Leviticus 11

1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

2 "Tell the Israelites this: 'These are the land animals you may eat:

3 You may eat any animal that has split hoofs completely divided and that chews the cud.

4 "'Some animals only chew the cud or only have split hoofs, and you must not eat them. The camel chews the cud but does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you.

5 The rock badger chews the cud but does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you.

6 The rabbit chews the cud but does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you.

7 Now the pig has a split hoof that is completely divided, but it does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.

8 You must not eat the meat from these animals or even touch their dead bodies; they are unclean for you.

9 "'Of the animals that live in the sea or in a river, if the animal has fins and scales, you may eat it.

10 But whatever lives in the sea or in a river and does not have fins and scales -- including the things that fill the water and all other things that live in it -- you should hate.

11 You must not eat any meat from them or even touch their dead bodies, because you should hate them.

12 You must hate any animal in the water that does not have fins and scales.

13 "'Also, these are the birds you are to hate. They are hateful and should not be eaten. You must not eat eagles, vultures, black vultures,

14 kites, any kind of falcon,

15 any kind of raven,

16 horned owls, screech owls, sea gulls, any kind of hawk,

17 little owls, cormorants, great owls,

18 white owls, desert owls, ospreys,

19 storks, any kind of heron, hoopoes, or bats.

20 "'Don't eat insects that have wings and walk on all four feet; they also are to be hated.

21 "'But you may eat certain insects that have wings and walk on four feet. You may eat those that have legs with joints above their feet so they can jump.

22 These are the insects you may eat: all kinds of locusts, winged locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers.

23 But all other insects that have wings and walk on four feet you are to hate.

24 Those insects will make you unclean, and anyone who touches the dead body of one of these insects will become unclean until evening.

25 Anyone who picks up one of these dead insects must wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.

26 "'Some animals have split hoofs, but the hoofs are not completely divided; others do not chew the cud. They are unclean for you, and anyone who touches the dead body of one of these animals will become unclean.

27 Of all the animals that walk on four feet, the animals that walk on their paws are unclean for you. Anyone who touches the dead body of one of these animals will become unclean until evening.

28 Anyone who picks up their dead bodies must wash his clothes and be unclean until evening; these animals are unclean for you.

29 "'These crawling animals are unclean for you: moles, rats, all kinds of great lizards,

30 geckos, crocodiles, lizards, sand reptiles, and chameleons.

31 These crawling animals are unclean for you; anyone who touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening.

32 "'If an unclean animal dies and falls on something, that item will also become unclean. This includes anything made from wood, cloth, leather, or rough cloth, regardless of its use. Whatever the animal falls on must be washed with water and be unclean until evening; then it will become clean again.

33 If the dead, unclean animal falls into a clay bowl, anything in the bowl will become unclean, and you must break the bowl.

34 If water from the unclean clay bowl gets on any food, that food will become unclean.

35 If any dead, unclean animal falls on something, it becomes unclean. If it is a clay oven or a clay baking pan, it must be broken into pieces. These things will be unclean; they are unclean for you.

36 "'A spring or well that collects water will stay clean, but anyone who touches the dead body of any unclean animal will become unclean.

37 If a dead, unclean animal falls on a seed to be planted, that seed is still clean.

38 But if you put water on some seeds and a dead, unclean animal falls on them, they are unclean for you.

39 "'Also, if an animal which you use for food dies, anyone who touches its body will be unclean until evening.

40 Anyone who eats meat from this animal's dead body must wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. Anyone who picks up the animal's dead body must wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.

41 "'Every animal that crawls on the ground is to be hated; it must not be eaten.

42 You must not eat any of the animals that crawl on the ground, including those that crawl on their stomachs, that walk on all four feet, or on many feet. They are to be hated.

43 Do not make yourself unclean by these animals; you must not become unclean by them.

44 I am the Lord your God. Keep yourselves holy for me because I am holy. Don't make yourselves unclean with any of these crawling animals.

45 I am the Lord who brought you out of Egypt to be your God; you must be holy because I am holy.

46 "'These are the teachings about all of the cattle, birds, and other animals on earth, as well as the animals in the sea and those that crawl on the ground.

47 These teachings help people know the difference between unclean animals and clean animals; they help people know which animals may be eaten and which ones must not be eaten.'"

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Leviticus 11 Commentary

Chapter 11

What animals were clean and unclean.

- These laws seem to have been intended, 1. As a test of the people's obedience, as Adam was forbidden to eat of the tree of knowledge; and to teach them self-denial, and the government of their appetites. 2. To keep the Israelites distinct from other nations. Many also of these forbidden animals were objects of superstition and idolatry to the heathen. 3. The people were taught to make distinctions between the holy and unholy in their companions and intimate connexions. 4. The law forbad, not only the eating of the unclean beasts, but the touching of them. Those who would be kept from any sin, must be careful to avoid all temptations to it, or coming near it. The exceptions are very minute, and all were designed to call forth constant care and exactness in their obedience; and to teach us to obey. Whilst we enjoy our Christian liberty, and are free from such burdensome observances, we must be careful not to abuse our liberty. For the Lord hath redeemed and called his people, that they may be holy, even as he is holy. We must come out, and be separate from the world; we must leave the company of the ungodly, and all needless connexions with those who are dead in sin; we must be zealous of good works devoted followers of God, and companions of his people.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 11

This chapter treats of creatures clean and unclean, as fit or not fit to be eaten; and first of beasts, whose signs are given, Le 11:1-8 then of fishes, which are likewise described, Le 11:9-12 after that of fowls, and those that are not to be eaten are particularly named, Le 11:13-19 next of creeping things, which are distinguished into two sorts, as flying creeping things, of which those that are unclean, their carcasses are not even to be touched, as neither the carcasses of unclean beasts, Le 11:20-28 and creeping things on the earth, which defile by touching, as well as eating, and make everything unclean, upon which, being dead, they fall, Le 11:29-43 and these laws are enforced from the holiness and goodness of God, Le 11:44,45 and the chapter is concluded with a recapitulation of them, Le 11:46,47.