Chapter Text
Clean and Unclean Animals
And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,
2Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.
3Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted , and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.
4Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
5And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
6And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
7And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted , yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.
8Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.
Creatures of the Sea
9These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
10And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:
11They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.
12Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.
Unclean Birds
13And 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,
14And the vulture, and the kite after his kind;
15Every raven after his kind;
16And the owl , and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,
17And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,
18And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,
19And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.
20All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you.
21Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;
22Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.
23But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.
24And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even.
25And whosoever beareth ought of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.
26The carcases of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted , nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean.
27And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even.
28And he that beareth the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you.
Swarming Creatures
29These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind,
30And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole.
31These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even.
32And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; so it shall be cleansed.
33And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth , whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it.
34Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which such water cometh shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean.
35And every thing whereupon any part of their carcase falleth shall be unclean; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean, and shall be unclean unto you.
36Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean.
37And if any part of their carcase fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean.
38But if any water be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcase fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you.
39And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even.
40And he that eateth of the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.
41And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten.
42Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.
43Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.
44For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
45For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
46This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:
47To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.
Summary
On the eighth day — the first day of active priestly ministry — Moses calls Aaron, his sons, and the elders. Aaron offers a calf for his own sin offering and a ram for burnt offering, then presents the people's offerings: a goat for sin, a calf and lamb for burnt offerings, an ox and ram for peace offerings, and a grain offering. Aaron performs every sacrifice according to prescribed detail. He lifts his hands and blesses the people. Moses and Aaron enter the Tabernacle, then come out and bless the people together. The glory of the LORD appears to all the people. Fire comes out from before the LORD and consumes the offerings on the altar. All the people shout and fall on their faces.
Meaning
The eighth day signifies new beginnings — beyond the seven of completion comes fresh creation. Aaron's first act is a sin offering for himself, establishing that human priests serve from forgiven sinfulness, not inherent holiness.
The fire from heaven consuming the sacrifice is God's dramatic acceptance of the entire sacrificial system. What human hands prepared, divine fire receives. This validates everything commanded since Sinai. The people's prostrate worship — shouting and falling on their faces — combines ecstatic joy with reverential awe, the twin poles of authentic worship.
Background
Fire from God consuming the sacrifice occurs at key moments: here, at David's altar, and at Solomon's temple dedication. Each marks a new era in worship.
The eighth day, following the complete seven of consecration, carries resurrection significance throughout Scripture. It is the day of new beginnings, connecting to Christ's resurrection on the first day (the eighth day) of the new week.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-8Clean and unclean land animals
- vv. 9-12Clean and unclean water creatures
- vv. 13-19Unclean birds and flying creatures
- vv. 20-23Winged insects: permitted and forbidden
- vv. 24-28Uncleanness from animal carcasses
- vv. 29-38Swarming creatures and contamination of objects
- vv. 39-43Further rules on carcasses and creeping things
- vv. 44-47The theological basis: holiness and distinction
Key Verses
“For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”— 11:44
The theological cornerstone of the dietary laws — holiness is the reason for distinction. This verse is quoted by Peter in 1 Peter 1:16 as a universal call to sanctification.
“For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”— 11:45
Links Israel's dietary obedience to God's redemptive act in the Exodus, grounding the food laws in covenant relationship rather than mere ritual.
“To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.”— 11:47
The summary verse reveals the overarching purpose of the chapter: training Israel in moral discernment through daily habits of distinction.
People & Places
People
- Moses — Lawgiver and mediator through whom God delivers the dietary regulations to Israel.
- Aaron — High priest and brother of Moses, jointly addressed as recipient of these laws, reflecting the priestly role in enforcing purity.
Places
- Egypt — The land of Israel's former bondage, referenced in verse 45 as the basis for God's covenantal authority over their conduct.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
While not directly prophetic, the clean/unclean distinction foreshadows the New Testament revelation in Acts 10:9–15, where God declares all animals clean in Peter's vision, signaling the inclusion of Gentiles into the covenant community. The principle of holiness articulated in verse 44 is explicitly fulfilled in 1 Peter 1:15–16, where it is applied to all believers regardless of dietary observance.
Devotional
The dietary laws of Leviticus 11 may seem distant from modern life, but their underlying principle is strikingly relevant: what we take into our lives shapes who we become. God called Israel to practice discernment at the most basic level — the daily meal — so that the habit of distinguishing clean from unclean would permeate every dimension of life.
Holiness is not reserved for the sanctuary. It begins at the table, in the routine, in the ordinary. When God says "Be holy, for I am holy," He is inviting us into a life where no choice is too small to reflect His character. Every daily decision is an opportunity to honor the God who redeemed us.
Literary Style
Legal or prescriptive prose, structured as divine speech delivered through Moses and Aaron. The chapter follows a systematic taxonomy — land animals, water creatures, birds, insects, swarming things — with repetitive formulaic language ('unclean unto you,' 'an abomination') reinforcing categorical boundaries. The closing verses shift from catalogue to theological rationale, forming an inclusio with the opening divine address.