Leviticus 11

— the hawk after his kind,] This bird was held in so much veneration by the Egyptians, that, as Herodotus tells us, they made it death, if a man killed one of them undesignedly. It was sacred to the sun on account of its swiftness. Biblioth. Bibl.

Chap. XII. ver. 2. — days of the separation] For which see chap. xv. 19, 20.

— for a sin offering.] By sin, in this place, we must understand not a moral turpitude, but only a legal uncleanness. Biblioth. Bibl. Not that childbearing itself was a sin, or that this sin offering was required for the sin of the mother; but because, say the Jews, the pain of childbearing was a punishment of sin, and “the mother of all living” was the first who brought sin and sorrow into the world; and therefore God appointed this offering for the expiation of that primary offence. Levis.

Chap. XIII. ver. 2. — plague of leprosy.] Whether this disease were the natural effect of any thing peculiar to the air and soil of these countries, or, as is more probable, the special stroke of a Divine hand (see chap. xiv. 34; 2 Kings v. 7, 27, and xv. 5.) for the sins of men; God was pleased to declare that whatsoever person or thing was infected by it, should be in a state of uncleanness; meaning by this treatment, on account of this bodily distemper, to caution them the more earnestly against all vicious habits and distempers of the mind and heart. Pyle. The leprosy in all its stages, and under all its appearances, is one of the most calamitous of diseases. We, in Britain, have long been for the most part happily freed from it by a variety of causes; and therefore we are not able to form just conceptions of its various distinctions, and their appearances, in the hotter parts of the globe. Script. illustr.

The leprosy, it is supposed, was a disease, at first The laws and tokens how to discern the leprosy. Before CHRIST 1600. the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests:

Leviticus 11:3

3. Whatsoever parteth the hoof,] The Hebrew text means, emphatically, “divideth the division of the hoofs,” implying an entire and total separation of the hoof into two parts; and meaning also neither more nor

What beasts, fishes, fowls, &c. may, Before CHRIST 1490.

3. — in the eighth day] Till the eighth day the infant was not well able to undergo the pain. Willet.

Leviticus 11:4

4. — three and thirty days.] Thus all the days of her purification were forty; during the last thirty-three she was not prevented from conversing with her neighbours, but was debarred from touching any of the holy things. It is affirmed that the ancient idolaters in Eastern countries had a great number of tedious and tiresome customs respecting the purification of their childbed women; from all which God freed His people, leaving them at liberty to attend to all manner of offices in their families, and only restraining them from partaking of the holy things. Bp. Patrick.

Leviticus 11:5

5. — the coney.] The Hebrew word (saphan) seems improperly rendered a rabbit. Bochart understands it to mean the jerboa, or jumping mouse: but Dr. Shaw and Bruce conceive it to signify the damas Israel, or Israel’s lamb; described by Dr. Shaw as a harmless creature, of the same size and quality as the rabbit, and with the like incurring posture, and disposition of the fore teeth. Parkhurst.

6. — she shall be unclean two weeks.] Thus the time is doubled in case she bare a female; perhaps to remind them of the sin of Eve, who “was (first) in the transgression,” 1 Tim. ii. 14. Bp. Kidder.

Leviticus 11:6

6. — for a burnt offering.] In gratitude to God for giving her a safe deliverance, and bestowing on her a child, and raising her up in her former strength, and bringing her again to His sanctuary; where, by this

Leviticus 11:7

7. — the swine.] Maimonides fancies that this animal was prohibited on account of its filthy feeding and wallowing in the mire: others give the reason, because it feeds on flesh; and some, because it breeds the leprosy in hot climates. But, whatever might be the grounds of this prohibition, that prohibition could not be the only reason, why the whole nation of the Jews abhorred this more than any other of the unclean animals which were equally forbidden, insomuch that they called it a strange thing. It was certainly owing to some other cause, that in process of time this became to them the most abominable of all creatures; and that cause was, it is supposed, because the Gentiles used it in their sacrifices and mysteries of religion, and because nothing was accounted a more delicious food among many great nations: who (if a strong abhorrence of this creature had not been infused into the Jews) might have invited them to their tables, and bred such familiarity with them as would have concluded in idolatry. The Jews were not allowed so much as to open these beasts to take out the fat, and apply it to any use. In this they are now so scrupulous that they say they may not touch them alive with one of their fingers, for fear of the leprosy. Lewis. The swine is held in utter abomination by some at least of the Mahometans: the old Persians also religiously abstained from eating its flesh. Biblioth. Bibl.

Leviticus 11:8

8. — they are unclean to you.] Whoever touched their carcases was under a legal uncleanness, so that it was

Leviticus 11:9

9. These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters.] The species of fish are not here enumerated, because the clean and unclean are better distinguished by their general character here given than by names. Moses allows to the Hebrews all fish which had fins and scales, contrary to the custom of the Egyptians, who, it is thought, abstained from them. The Egyptian priests, from motives of superstition, refrained from all fish. Calmet.

Leviticus 11:10

10. — all that have not fins and scales &c.] Among the Romans, it was not permitted to use fish, that had no scales, in sacrifices to their gods. Pliny cites a law of Numa: “Let not fish which are without scales be dressed for sacrificial feasts or banquets.” Calmet.

Leviticus 11:11

11. — shall not shut him up.] Shall not shut him up for a temporary separation, because there could be no need of further proof, nor any doubt whether it was the leprosy or not. Bp. Patrick.

Leviticus 11:13

13. — the eagle.] The eagle has its flesh hard, and is ravenous in its nature; and therefore, on a natural and moral account, some authors fancy it was prohibited; but Origen has given a better reason, viz. that those creatures generally are forbidden to the Jews, which were looked upon as prophetical by the Egyptians and other nations; among which he expressly mentions the eagle and the hawk. Diodorus Siculus relates, that the people of Thebes worshipped the eagle, looking upon it as a royal bird, worthy of Jupiter. Lewis.

— the ossifrage.] A species of eagle, by some called the sea eagle. This bird is understood to have received its name from its flying up, after it has eaten the flesh of its prey, to a proper height, and thence letting fall the bones upon a rock, or hard stone, so as to break them with greater ease, and thus get at the delicacy of the marrow. Biblioth. Bibl.

13. — he shall pronounce him clean] This circumstance shall be considered as a proof that the blood is perfectly purged, the inward corruption being all driven out. Pyle.

Leviticus 11:15

15. — the raw flesh is unclean:] This being so undoubted a mark of leprosy that there needed no more. Bp. Patrick.

Before CHRIST 1600.

Leviticus 11:16

16. And the owl.] The Hebrew word signifies literally “the daughter of vociferation.” Parkhurst. By some it is understood to mean the ostrich. It is certain that it was the constant persuasion of the Jews, that God did not permit them to eat the flesh of the ostrich, which is no where forbidden, if not here. Lewis.

In regard to the names of birds in some of these verses, translators have differed; and, from our imperfect knowledge of the Hebrew names used in natural

Before CHRIST 1490. or may not be eaten. CHAP. XI. The creeping things which are unclean.

Leviticus 11:17

17. — the great owl,] Instead of this, the Greek and Vulgate translations have the ibis, a ravenous bird, well known to have been sacred among the Egyptians. Biblioth. Bibl. St. Jerome takes the word to signify a stork, and others a bustard. Lewis.

Leviticus 11:19

19. — the stork,] This bird was also held in veneration by the Egyptians and other people, on account of its great use in destroying serpents. It was esteemed most valuable by the people of Thessaly, which country abounded so much in serpents, that, if the storks had not killed them, the people must have deserted the country. Bockert.

— the bat,] Moses, beginning the catalogue with the noblest of birds, the eagle, ends with the vilest, which is the bat. The name in Hebrew, as also in Greek, signifies it to be a bird of night, or darkness. It is observable, generally, that the birds forbidden are either rapacious, and live on flesh, or are night-birds, or haunt marabes and lakes, or are heavy and not easily raised from the ground, or live on dung and coarse diet. On the contrary, the birds allowed by the law of Moses, are those that live upon a cleaner food. Lewis.

Leviticus 11:20

20. All fowls that creep, going upon all four,] All “flying insects,” which also creep upon the earth, as flies, wasps, bees, &c. If it be said that these have six legs, it is answered, that their two fore feet are not pro-

perly feet, but rather serve them for hands. Biblioth. Bibl.

Leviticus 11:21

21. — to leap withal upon the earth:] In this verse is an exception of those flying insects which, besides their four legs with which they go, have two legs or thighs, which give them power to leap upon the earth, as well as to go. Such are those locusts mentioned in the next verse. As to the various sorts of locusts, it is observed that there are nine kinds mentioned in Scripture, four only of which are permitted to be eaten. By what marks the locusts, which are permitted, are distinguished, is so little agreed among the Hebrews, that it plainly shows they have no certain knowledge about the matter. Lewis.

Leviticus 11:22

22. — the beetle after his kind,] The beetle and the grasshopper seem to be a wrong translation; for they were not human food, as were the locusts. Bp. Patrick. It should be observed that the phrase, “after his kind,” so often repeated in the laws concerning fowls and flying things, does not necessarily imply that there are different kinds of every flying thing to which it is applied, but only imports “every one of that kind:” it is an expression denoting that the whole species is prohibited. Lewis.

Leviticus 11:27

27. — whatsoever goeth upon his paws,] In the original “upon his hands:” as lions, apes, bears, dogs, cats, &c. Lewis.

Leviticus 11:32

32. — vessel of wood, — or skin, or sack.] Wooden bowls are still used by the Arabs in this same country: also trunks or baskets covered with skins; and sacks of hair cloth for the purpose of conveying their goods from place to place. Harmer.

Leviticus 11:35

35. — ranges for pots.] The following account is given by Rauwolf of the management of the Eastern people for saving fuel: “They make in their tents or houses a hole about a foot and a half deep, wherein they put their earthen pots, with the meat in them closed up: three fourth parts thereof they lay about with stones, and the fourth part is left open, through which they fling in their dried dung, twigs, and straw, which burn immediately, and give so great heat, that the pot grows very hot: thus they boil their meat with a little fire, quicker than we do our’s with a great one on our hearths.” This quotation may explain perhaps in the best manner what is meant by “ranges for pots” in this passage. Harmer.

Leviticus 11:36

36. — a fountain or pit.] Pit or cistern. Those hot Eastern countries did not much abound with water, which made this exception the more necessary; and water itself also was the means of purifying uncleanness, being the proper element for separating the unclean particles from the persons or things defiled. Thus, without this exception, it would have been difficult for those who were unclean, ever to cleanse themselves. Biblioth. Bibl.

Leviticus 11:37

37. — upon any sowing seed] Sowing seed being of great importance to the uses and necessities of life. For the inconvenience would have been very great, if the husbandman must have deferred sowing as often as he happened to find a dead animal in the corn designed for the furrows. Biblioth. Bibl.

Leviticus 11:38

38. But if any water be put upon the seed, &c.] The reason of this difference was, that the seed to be sown went through many alterations, before it became food, which took away the pollution. Wet seed might be supposed to have received some tincture from the carcase, which dry did not; and, not being so fit to be sown till it was dry, was in that time to be cleansed. Lewis.

Leviticus 11:41

41. — every creeping thing] Except those allowed at ver. 21, 22. The following verse, “whatsoever goeth upon the belly, &c.” seems to be an explanation of this. Bp. Patrick.

Leviticus 11:44

44. For I am the Lord your God:] I am God of Myself, and not like one of the Gentile gods; being infinitely superiour, both in My attributes and My works, particularly in that work of bringing you out of the land of Egypt. It is therefore My pleasure that there should be a special peculiarity in your diet, to be one mark of distinguishing you as a nation separated, and consecrated to Me alone. Dean Spencer.

Leviticus 11:45

45. — ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.] Implying that, as God is in Himself a being infinite in perfec-

The purification and offerings of women after childbirth.

and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:

Leviticus 11:99

99. — creeping things that creep upon the earth:] That is, which seem to move with their bellies close to the ground, owing to the shortness of their legs. Biblioth. Bibl.

— the tortoise] The Vulgate translation makes this the crocodile; the Greek, a land crocodile, a sort of lizard about a cubit long. Much critical controversy has taken place respecting the several species here mentioned. Biblioth. Bibl.

Meats clean and unclean. Before CHRIST 1490. them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even.