Leviticus 11:17 — Word Study
WLCוְאֶת־ הַכּ֥וֹס וְאֶת־ הַשָּׁלָ֖ךְ וְאֶת־ הַיַּנְשֽׁוּף׃
BSAthe little owlkôwç [small owls, possibly a type of night bird] the cormorantshâlâk [a bird of prey, sea diver] the great owlyanshûwph [possibly a heron, large owls]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| הַכּ֥וֹס | the little owl | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| הַשָּׁלָ֖ךְ | the cormorant | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| הַיַּנְשֽׁוּף׃ | the great owl | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, |
| KJV | And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, |
| ASV | and the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, |
| YLT | and the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, |
| WEB | the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, |
| BBE | And the little owl and the cormorant and the great owl; |
Where they part company is הַכּ֥וֹס — see How Translations Differ.
One main clause listing three unclean birds. The straightforward enumeration emphasizes the clarity of the dietary restrictions.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Leviticus 11:17
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Dietary Laws in Leviticusgenerated
Leviticus 11:17 is part of a larger section detailing the animals that the Israelites were permitted to eat and those they were not. This list of unclean birds serves to instruct the people on what is acceptable for consumption, emphasizing the importance of dietary purity in their covenant relationship with God. The surrounding verses provide additional context on other unclean animals, reinforcing the theme of holiness and separation from the practices of surrounding nations.
Cross References
The Key Word — הַכּ֥וֹס, ha.Kosgenerated
The word כּוֹס (kos) primarily means 'cup,' but in this context, it refers to the little owl, an unclean bird. The dual meaning may stem from the owl's shape resembling a cup.
This bird is mentioned as unclean, indicating the Israelites were prohibited from eating it. The parsing as a noun in the singular form indicates it is a specific type of owl, which is further clarified by the brackets suggesting it is possibly a type of night bird.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause lists the unclean birds with the finite verb implied in the context of dietary laws. Each bird is presented in a noun phrase, indicating a straightforward enumeration.
The structure emphasizes the clarity of the dietary laws, with each bird presented distinctly, highlighting their status as unclean.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates הַכּ֥וֹס as νυκτικόρακα, which suggests a specific identification of the little owl. This choice indicates a narrowing of the term to a specific type of owl known to the Greek-speaking audience.
The translation of הַשָּׁלָ֖ךְ as καταρράκτην further supports the identification of these birds as unclean, aligning with the Hebrew context.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Leviticus 11:17 lists three birds that the Israelites were told not to eat: the little owl, the cormorant, and the great owl. These birds are considered unclean according to the dietary laws given to the Israelites.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Being unclean means that the Israelites were prohibited from consuming these birds as part of their dietary laws, which were intended to maintain their holiness.
The classification of unclean birds is part of the broader dietary laws in Leviticus, which aimed to set the Israelites apart from other nations and promote a lifestyle of purity.
The dietary laws outlined in Leviticus were specific to the Israelites and their covenant with God; interpretations of these laws can vary among different religious groups today.
The dietary laws reflect God's desire for His people to live in a way that honors Him, emphasizing the importance of holiness and obedience.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do these dietary laws reflect the character of God?
- In what ways can we apply the principle of holiness in our lives today?
- What does it mean for us to be set apart in our daily choices?
- How can we better understand the significance of the laws given to the Israelites?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Leviticus 11:17 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl. Ainsworth translates the words just the reverse, and takes the first word to signify the great owl, and the last the little one; the great
Read John Gill on Leviticus 11 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, These are they ... abomination among the fowls.
Read Robert Jamieson on Leviticus 11 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsLeviticus 11:17 And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,Ver. 17. And the cormorant.] An unsatisfiable bird, that fitly resembleth the devil, who daily devours souls, and yet enlargeth his desires as hell.
Read John Trapp on Leviticus 11 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(17) And the little owl.—With the exception of the parallel passage, Deuteronomy 14:16, this bird only occurs once more, in Psalms 102:6, where it is properly rendered in the Authorised Version by “owl,” omitting the word “little,” and is described as inhabiting deserted ruins. It not only feeds upon insects and molluscs, hares, rabbits, ducks, geese, and birds of prey, but devours mice and rats, which are especially detested by the Jews. Its flesh is, however, regarded by some tribes as very savoury. The name kos which is translated “owl” in the three above-named passages, is the common Hebrew word for “cup,” and it is supposed that it has been given to this bird because the sitting owl…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Leviticus 11 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 17. The little owl] כוס cos, the bittern, night-raven or night-owl, according to most interpreters. Some think the onocrotalus or pelican may be intended; for as the word כוס cos signifies a cup in Hebrew, and the pelican is remarkable for a pouch or bag under the lower jaw, it might have had its Hebrew name from this circumstance; but the kaath in the following verse is rather supposed to mean this fowl, and the cos some species of the bubo or owl. See Bochart, vol. iii., col. 272. The cormorant] שלך shalach, from the root which signifies to cast down; hence the Septuagint καταρρακτης, the cataract, or bird which falls precipitately down upon its prey. It probably signifies the…
Read AdamClarke on Leviticus 11 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges17. the little owl] Heb. kôṣ ? in the two texts and in Psalms 102:7 only. A bird screeching by night is indicated by the LXX. and Vulg. the cormorant] The position of this word in Deut. is more suitable than here. The Heb. word shâlâk implies plunging downwards with force and the Targ. translates it ‘a bird that catches fishes.’ the great owl] In the two texts and Isaiah 34:11 (‘owl,’ R. and A.V., ‘bittern’ R.V. mg.) the LXX. translate ‘ibis.’ Some species of owl is indicated.
Read Cambridge on Leviticus 11 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible17. The little owl — Hebrew cos. The Authorized Version is evidently correct, though Bochart argues that cos means pouch, and hence that the pelican is intended. But Psalms 102:6 decides that it is an owl of some kind.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Leviticus 11 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl,
the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl,
the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl,
the little owl, the cormorant, the screech owl,
Tyndale line
And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,
and the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,
and the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl;
And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,
The litle owle also, and the connorant, and the great owle.
Strictly literal
and the owl, and the gannet, and the ibis,
and the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,
and the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,
And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,
You must also detest the little owl and the great owl, the cormorant,
From the Latin
The screech owl, and the cormorant, and the ibis,
Simplified
little owl, fish owl, eagle owl,
And the little owl and the cormorant and the great owl;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is consistent with the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word. The Dead Sea Scrolls show one word fully restored, indicating some textual damage, but the main content aligns with the Masoretic Text.
וְאֶת־ הַכּ֥וֹס וְאֶת־ הַשָּׁלָ֖ךְ וְאֶת־ הַיַּנְשֽׁוּף׃
3 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ואת הכוס ואת השׁלך ואת הינשׁוף
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
ואת הכוס [ואת] [השלך] [ואת] [הינשוף]
1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 4 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Leviticus 11:17
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
כּוֹס (kos) primarily means 'cup,' referring to a container, but it also denotes a type of owl, considered unclean. The word seems to derive from a root meaning to hold together. The entries indicate a figurative use of 'cup' as a lot or potion, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
כּוֹס n.f. cup
base
כּוֹס n.[m.] a kind of owl
base
H3563a כּוֹס cup H3563b כּוֹס n. [m.] a kind of owl
3563 kowc koce
from an unused root meaning to hold together; a cup (as a
container), often figuratively, a lot (as if a potion); also
some unclean bird, probably an owl (perhaps from the cup-like
cavity of its eye):--cup, (small) owl. Compare 3599.
see HEBREW for 03599
כּוֹס (kos) — cup.
cup
כּוֹס (kos) — owl.
a kind of owl (an unclean bird)
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
oul (bath ha-ya`anah; Latin Ulula): The name of every nocturnal bird of prey of the Natural Order Striges. These birds range from the great horned owl of 2 feet in length, through many subdivisions to the little screech-owl of 5 inches. All are characterized by very large heads, many have ear tufts, all have large eyes surrounded by a disk of tiny, stiff, radiating feathers. The remainder of the plumage has no aftershaft. So these birds make the softest flight of any creature traveling on wing. A volume could be written on the eye of the owl, perhaps its most wonderful feature being in the power of the bird to enlarge the iris if it wishes more distinct vision. There is material for another on the prominent and peculiar auditory parts. With almost all owls the feet are so arranged that two toes can be turned forward and two back, thus reinforcing the grip of the bird by an extra toe and…
Owl
(1.) Heb. bath-haya’anah, “daughter of greediness” or of “shouting.” In the list of unclean birds (Lev. 11:16; Deut. 14:15); also mentioned in Job 30:29; Isa. 13:21; 34:13; 43:20; Jer. 50:39; Micah 1:8. In all these passages the Revised Version translates “ostrich” (q.v.), which is the correct rendering.
(2.) Heb. yanshuph, rendered “great owl” in Lev. 11:17; Deut. 14:16, and “owl” in Isa.…
A number of species of the owl are mentioned in the Bible, (Leviticus 11:17; 14:16; Isaiah 14:23; 34:15; Zephaniah 2:14) and in several other places the same Hebrew word is used where it is translated ostrich. (Job 30:29; Jeremiah 50:39) Some of these species were common in Palestine, and, as is well known, were often found inhabiting ruins. (Isaiah 34:11,13-15)
A night bird of prey, unfit for food. Several species are found in Palestine, and are mentioned in the Bible; as in Le 11:17 De 14:16 Isa 14:23 34:15 Zep 2:14. One of the words, however, translated "owl," probably means "OSTRICH," (which see;) and another, Le 11:17 De 14:16 Isa 34:11, the ibis or night heron.
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
שָׁלָךְ (shalak) refers to a bird of prey, likely identified as a cormorant. The word is derived from a root meaning to cast or throw, which may relate to its behavior of diving into water. Both Brown-Driver-Briggs and Strong's suggest this identification, with Strong's also mentioning the pelican as a possibility.
שָׁלָךְ n.[m.] bird of prey, prob. cormorant
base
H7994 שָׁלָךְ bird of prey, prob. cormorant
7994 shalak shaw-lawk'
from 7993; bird of prey, usually thought to be the pelican
(from casting itself into the sea):--cormorant.
see HEBREW for 07993
שָׁלָךְ (sha.lakh) — cormorant.
1) bird of prey
1a) probably the cormorant
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
kor'-mo-rant (shalakh; kataraktes; Latin Corvus marinus): A large sea-fowl belonging to the genus Phalacrocorax and well described by the Hebrew word used to designate it--which means a "plunging bird." The bird appears as large as a goose when in full feather, but plucked, the body is much smaller. The adult birds are glossy black with bronze tints, touched with white on the cheeks and sides as a festal dress at mating season, and adorned with filamentary feathers on the head, and bright yellow gape. These birds if taken young and carefully trained can be sent into the water from boats and bring to their masters large quantities of good-sized fish: commonly so used in China. The flesh is dark, tough and quite unfit to eat in the elders on account of their diet of fish. The nest is built mostly of seaweed. The eggs are small for the size of the birds, having a rough, thick, but rather…
Cormorant
(Lev. 11:17; Deut. 14:17), Heb. shalak, “plunging,” or “darting down,” (the Phalacrocorax carbo), ranked among the “unclean” birds; of the same family group as the pelican. It is a “plunging” bird, and is common on the coasts and the island seas of Palestine. Some think the Hebrew word should be rendered “gannet” (Sula bassana, “the solan goose”); others that it is the “tern” or “sea swallow,” which also frequents the coasts of Palestine as well as the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan valley during several months of the year. But there is no reason to depart from the ordinary rendering.
In Isa. 34:11, Zeph. 2:14 (but in R.V.…
the representative in the Authorized Version of the Hebrew words kaath and shalac . As to the former, see PELICAN. Shalac occurs only as the name of an unclean bird in (Leviticus 11:17; 14:17) The word has been variously rendered. The etymology points to some plunging bird. The common cormorant (phalacrocorax carbo), which some writers have identified with the shalac , is unknown in the eastern Mediterranean; another species is found south of the Red Sea, but none on the west coast of Palestine.
A water bird about the size of a goose. It lives on fish, which it catches with great dexterity; and is so voracious and greedy, that its name has passed into a kind of proverbial use. The Hebrew word translated "cormorant" in Isa 34:11 Zep 2:14, should rather be translated, as it is in other passages, "pelican," Le 11:17.
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
יַנְשׁוּף (yanshuwph) refers to a type of bird, likely a heron or owl, characterized by a harsh call. It is classified as an unclean aquatic bird, possibly linked to the night-heron. The entries suggest it may be associated with its distinctive cry, but there is no significant disagreement among the sources.
יַנְשׁוּף and יַנְשׁוֹף n.[m.] a bird (with harsh, strident note?)
base
H3244 יַנְשׁוּף and יַנְשׁוֹף a bird (with harsh, strident note?)
3244 yanshuwph yan-shoof'
or yanshowph {yan-shofe'}; apparently from 5398; an unclean
(acquatic) bird; probably the heron (perhaps from its blowing
cry, or because the night-heron is meant (compare
5399))):--(great) owl.s
see HEBREW for 05398
see HEBREW for 05399
יַנְשׁוּף (yan.shuph) — owl.
1) great owl, eared owl
1a) an unclean animal
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
oul (bath ha-ya`anah; Latin Ulula): The name of every nocturnal bird of prey of the Natural Order Striges. These birds range from the great horned owl of 2 feet in length, through many subdivisions to the little screech-owl of 5 inches. All are characterized by very large heads, many have ear tufts, all have large eyes surrounded by a disk of tiny, stiff, radiating feathers. The remainder of the plumage has no aftershaft. So these birds make the softest flight of any creature traveling on wing. A volume could be written on the eye of the owl, perhaps its most wonderful feature being in the power of the bird to enlarge the iris if it wishes more distinct vision. There is material for another on the prominent and peculiar auditory parts. With almost all owls the feet are so arranged that two toes can be turned forward and two back, thus reinforcing the grip of the bird by an extra toe and…
Owl
(1.) Heb. bath-haya’anah, “daughter of greediness” or of “shouting.” In the list of unclean birds (Lev. 11:16; Deut. 14:15); also mentioned in Job 30:29; Isa. 13:21; 34:13; 43:20; Jer. 50:39; Micah 1:8. In all these passages the Revised Version translates “ostrich” (q.v.), which is the correct rendering.
(2.) Heb. yanshuph, rendered “great owl” in Lev. 11:17; Deut. 14:16, and “owl” in Isa.…
A number of species of the owl are mentioned in the Bible, (Leviticus 11:17; 14:16; Isaiah 14:23; 34:15; Zephaniah 2:14) and in several other places the same Hebrew word is used where it is translated ostrich. (Job 30:29; Jeremiah 50:39) Some of these species were common in Palestine, and, as is well known, were often found inhabiting ruins. (Isaiah 34:11,13-15)
A night bird of prey, unfit for food. Several species are found in Palestine, and are mentioned in the Bible; as in Le 11:17 De 14:16 Isa 14:23 34:15 Zep 2:14. One of the words, however, translated "owl," probably means "OSTRICH," (which see;) and another, Le 11:17 De 14:16 Isa 34:11, the ibis or night heron.