Leviticus 11:29-38

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.

[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.”