Leviticus 11:20

Clean and Unclean Insects

11:20 “‘Every winged swarming thing that walks on all fours ¹  is detestable to you.

Leviticus 11:23

11:23 But any other winged swarming thing that has four legs is detestable to you.

Leviticus 1:14

From the Birds

1:14 “‘If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering from the birds, ²  he must present his offering from the turtledoves or from the young pigeons. ³ 

Leviticus 11:13

Clean and Unclean Birds

11:13 “‘These you are to detest from among the birds – they must not be eaten, because they are detestable: ⁴  the griffon vulture, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,

Leviticus 11:21

11:21 However, this you may eat from all the winged swarming things that walk on all fours, which have jointed legs ⁵  to hop with on the land.

Leviticus 20:25

20:25 Therefore you must distinguish ⁶  between the clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean bird and the clean, and you must not make yourselves detestable by means of an animal or bird or anything that creeps on the ground – creatures ⁷  I have distinguished for you as unclean. ⁸ 

¹ tn Heb “the one walking on four” (cf. vv. 21-23 and 27-28).

² tn Heb “from the [category] ‘bird.’”

³ tn Heb “from the sons of the pigeon,” referring either to “young pigeons” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT) or “various species of pigeon” (contrast J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:168, with J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 14).

³ tn For zoological remarks on the following list of birds see J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:662-64; and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 159-60.

⁴ tn Heb “which to it are lower legs from above to its feet” (reading the Qere “to it” rather than the Kethib “not”).

⁵ tn Heb “And you shall distinguish.” The verb is the same as “set apart” at the end of the previous verse. The fact that God had “set them apart” from the other peoples roundabout them called for them to “distinguish between” the clean and the unclean, etc.

⁶ tn The word “creatures” has been supplied in the translation to make it clear that the following relative clause modifies the animal, bird, or creeping thing mentioned earlier, and not the ground itself.

⁷ tc The MT has “to defile,” but Smr, LXX, and Syriac have “to uncleanness.”