Leviticus 11

Laws concerning the difference of the clean and unclean beasts, not only for eating, as of great four footed beasts, v. 1, etc of fishes, 9. of fowls, 13. and creeping creatures, 20. but also, in touching of a dead carcass, 24. of some other creatures yet to be held unclean, 29. and how one could be made unclean by any of them, 31. with an exhortation to purity and holiness, 44. whereupon follows the conclusion of this chapter, 47.

1. And the LORD spoke to Moseh and to Aaron, saying:

2. Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: This is the Beasts which ye shall eat, out of all the beasts that are upon the earth. [Heb. out of all cattle. The Hebrew word is taken here in a general notion: as also Genesis 1:26. and chapter 6. verse 7, 20.]

3. Whatsoever among the beasts divideth the claw [or, hoof, contrary to horses, asses, mules, & c.] and cleaveth the cleft of the claw in two, [i.e. so parteth that they have their claws divided, not into many, as we see in dogs, cats, & c.] (and) cheweth the cud; [Heb. fetcheth up the chewed (meat) or, cud, and so in the sequel. Understand these beasts which ruminate or chew again, what they had chewed and swallowed once already; as we see the oxen, cows, and sheep do, being sat down. Three conditions or properties are required in these clean beasts: 1. The dividing of the claws or hoofs. 2. The cleaving of them in two. 3. The chewing of the cud. The difference of the two former conditions, is to be taken not only out of this verse and the seventh, but especially out of verse 26.] that shall [i.e. may] ye cat.

4. Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them, which (only) chew the cud, [Wanting the two other properties; and so for the words following, (only) divide the claws: see Deuteronomy 14:6.] or only divide the claws: the Camel, for he cheweth the cud indeed, but doth not divide the claw. [viz. into two parts, but into more; which is against the second requisite condition, wanting likewise in the Conies and Hares, mentioned in the two next verses] the same shall be unclean to you.

5. And the Coney, [Oth. a mount-mouse, or, a bear-mouse, being a four footed beast of the bigness of a hedgehog, and the shape of a mouse and bear, having its abode in hollow rocks, and abounding much in Palestina] for that cheweth the cud indeed, but divideth not the claw; the same shall be unclean to you.

6. And the Hare; for he indeed doth chew the cud, but divideth not the claw: the same shall be unclean to you.

7. Also the Swine, for that divideth the claw indeed, and cleaveth the cleft of the claw in two, but cheweth not the cud: the same shall be unclean to you. [as having but the two former conditions, and wanting the third.]

8. Of their flesh ye shall not eat, nor touch their dead carcass; they shall be unclean to you.

9. This ye shall eat of all that is in the waters: all that (or, whatsoever) in the waters, in the Seas, in the Rivers, hath fins and scales, [Together namely; therefore among the fishes all were unclean: 1. That had neither fins or scales: 2. That had but one of these] the same ye shall eat.

10. But whatsoever, in the Seas, and in the Rivers, of all the crawling of the waters, and of every living soul that is in the waters [See Gen. 1. on verse 20.] hath no fins or scales, the same shall be an abomination to you. [i.e. that whereof men ought to abhor to eat, or to touch it being dead, as the next verse explaineth it.]

11. Yea an abomination they shall bee unto you: of their flesh thou shalt not eat, and their dead carcass thou shalt abhor.

12. Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, the same shall be an abomination unto you.

13. And of the fowl, ye shall abhor these; they shall not be eaten, they shall be an abomination: the Eagle, [In the Translation of the names of the Fowls here set down, the most common opinions of the Learned hath been followed] and the Hawk, [Oth. Ossifrage, (or, the Bone-breaker) a certain kind Eagle, which renew their age, Psalms 103:5.] and the Sea-Eagle, [having his name in Hebrew, from the strength and vigour of his flying.]

14. And the Vulture, and the Crow after her kind. [Unto this Fowl there is ascribed a very good and sharp sight, Job 28:7.]

15. All (or every) Raven after his kind.

16. And the Ostrich [Heb. the daughter of the Ostrich. Some are of opinion that this qualification here is given to this sort of fowl, because they should be all females or hens, and have no cock among them. Oth. the Owl] and the night-Owl, and the Cuckoe, and the sparrow Hawk, after its kind.

17. And the stone-owl, and the dive-or di-dopper, and the Scrich-Owl. [Here is mearnt a certain kind of great Owls, or a fowl flying in the night, otherwise called Huhu.]

18. The Jack-Daw, and the Bittern, and the Pelican,

19. And the Stork, [Having his name in the Hebrew from his kindness to his sires, or parents, feeding, helping and supporting them in their old age, and when they cannot help themselves] the Hen after his kind, and the Lap-wing, and the Bat.

20. Every creeping fowl, that goeth upon four (feet), shall be an abomination to you.

21. This nevertheless thou shalt eat of all the creeping fowl, that goeth upon four (feet), which hath legs above on its feet; [Oth. which hath no legs. (Some Hebrew Texts having and others] to leap therewithal upon the earth.

22. Of those ye shall eat these, the Grasshopper, after its kind, [That this creature was fed on in the Oriental Countries, appeareth by Matth. 3. 4. Mark 1:6.] and the Solham according to its kind, and the Hargol after its kind, and the Hagab after its kind. These three names, Solham, Hargol, and Hagab, are left here as they are expressed in the Origional, in regard that they are not so properly and certainly known, what they were. In the general, they signify certain kinds of small creatures, called insects, described in the former verse.]

23. And all creeping fowl having four feet, shall be an abomination to you.

24. And in these [viz. following things, rehearsed from hence to verse 43.] shall ye he made unclean; [viz. by touching of the same] who so shall have touched a dead carcass, he shall be unclean, until the evening. [i.e. he shall, by reason of his ceremonial uncleaness, not be allowed to converse with other men, much less appear in Court of the LORD, or eat of that which is offered till after the evening.]

25. Who so shall have carried (ought) of their dead carcass; he shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening.

26. Every Beast [Three sorts of Beasts are mentioned here, by whose touching a man was made unclean: 1. Unclean great ones, here and in the two next verses. 2. Unclean small ones, verse 29, 30, 31, & c. 3. Unclean ones dying of themselves, or torn in pieces, v. 39.] that divideth the hoof, yet cleaveth not the cleft in two, [i.e. that divideth indeed the hoof, but not in two only, as the sheep, and oxen, but in more parts, as the lions, wolves, bears, dogs, cats. See above on verse 3, and 4.] nor cheweth the end, shall be unclean to you: who so shall have touched the same, he shall be unclean.

27. And whatsoever goeth upon its paws among all beasts, going upon four (feet), they shall be unclean to you: whosoever shall have touched their dead carcass, he shall be unclean until the evening.

28. Also, who so shall have carried their dead carcass, he shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening: they shall be unclean to you.

29. Moreover these among the creeping creatures, that creep upon the earth, shall be unclean to you: the Weasel, and the Mouse, and the Tortoise, after their kinds. [The Hebrew word for Tortoise, signifieth properly that which is swollen or blown up and vaulted as it were. In translating of the names of these creatures in general set down in this and the next verse, we have followed that which seemed most probable and likely, and is most received among the Learned.]

30. And the Hedgehog, and the Crocodile, and the Lizard, and the snail, and the Mole.

31. They shall be unclean to you among all creeping creatures: [Understand the foresaid Locusts, which made a man unclean, not only being eaten, but also by being only touched, as appeareth further by the sequel] who so shall have touched them when they are dead, he shall be unclean until the evening.

32. Besides all that whereon (ought) of the same shall fall, being dead, shall be unclean, (whether it be) of any wooden Vessel, or garment, or skin, or sack, or any Vessel wherewith (any) work is done: it shall be put into the water, and be unclean until the evening, after that, it shall be clean.

33. And every earthen Vessel, into which (ought) of the same shall have fallen, [Heb. which shall fall out of the same into its middest, i.e. into the midst whereof, or into which there shall have fallen any thing of the said unclean beasts, whether they were alive or dead; for they were not to be touched in any wise] all that is therein, shall be unclean, and thou shalt break the same.

34. Of all food a man eateth, whereupon the water shall be come, [viz. wherewith any thing shall have been washed, that was made unclean by touching the things or creatures aforesaid.] (the same) shall be unclean: and every drink, a man drinketh, shall be clean in every Vessel. [viz. which through the touching of those things was become unclean.]

35. And whereupon ought of their dead carcass shall fall, (that) shall be unclean, the oven, and the earthen pan shall be broken, they are unclean: therefore they shall be unclean unto you.

36. Yet a fountain, or well of gathering of waters [viz. into which any of these unclean beasts shall have fallen, or be cast and perished] shall be clean [i.e. one shall not need to draw out all their water, and throw it away as unclean; but every one shall have liberty to use it, according to his occasions] but who so shall have touched their dead carcass, [Whatsoever person, or thing, the carcass toucheth, being drawn forth out of the well or water-fountain, into which it was fallen or thrown, & c] shall be unclean.

37. And if (ought) of their dead carcass shall be fallen upon any sowing seed, [i.e. such as is usually sowed for the use of man or beasts: as appeareth by the words following] that is sown, that shall be clean.

38. But when water shall be put upon the seed, and (ought) of their dead carcass shall be fallen thereupon, that shall be unclean to you.

39. And if (any) of the beasts, which are food for you, shall be dead, who so shall have touched the carcass of the same, shall be unclean until the evening.

40. Likewise, he that shall have eaten of the carcass thereof, [Understand this properly of eating of it ignorantly, when a man knew not that the meat made ready and put before him, was of a dead carcass, for otherwise they were prohibited to eat of any such, Deuteronomy 14:21.] shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening: and who so shall have carried the carcass of it, shall wash his cloth, and be unclean until the evening.

41. Moreover every creeping creature, the creepeth upon the earth, that shall be an abomination, it shall not be eaten.

42. Whatsoever goeth upon its belly, and whatsoever upon its four (feet); or, whatsoever hath many feet, [Heb. unto all that multiplieth its feet] among all creeping creatures, that creepeth upon the earth, them shall ye not eat, they being an abomination.

43. Do not make your souls [i.e. persons; see Gen. 12. verse 5.] abominable on any creeping creature, that creepeth, and make not yourselves unclean thereon, lest ye be made unclean thereon.

44. For I am the LORD your God; [From the reasons which God maketh use of here for the pressing and inculcating of these Laws upon this people, it appeareth that the Ceremonial cleanness was an instruction and introduction of them, to the true spiritual holiness, as principally intended, and to be regarded. God taketh his ground, 1. From his nature, which is spiritual and perfectly holy. 2. From the end, whereunto he chose and called the Israelites, which was the hallowing and sanctifying of them in body and in spirit. 3. From the mercies and benefits he showed them, having led them forth out of Egypt, to bring them into the land of promise; betokening thereby, that he was likewise ready to deliver them out of the spiritual Egypt; that they might learn to know and serve him here, and live with him for ever in the heavenly Canaan hereafter] therefore ye shall hallow yourselves, and be holy [i.e. cleanse and purify yourselves from all pollution and filament of soul and body, and accomplish your holiness, that is, the true renovation of life, in the fear of God, 2 Cor. 7. 1.] because I am holy: and ye shall not make your soul unclean on any creeping creature, that stirreth upon the earth.

45. For I am the LORD, that make you go up out of the Land of Egypt, that I may be a God unto you, [See Gen. 17. on verse 7.] and that ye may be holy, because I am holy. [or, be ye then holy, for I am holy.]

46. This is the Law of the Beasts, and of the Fowl, and of every living soul, that stirreth in the waters; and of every soul that creepeth upon the earth.

47. For to put difference betwixt the unclean and betwixt the clean: and betwixt the creature to be eaten, and betwixt the creature not to be eaten.