39). No living unclean animal did. Death is an abnormal condition, and it ...
  • The laws of purification begun in this chapter connect in principle with the preceding ones that deal with unclean food and animals. The defilement dealt with in this group (chs. 12-15) proceeded from the human body. Pollutio...
  • This chapter concludes the regulations on uncleanness (chs. 11-15)."The uncleanness laws start with uncleanness that is permanent: that associated with various animals and food (ch. 11). Then they deal with the uncleanness of...
  • The sacrifices and offerings that Moses described thus far in the law were not sufficient to cleanse all the defilement that the sins of the people created. Much sinfulness still needed covering. Therefore God appointed a yea...
  • We learn from verse 1 that Moses received instructions regarding the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, immediately after the judgment of Nadab and Abihu (ch. 10). Consequently he must have inserted chapters 11-15 in the chronolog...
  • The second major division of Leviticus deals with how the Israelites were to express their worship of Yahweh in their private lives."The first sixteen chapters of Leviticus are concerned primarily with establishment and maint...
  • We move from public regulations in chapter 16 to intimate regulations in chapter 18 with chapter 17 providing the transition. In contrast to the first sixteen chapters, chapter 17 says very little about the role of the priest...
  • Moses grouped the commandments in this section together by a loose association of ideas rather than by a strictly logical arrangement. They all spring from the central thought in verse 2: "You shall be holy, for I the Lord yo...
  • The preceding two chapters specify correct behavior. This one sets forth the punishments for disobedience. Chapters 18-19 already discussed most of the subjects dealt with in this chapter."The difference between the laws in t...
  • Genesis reveals how people can have a relationship with God. This comes through trust in God and obedience to Him. Faith is the key word in Genesis. God proves Himself faithful in this book.Exodus reveals that God is also sov...
  • Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1977.Albright, William Foxwell, The Archaeology of Palestine. 1949. Revised ed. Pelican Archaeology series. H...
  • God gave this law so the nation might maintain purity as the older generation died off in the wilderness. Its purpose was not to remove sin itself but to remove the uncleanness that death represented because of its connection...
  • The third commandment is, "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain"(5:11). This section of laws deals with the exclusiveness of the Lord and His worship as this pertains to Israel's separation from all other ...
  • Evidently it was Kish, Mordecai's great-grandfather, who went into captivity with Jehoiachin (vv. 5-6).38This means Mordecai and Esther were probably descendants of the leading citizens of Jerusalem who went into exile in 597...
  • 8:7-8 The Lord then brought Ezekiel, in his vision, to some entrance to the temple courtyard. There Ezekiel saw a hole in the wall.143At the Lord's command, Ezekiel dug in the wall and discovered an entrance.8:9-10 Also follo...
  • 44:15-16 The Levites from Zadok's branch of the priestly family, however, would have special privileges since Zadok and his sons had served the Lord faithfully in the past (cf. 40:46; 1 Sam. 2:35; 2 Sam. 8:17; 15:24-29; 1 Kin...
  • 1:3-5 Nebuchadnezzar's enlightened policy was to employ the best minds in his kingdom in government service regardless of their national or ethnic origin. We do not know how many other Jews and Gentiles were the classmates of...
  • Chapter 8 not only contains two major messages from the Lord (vv. 1-17, 18-23) but 10 minor messages, "a decalogueof divine words,"155that make up the two major ones. "Thus says the Lord"introduces each of these minor message...
  • It was common when Jesus lived for forerunners to precede important individuals to prepare the way for their arrival. For example, when a king would visit a town in his realm his emissaries would go before him to announce his...
  • The writer pointed out that the ministry of Jesus' forerunner fulfilled prophecy. It made a significant impact on those whom John contacted. Then Mark recorded the essence of John's message.1:2-3 Mark began with a quotation f...
  • Even though Mark had already reported that Jesus had exorcized many demons, this case was extraordinary.5:1 Mark and Luke called this area the country of the Gerasenes, but Matthew called it the country of the Gadarenes. Gerg...
  • Jesus continued His response to the critics by focusing on the particular practice that they had objected to (v. 5). The question of what constituted defilement was very important. The Jews had wandered far from God's will in...
  • 15:11-12 The man in the story had two sons, a younger and an older one (v. 25). Therefore the younger son's inheritance would normally have been one-third of his father's estate since the older son would have received a doubl...
  • 17:11b The title "Holy Father"appears only here in the fourth Gospel and is a reminder of both aspects of God's nature. It balances ideas of ultimate purity with intimate paternity and so prepares for what lies ahead, namely ...
  • The episode concerning Cornelius is obviously very important since there are three lengthy references to it in Acts (chs. 10, 11, and 15). It deals with an important issue concerning the mission that the Lord gave His discipl...
  • 1:13 "Therefore"ties in with everything Peter had explained thus far (vv. 3-12). He said in effect, Now that you have focused your thinking positively you need to roll up your sleeves mentally and adopt some attitudes that wi...
  • 2:26 The "these things"in view probably refer to what John had just written (vv. 18-25)."The author concludes his attack on the false teachers with a warning and a word of encouragement for his followers."992:27 The "anointin...
  • The final three bowl judgments all have political consequences.16:12 The problem that this judgment poses for earth-dwellers is not a result of the judgment itself but its consequences, namely, war. It does not inflict a plag...
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