Leviticus 11 Study Notes
General
True or False: The ban on eating creatures that crawl on the ground applied only to those with no legs (11:41-42).
Answer: False
This is false. Every ground-crawling creature was detestable and was not to be eaten, whether it slid along on its belly, went on four legs, or had even more legs (11:41-42). No creature that moved along the ground was exempt, however many legs it had. God repeats elsewhere that creatures crawling on the ground are among those He has made unclean for Israel (Leviticus 20:25), and Israel was not to eat anything He had called detestable (Deuteronomy 14:3).
- Leviticus 11:41-42 (BSB)“Every creature that moves along the ground is detestable; it must not be eaten. Do not eat any creature that moves along the ground, whether it crawls on its belly or walks on four or more feet; for such creatures are detestable.”All creatures that move along the ground are detestable, whether they crawl on the belly or walk on many feet.
- Leviticus 20:25 (BSB)“You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.”God repeats that creatures that crawl on the ground are among those He set apart as unclean.
- Deuteronomy 14:3 (BSB)“You must not eat any detestable thing.”Israel was not to eat anything God had declared detestable.
Theological
True or False: In 11:41-42, the prohibition on ground-moving creatures is limited to legless ones.
Answer: False
This is false. The prohibition covers every ground-crawling creature, whether it goes on its belly, on four feet, or on many feet (11:41-42). Such creatures are classed with the unclean in Leviticus 20:25 and fall under the general ban on eating anything detestable (Deuteronomy 14:3).
- Leviticus 11:41-42 (BSB)“Every creature that moves along the ground is detestable; it must not be eaten. Do not eat any creature that moves along the ground, whether it crawls on its belly or walks on four or more feet; for such creatures are detestable.”All creatures that move along the ground are detestable, whether they crawl on the belly or walk on many feet.
- Leviticus 20:25 (BSB)“You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.”God repeats that creatures that crawl on the ground are among those He set apart as unclean.
- Deuteronomy 14:3 (BSB)“You must not eat any detestable thing.”Israel was not to eat anything God had declared detestable.
General
What was done with a wooden or cloth item that one of these dead creatures fell on (11:32)?
Answer: It was put in water and stayed unclean until evening
If one of these unclean creatures died and fell on an item made of wood, cloth, leather, or sackcloth, or on any tool, the item became unclean. It was to be put in water and stayed unclean until evening, after which it was clean again (11:32). Uncleanness could pass to objects, but such items could be restored. The same kind of washing applied to a wooden utensil in the laws about discharges (Leviticus 15:12), and similar items were purified after the war with Midian (Numbers 31:20).
- Leviticus 11:32 (BSB)“When one of them dies and falls on something, that article becomes unclean; any article of wood, clothing, leather, sackcloth, or any implement used for work must be rinsed with water and will remain unclean until evening; then it will be clean.”Household articles touched by a dead unclean creature are rinsed and become clean at evening.
- Leviticus 15:12 (BSB)“Any clay pot that the man with the discharge touches must be broken, and any wooden utensil must be rinsed with water.”Another case where a wooden utensil made unclean is rinsed with water.
- Numbers 31:20 (BSB)“And purify every garment and leather good, everything made of goat’s hair, and every article of wood.””Garments, leather goods, and wooden articles are purified in another setting as well.
Theological
According to 11:32, how was a wooden, cloth, or leather article defiled by such a carcass to be treated?
Answer: Put into water, remaining unclean until evening
An article of wood, cloth, leather, or sackcloth, or any working implement, on which such a carcass fell became unclean; it was to be put into water and remained unclean until evening, after which it was clean (11:32). Uncleanness was transmissible to objects, but such objects were restorable. Comparable washing of wooden vessels appears in Leviticus 15:12, and the purification of garments, leather goods, and wooden articles in Numbers 31:20.
- Leviticus 11:32 (BSB)“When one of them dies and falls on something, that article becomes unclean; any article of wood, clothing, leather, sackcloth, or any implement used for work must be rinsed with water and will remain unclean until evening; then it will be clean.”Household articles touched by a dead unclean creature are rinsed and become clean at evening.
- Leviticus 15:12 (BSB)“Any clay pot that the man with the discharge touches must be broken, and any wooden utensil must be rinsed with water.”Another case where a wooden utensil made unclean is rinsed with water.
- Numbers 31:20 (BSB)“And purify every garment and leather good, everything made of goat’s hair, and every article of wood.””Garments, leather goods, and wooden articles are purified in another setting as well.
General
What reason does God give for His people to keep themselves from becoming unclean (11:44)?
Answer: Because He is holy, and they must be holy too
God grounds these food laws in His own character. Because He is the LORD their God, His people were to set themselves apart and be holy, since He is holy (11:44). Holy means set apart for God and marked by His purity. God repeats this command for all Israel (Leviticus 19:2; 20:26). The apostle Peter quotes it to Christians, calling them to be holy in everything they do because the God who called them is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). The specific food laws have been fulfilled in Christ, but the call to holiness they expressed still applies.
- Leviticus 11:44 (BSB)“For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any creature that crawls along the ground.”God grounds the food laws in His own holiness and calls Israel to be holy.
- 1 Peter 1:15-16 (BSB)“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.””Peter quotes this command and applies it to Christians in all their conduct.
- Leviticus 19:2 (BSB)““Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.”The same command is given to the whole congregation of Israel.
- Leviticus 20:26 (BSB)“You are to be holy to Me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own.”God ties Israel's holiness to His own holiness and His setting them apart from the nations.
Theological
What ground does 11:44 give for Israel's avoidance of defilement?
Answer: The holiness of God, which His people must reflect
The chapter's rationale is theological: because the LORD is their God and He is holy, Israel is to consecrate itself and be holy (11:44). The refrain recurs in the Holiness Code (Leviticus 19:2; 20:26). Peter applies it directly to the church, calling believers to holiness in all their conduct because the God who called them is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). The ceremonial dietary laws are fulfilled in Christ, but the moral principle of conformity to God's holiness abides.
- Leviticus 11:44 (BSB)“For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any creature that crawls along the ground.”God grounds the food laws in His own holiness and calls Israel to be holy.
- 1 Peter 1:15-16 (BSB)“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.””Peter quotes this command and applies it to Christians in all their conduct.
- Leviticus 19:2 (BSB)““Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.”The same command is given to the whole congregation of Israel.
- Leviticus 20:26 (BSB)“You are to be holy to Me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own.”God ties Israel's holiness to His own holiness and His setting them apart from the nations.
General
What had to be done with a clay pot that one of these dead creatures fell into (11:33)?
Answer: It had to be broken
When one of these unclean creatures fell inside a clay pot, its contents became unclean and the pot itself had to be broken (11:33). Food touched by water from such a pot, and anything to drink kept in it, also became unclean (11:34). The same applied to an oven or a cooking pot, which had to be smashed (11:35). Unlike wood or cloth, which could be rinsed, clay vessels were not cleansed and reused. Leviticus gives the same treatment for clay pots in other cases (Leviticus 6:28; 15:12).
- Leviticus 11:33-35 (BSB)“If any of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will be unclean; you must break the pot. Any food coming into contact with water from that pot will be unclean, and any drink in such a container will be unclean. Anything upon which one of their carcasses falls will be unclean. If it is an oven or cooking pot, it must be smashed; it is unclean and will remain unclean for you.”A clay vessel, oven, or cooking pot made unclean by a carcass must be broken.
- Leviticus 6:28 (BSB)“The clay pot in which the sin offering is boiled must be broken; if it is boiled in a bronze pot, the pot must be scoured and rinsed with water.”A clay pot used for boiling a sin offering must also be broken, while a bronze pot is scoured and rinsed.
- Leviticus 15:12 (BSB)“Any clay pot that the man with the discharge touches must be broken, and any wooden utensil must be rinsed with water.”A clay pot touched by a man with a discharge must be broken, while a wooden utensil is rinsed.
Theological
What does 11:33 require for an earthenware vessel into which such a carcass falls?
Answer: Breaking the vessel
A clay vessel into which a carcass fell had to be broken, and its contents were unclean (11:33); food or drink contaminated by it was likewise unclean (11:34), and ovens and cooking pots were to be smashed (11:35). In contrast with rinsable articles of wood or cloth, earthenware could not be restored. The same distinction between breakable clay and washable vessels appears in Leviticus 6:28 and 15:12.
- Leviticus 11:33-35 (BSB)“If any of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will be unclean; you must break the pot. Any food coming into contact with water from that pot will be unclean, and any drink in such a container will be unclean. Anything upon which one of their carcasses falls will be unclean. If it is an oven or cooking pot, it must be smashed; it is unclean and will remain unclean for you.”A clay vessel, oven, or cooking pot made unclean by a carcass must be broken.
- Leviticus 6:28 (BSB)“The clay pot in which the sin offering is boiled must be broken; if it is boiled in a bronze pot, the pot must be scoured and rinsed with water.”A clay pot used for boiling a sin offering must also be broken, while a bronze pot is scoured and rinsed.
- Leviticus 15:12 (BSB)“Any clay pot that the man with the discharge touches must be broken, and any wooden utensil must be rinsed with water.”A clay pot touched by a man with a discharge must be broken, while a wooden utensil is rinsed.
General
True or False: The carcass of an animal Israel was allowed to eat did not make anyone unclean if it died on its own (11:39-40).
Answer: False
This is false. Even an animal that was normally clean to eat made a person unclean if it died by itself rather than being properly slaughtered. Anyone who touched its dead body was unclean until evening; a person who ate from it or carried it had to launder his clothing and was unclean until evening (11:39-40). Other laws say the same about eating an animal found dead (Leviticus 17:15). Deuteronomy tells Israel not to eat such an animal at all because they belong to the LORD as His holy people (Deuteronomy 14:21), and priests were strictly forbidden to eat it (Leviticus 22:8).
- Leviticus 11:39-40 (BSB)“If an animal that you may eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass will be unclean until evening. Whoever eats from the carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening, and anyone who picks up the carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening.”Even a clean animal that dies on its own makes those who touch, eat, or carry it unclean.
- Leviticus 17:15 (BSB)“And any person, whether native or foreigner, who eats anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening; then he will be clean.”Eating anything found dead requires washing clothes and bathing, with uncleanness until evening.
- Deuteronomy 14:21 (BSB)“You are not to eat any carcass; you may give it to the foreigner residing within your gates, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”Israel was not to eat any animal that died of itself, because they were a holy people.
- Leviticus 22:8 (BSB)“He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, which would make him unclean. I am the LORD.”Priests were forbidden to eat anything found dead because it would make them unclean.
Theological
True or False: According to 11:39-40, the carcass of a clean animal that dies of itself conveys no uncleanness.
Answer: False
This is false. The carcass of a clean animal that dies of itself defiles: touching it renders one unclean until evening; eating from it or carrying it requires washing one's clothes, with uncleanness until evening (11:39-40). Leviticus 17:15 applies the same remedy to eating what dies of itself, Deuteronomy 14:21 forbids Israel as a holy people to eat such meat, and Leviticus 22:8 prohibits it absolutely for priests.
- Leviticus 11:39-40 (BSB)“If an animal that you may eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass will be unclean until evening. Whoever eats from the carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening, and anyone who picks up the carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening.”Even a clean animal that dies on its own makes those who touch, eat, or carry it unclean.
- Leviticus 17:15 (BSB)“And any person, whether native or foreigner, who eats anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening; then he will be clean.”Eating anything found dead requires washing clothes and bathing, with uncleanness until evening.
- Deuteronomy 14:21 (BSB)“You are not to eat any carcass; you may give it to the foreigner residing within your gates, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”Israel was not to eat any animal that died of itself, because they were a holy people.
- Leviticus 22:8 (BSB)“He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, which would make him unclean. I am the LORD.”Priests were forbidden to eat anything found dead because it would make them unclean.
General
Which of these is named among the unclean small creatures of the ground (11:29-30)?
Answer: The mouse
The text lists eight small ground creatures as unclean: the mouse, the mole, and six kinds of lizards, including the gecko, the chameleon, and the skink (11:29-30). Anyone who touched one of them dead became unclean until evening (11:31). The cricket was among the insects Israel could eat (11:22), the stork is in the list of forbidden birds (11:19), and the camel is one of the cud-chewers lacking a split hoof (11:4). God repeats elsewhere that ground-crawling creatures are unclean (Leviticus 20:25), and a priest who touched one could not eat holy food until he had bathed, remaining unclean until evening (Leviticus 22:5-6).
- Leviticus 11:29-31 (BSB)“The following creatures that move along the ground are unclean for you: the mole, the mouse, any kind of great lizard, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the common lizard, the skink, and the chameleon. These animals are unclean for you among all the crawling creatures. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening.”Eight small ground creatures are named as unclean, and touching them when dead brings uncleanness until evening.
- Leviticus 20:25 (BSB)“You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.”Includes creatures that crawl on the ground among those God set apart as unclean.
- Leviticus 22:5-6 (BSB)“or whoever touches a crawling creature or a person that makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be— the man who touches any of these will remain unclean until evening. He must not eat from the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water.”Shows that a priest who touched a crawling creature was unclean until evening and barred from the holy food until he bathed.
Theological
Which of the following appears in the list of unclean ground-dwelling creatures in 11:29-30?
Answer: The mouse
The eight creatures listed are the mouse, the mole, and six kinds of lizard, among them the gecko, the chameleon, and the skink (11:29-30), whose carcasses convey uncleanness until evening (11:31). The cricket is a permitted insect (11:22), the stork belongs to the list of unclean birds (11:19), and the camel to the cud-chewers lacking a divided hoof (11:4). Leviticus 20:25 includes such ground creatures among those set apart as unclean, and Leviticus 22:5-6 shows that contact with them barred a priest from holy food until evening and washing.
- Leviticus 11:29-31 (BSB)“The following creatures that move along the ground are unclean for you: the mole, the mouse, any kind of great lizard, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the common lizard, the skink, and the chameleon. These animals are unclean for you among all the crawling creatures. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening.”Eight small ground creatures are named as unclean, and touching them when dead brings uncleanness until evening.
- Leviticus 20:25 (BSB)“You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.”Includes creatures that crawl on the ground among those God set apart as unclean.
- Leviticus 22:5-6 (BSB)“or whoever touches a crawling creature or a person that makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be— the man who touches any of these will remain unclean until evening. He must not eat from the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water.”Shows that a priest who touched a crawling creature was unclean until evening and barred from the holy food until he bathed.
General
Which of these animals is named as chewing the cud but lacking a divided hoof (11:4-6)?
Answer: The rabbit
The text names three animals that pass one half of the test but fail the other: the camel, the rock badger, and the rabbit. Each chews the cud but lacks a split hoof, so each is unclean, meaning not to be eaten (11:4-6). The pig fails the other way, with a split hoof but no cud-chewing (11:7). The locust is an insect Israel was allowed to eat (11:22), and the gecko is among the small creatures listed as unclean ground dwellers (11:30). Deuteronomy names the same three animals for the same reason (Deuteronomy 14:7), and Israel was not to eat anything God had called detestable (Deuteronomy 14:3).
- Leviticus 11:4-6 (BSB)“But of those that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, you are not to eat the following: The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. The rock badger, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.”Three animals are excluded because, though they chew the cud, their hoof is not divided.
- Deuteronomy 14:7 (BSB)“But of those that chew the cud or have a completely divided hoof, you are not to eat the following: the camel, the rabbit, or the rock badger. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a divided hoof. They are unclean for you,”Deuteronomy names the same three animals and gives the same reason.
- Deuteronomy 14:3 (BSB)“You must not eat any detestable thing.”Israel was not to eat anything God had declared detestable.
Theological
Which animal does 11:4-6 list as a cud-chewer without a divided hoof?
Answer: The rabbit
The camel, the rock badger, and the rabbit each meet one criterion (cud-chewing) but fail the other (no divided hoof), and so are unclean (11:4-6). The pig is the converse case (11:7), the locust is a permitted insect (11:22), and the gecko belongs to the ground-dwelling creatures of 11:29-30. Deuteronomy 14:7 lists the same three animals on the same ground, under the general prohibition of eating what God has declared detestable (Deuteronomy 14:3).
- Leviticus 11:4-6 (BSB)“But of those that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, you are not to eat the following: The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. The rock badger, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.”Three animals are excluded because, though they chew the cud, their hoof is not divided.
- Deuteronomy 14:7 (BSB)“But of those that chew the cud or have a completely divided hoof, you are not to eat the following: the camel, the rabbit, or the rock badger. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a divided hoof. They are unclean for you,”Deuteronomy names the same three animals and gives the same reason.
- Deuteronomy 14:3 (BSB)“You must not eat any detestable thing.”Israel was not to eat anything God had declared detestable.
General
How does the New Testament treat the food distinctions of Leviticus 11?
Answer: It teaches that all food is now clean, since these laws pointed ahead to Christ
Jesus taught that nothing entering a person from outside can make him unclean, and Mark draws the conclusion that every kind of food is therefore clean (Mark 7:18-19). God confirmed this to Peter in a vision, telling him not to treat as impure what God has cleansed (Acts 10:13-15), a lesson Peter applied to welcoming Gentiles. Paul calls food rules a shadow of things to come whose reality is found in Christ (Colossians 2:16-17), and Hebrews calls such regulations outward rules in force until the new order came (Hebrews 9:10). The food laws were given by God for a purpose, teaching Israel to be a distinct, holy people. Now that Christ has come, His people are made holy through Him rather than through what they eat, though the call to be holy stated in this chapter remains (11:44).
- Leviticus 11:44 (BSB)“For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any creature that crawls along the ground.”The call to holiness on which the food laws rest.
- Mark 7:18-19 (BSB)““Are you still so dull?” He asked. “Do you not understand? Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him, because it does not enter his heart, but it goes into the stomach and then is eliminated.” (Thus all foods are clean.)”Jesus teaches that food cannot defile a person, and Mark concludes that all foods are therefore clean.
- Acts 10:13-15 (BSB)“Then a voice said to him: “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” “No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.””In Peter's vision God tells him not to call impure what God has made clean.
- Colossians 2:16-17 (BSB)“Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.”Food regulations are a shadow of things to come, while the reality belongs to Christ.
- Hebrews 9:10 (BSB)“They consist only in food and drink and special washings—external regulations imposed until the time of reform.”Calls food and washing regulations external rules imposed until the time of reform.
Theological
How does the New Testament treat the dietary distinctions of Leviticus 11?
Answer: It treats all food as clean, the laws having served as shadows fulfilled in Christ
Christ taught that nothing entering from outside defiles a person, from which Mark concludes that every food is clean (Mark 7:18-19). Peter's vision confirmed that what God has cleansed is not to be called impure (Acts 10:13-15), with its application to the inclusion of the Gentiles. Paul designates food regulations a shadow whose substance is Christ (Colossians 2:16-17), and Hebrews classes them among the external ordinances in force until the new order came (Hebrews 9:10). As ceremonial law, the dietary code served its God-given purpose of marking Israel as a holy nation and has been fulfilled in Christ, while the moral call to holiness it expressed endures (11:44).
- Leviticus 11:44 (BSB)“For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any creature that crawls along the ground.”The call to holiness on which the food laws rest.
- Mark 7:18-19 (BSB)““Are you still so dull?” He asked. “Do you not understand? Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him, because it does not enter his heart, but it goes into the stomach and then is eliminated.” (Thus all foods are clean.)”Jesus teaches that food cannot defile a person, and Mark concludes that all foods are therefore clean.
- Acts 10:13-15 (BSB)“Then a voice said to him: “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” “No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.””In Peter's vision God tells him not to call impure what God has made clean.
- Colossians 2:16-17 (BSB)“Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.”Food regulations are a shadow of things to come, while the reality belongs to Christ.
- Hebrews 9:10 (BSB)“They consist only in food and drink and special washings—external regulations imposed until the time of reform.”Calls food and washing regulations external rules imposed until the time of reform.
General
How does 11:13-19 identify which birds Israel must not eat?
Answer: By naming the forbidden kinds one by one
For land animals and water creatures, God gave physical tests, but for birds He simply named the kinds Israel was to regard as detestable (11:13-19). The list includes the eagle, two kinds of vulture, the raven, the ostrich, various owls, the stork, the heron, and the hoopoe, and it ends with the bat, which the list groups with the birds as a flying creature. Many of the named birds eat meat or dead animals, but the text does not give a reason. Deuteronomy also permits clean birds and then names the forbidden ones (Deuteronomy 14:11-12), as part of the clean-unclean distinction (Leviticus 20:25).
- Leviticus 11:13-19 (BSB)“Additionally, you are to detest the following birds, and they must not be eaten because they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, the kite, any kind of falcon, any kind of raven, the ostrich, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.”The forbidden birds are named one by one, ending with the bat.
- Deuteronomy 14:11-12 (BSB)“You may eat any clean bird, but these you may not eat: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,”Deuteronomy also allows any clean bird and then names those that are forbidden.
- Leviticus 20:25 (BSB)“You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.”God commands Israel to distinguish between clean and unclean birds as well as animals.
Theological
By what method does 11:13-19 identify the unclean birds?
Answer: An enumerated list of forbidden kinds
Unlike land and water creatures, the unclean birds are identified not by criteria but by enumeration (11:13-19): the eagle, vultures, the kite, falcons, ravens, the ostrich, owls, the gull, hawks, the cormorant, the osprey, storks, herons, the hoopoe, and finally the bat, grouped with the birds as a flying creature. Many are birds of prey or carrion eaters, but the text states no rationale. Deuteronomy follows the same pattern of permitting clean birds and listing the exceptions (Deuteronomy 14:11-12), within the clean-unclean distinction of Leviticus 20:25.
- Leviticus 11:13-19 (BSB)“Additionally, you are to detest the following birds, and they must not be eaten because they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, the kite, any kind of falcon, any kind of raven, the ostrich, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.”The forbidden birds are named one by one, ending with the bat.
- Deuteronomy 14:11-12 (BSB)“You may eat any clean bird, but these you may not eat: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,”Deuteronomy also allows any clean bird and then names those that are forbidden.
- Leviticus 20:25 (BSB)“You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.”God commands Israel to distinguish between clean and unclean birds as well as animals.
General
What past act of God does 11:45 give as a reason for Israel to be holy?
Answer: He rescued them from Egypt and became their God
God reminds Israel that He is the LORD, who led them up from Egypt so that He would be their God, and therefore they must be holy because He is holy (11:45). The order matters: God first rescued them by His grace, and then called them to live as His holy people. Their obedience was a response to redemption, not a way to earn it. The Ten Commandments open the same way (Exodus 20:2), and God repeats it later (Leviticus 22:32-33). The New Testament follows the same pattern: Christ gave Himself to redeem us and to make us a purified people belonging to Him (Titus 2:14).
- Leviticus 11:45 (BSB)“For I am the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt so that I would be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.”God reminds Israel that He brought them out of Egypt to be their God, and on that basis calls them to be holy.
- Exodus 20:2 (BSB)““I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”The Ten Commandments likewise open with God's act of rescue from Egypt before any command.
- Leviticus 22:32-33 (BSB)“You must not profane My holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy among the Israelites. I am the LORD who sanctifies you, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD.””God again names Himself as the One who sanctifies Israel and brought them out of Egypt.
- Titus 2:14 (BSB)“He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”Christ redeemed a people to purify them for Himself, the same pattern of redemption leading to holiness.
Theological
What redemptive act does 11:45 cite as the basis for Israel's holiness?
Answer: The exodus from Egypt, by which He became their God
The call to holiness rests on redemption: the LORD, having brought Israel up from Egypt to be their God, commands them to be holy as He is holy (11:45). Grace precedes and grounds obedience; the law is given to a people already redeemed, not as the means of their redemption. The Decalogue has the same structure (Exodus 20:2), as does Leviticus 22:32-33. In the new covenant, Christ gave Himself to redeem His people and purify them as His own possession (Titus 2:14).
- Leviticus 11:45 (BSB)“For I am the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt so that I would be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.”God reminds Israel that He brought them out of Egypt to be their God, and on that basis calls them to be holy.
- Exodus 20:2 (BSB)““I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”The Ten Commandments likewise open with God's act of rescue from Egypt before any command.
- Leviticus 22:32-33 (BSB)“You must not profane My holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy among the Israelites. I am the LORD who sanctifies you, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD.””God again names Himself as the One who sanctifies Israel and brought them out of Egypt.
- Titus 2:14 (BSB)“He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”Christ redeemed a people to purify them for Himself, the same pattern of redemption leading to holiness.
General
Which flying insects were Israelites allowed to eat (11:21-22)?
Answer: Locusts, katydids, crickets, and grasshoppers
Winged insects that go about on four legs were generally detestable to Israel (11:20, 23). The exception was insects with jointed legs built for leaping along the ground, namely all kinds of locusts, katydids, crickets, and grasshoppers (11:21-22). John the Baptist, living in the wilderness, ate locusts along with wild honey (Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6), food that was permitted under this law.
- Leviticus 11:20-23 (BSB)“All flying insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you. However, you may eat the following kinds of flying insects that walk on all fours: those having jointed legs above their feet for hopping on the ground. Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket, or grasshopper. All other flying insects that have four legs are detestable to you.”Most winged insects are detestable, but those with jointed legs for hopping may be eaten.
- Matthew 3:4 (BSB)“John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.”John the Baptist ate locusts, one of the insects this law permitted.
- Mark 1:6 (BSB)“John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.”Mark also records locusts as part of John's diet in the wilderness.
Theological
Which winged insects does 11:21-22 permit Israel to eat?
Answer: Locusts, katydids, crickets, and grasshoppers
Winged insects moving on four legs were detestable (11:20, 23), with the exception of those with jointed legs for leaping: all kinds of locusts, katydids, crickets, and grasshoppers (11:21-22). John the Baptist's wilderness diet of locusts and honey (Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6) fell within this permission.
- Leviticus 11:20-23 (BSB)“All flying insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you. However, you may eat the following kinds of flying insects that walk on all fours: those having jointed legs above their feet for hopping on the ground. Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket, or grasshopper. All other flying insects that have four legs are detestable to you.”Most winged insects are detestable, but those with jointed legs for hopping may be eaten.
- Matthew 3:4 (BSB)“John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.”John the Baptist ate locusts, one of the insects this law permitted.
- Mark 1:6 (BSB)“John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.”Mark also records locusts as part of John's diet in the wilderness.
General
What two features made a land animal acceptable for Israel to eat (11:3)?
Answer: It had to have a fully split hoof and chew the cud
God told Moses and Aaron that Israel could eat any land animal whose hoof was split all the way through and which also chewed the cud, meaning it brought up its food again to chew it a second time (11:2-3). Both features were required; one alone was not enough. Moses repeated the same test later (Deuteronomy 14:6). The word clean in this chapter means acceptable for Israel to eat and fit for life near God's holy presence, while unclean means ritually off-limits. God says He made these distinctions because He had set Israel apart as His own people (Leviticus 20:25-26).
- Leviticus 11:2-3 (BSB)““Say to the Israelites, ‘Of all the beasts of the earth, these ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud.”God gives the test for which land animals Israel may eat.
- Deuteronomy 14:6 (BSB)“You may eat any animal that has a split hoof divided in two and that chews the cud.”Moses repeats the same two-part test for land animals before Israel enters the land.
- Leviticus 20:25-26 (BSB)“You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you. You are to be holy to Me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own.”God explains that He set these distinctions between clean and unclean animals because He set Israel apart to be His own.
Theological
What twofold criterion determines which land animals are clean in 11:3?
Answer: A fully divided hoof and chewing the cud
A land animal was clean for food if it both had a hoof split fully in two and chewed the cud (11:2-3); either mark alone was insufficient. Deuteronomy restates the criterion (Deuteronomy 14:6). The distinction is a matter of ritual status tied to Israel's calling: God grounds it in His having separated Israel from the other peoples as His own (Leviticus 20:25-26).
- Leviticus 11:2-3 (BSB)““Say to the Israelites, ‘Of all the beasts of the earth, these ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud.”God gives the test for which land animals Israel may eat.
- Deuteronomy 14:6 (BSB)“You may eat any animal that has a split hoof divided in two and that chews the cud.”Moses repeats the same two-part test for land animals before Israel enters the land.
- Leviticus 20:25-26 (BSB)“You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you. You are to be holy to Me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own.”God explains that He set these distinctions between clean and unclean animals because He set Israel apart to be His own.
General
True or False: The pig was unclean because, although its hoof is split, it is not a cud-chewer (11:7).
Answer: True
This is true. The pig has a hoof split fully in two, but it is not a cud-chewer, so it failed the test and was unclean for Israel (11:7). Israel was forbidden to eat the meat of any of these unclean animals or touch their dead bodies (11:8). Deuteronomy gives the same reason and the same rule (Deuteronomy 14:8). The text itself does not base this on health; it presents it as part of the clean-unclean distinction that God commanded His people to keep (Leviticus 20:25).
- Leviticus 11:7-8 (BSB)“And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.”The pig is excluded because it does not chew the cud, and Israel must neither eat nor touch the carcasses of these animals.
- Deuteronomy 14:8 (BSB)“as well as the pig; though it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. It is unclean for you. You must not eat its meat or touch its carcass.”Deuteronomy gives the same reason for the pig and the same ban on eating its meat or touching its carcass.
- Leviticus 20:25 (BSB)“You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.”God commands Israel to keep the distinction between clean and unclean animals.
Theological
True or False: According to 11:7, the pig is unclean because its hoof is split but it is not a cud-chewer.
Answer: True
This is true. The pig meets the hoof criterion but not the cud criterion and is therefore unclean (11:7); Israel was neither to eat the flesh of these animals nor to touch their carcasses (11:8). Deuteronomy 14:8 repeats the reason and the prohibition. The chapter supplies no hygienic rationale; the rule belongs to the covenant distinction of clean from unclean that Israel was commanded to observe (Leviticus 20:25).
- Leviticus 11:7-8 (BSB)“And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.”The pig is excluded because it does not chew the cud, and Israel must neither eat nor touch the carcasses of these animals.
- Deuteronomy 14:8 (BSB)“as well as the pig; though it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. It is unclean for you. You must not eat its meat or touch its carcass.”Deuteronomy gives the same reason for the pig and the same ban on eating its meat or touching its carcass.
- Leviticus 20:25 (BSB)“You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.”God commands Israel to keep the distinction between clean and unclean animals.
General
According to 11:46-47, what was the stated purpose of this law?
Answer: To tell clean from unclean, and edible creatures from inedible ones
The chapter ends by summing up its purpose: this law covers land animals, birds, water creatures, and crawling things, so that Israel might tell clean from unclean and edible and inedible creatures (11:46-47). People have proposed many reasons for these particular rules, such as health, separation from pagan practices, or a picture of order in creation, but the text itself gives holiness and distinction. God explains that separating clean from unclean animals matched His separating Israel from the other peoples as His own (Leviticus 20:24-26; Deuteronomy 14:2). The priests had just been charged to teach this very distinction (Leviticus 10:10).
- Leviticus 11:46-47 (BSB)“This is the law regarding animals, birds, all living creatures that move in the water, and all creatures that crawl along the ground. You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between animals that may be eaten and those that may not.’””The chapter closes by stating its purpose: to distinguish clean from unclean and edible from inedible.
- Leviticus 20:24-26 (BSB)“But I have told you that you will inherit their land, since I will give it to you as an inheritance—a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the peoples. You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you. You are to be holy to Me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own.”God explains that the food distinctions mirror His setting Israel apart from the peoples.
- Deuteronomy 14:2 (BSB)“for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.”Israel is a people holy to the LORD, chosen as His prized possession, which is the setting for the food laws that follow.
- Leviticus 10:10 (BSB)“You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean,”The priests had just been charged to distinguish between clean and unclean.
Theological
What purpose does 11:46-47 state for the law of this chapter?
Answer: Distinguishing clean from unclean and edible from inedible creatures
The summary states the law's purpose: to make a distinction of clean from unclean, and between creatures that may and may not be eaten (11:46-47). Various rationales for the particular categories have been proposed, including hygiene, avoidance of pagan cultic associations, and symbolic order in creation, but the text's own rationale is holiness and separation. Leviticus 20:24-26 makes the correspondence explicit: the distinction among animals mirrors God's separation of Israel from the peoples as His own, and Deuteronomy 14:2 sets the food laws within Israel's election as His own people. The priests' commission in Leviticus 10:10 was to guard exactly this distinction.
- Leviticus 11:46-47 (BSB)“This is the law regarding animals, birds, all living creatures that move in the water, and all creatures that crawl along the ground. You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between animals that may be eaten and those that may not.’””The chapter closes by stating its purpose: to distinguish clean from unclean and edible from inedible.
- Leviticus 20:24-26 (BSB)“But I have told you that you will inherit their land, since I will give it to you as an inheritance—a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the peoples. You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you. You are to be holy to Me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own.”God explains that the food distinctions mirror His setting Israel apart from the peoples.
- Deuteronomy 14:2 (BSB)“for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.”Israel is a people holy to the LORD, chosen as His prized possession, which is the setting for the food laws that follow.
- Leviticus 10:10 (BSB)“You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean,”The priests had just been charged to distinguish between clean and unclean.
General
Which of these stayed clean even if the carcass of an unclean creature fell into or onto it (11:33-38)?
Answer: A water spring or cistern
A spring or a cistern holding water remained clean even if a carcass fell into it, though the person who touched the carcass there became unclean (11:36). Seed for planting also stayed clean if it was dry, but if the seed had been wetted, a carcass falling on it made it unclean (11:37-38). Clay pots and ovens, by contrast, had to be broken (11:33, 35). These detailed rules governed outward, ceremonial cleanness, which Hebrews describes as cleansing of the body and calls outward regulations until God's time of reform (Hebrews 9:10, 13).
- Leviticus 11:36-38 (BSB)“Nevertheless, a spring or cistern containing water will remain clean, but one who touches a carcass in it will be unclean. If a carcass falls on any seed for sowing, the seed is clean; but if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, it is unclean for you.”A spring or cistern stays clean, and dry seed stays clean, but seed that has been wetted becomes unclean.
- Hebrews 9:13 (BSB)“For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean,”Describes the old purity rites as concerned with ceremonial, bodily cleanness.
- Hebrews 9:10 (BSB)“They consist only in food and drink and special washings—external regulations imposed until the time of reform.”Calls such food, drink, and washing regulations external rules in force until the time of reform.
Theological
According to 11:33-38, which of the following remained clean when a carcass fell into or on it?
Answer: A water spring or cistern
A spring or a cistern remained clean despite a carcass falling into it, though whoever touched the carcass was defiled (11:36). Dry seed for sowing likewise remained clean, whereas moistened seed became unclean on contact (11:37-38); earthenware vessels and ovens had to be broken (11:33, 35). These provisions concern ceremonial purity of the flesh, the sphere Hebrews assigns to the old order's external regulations until the new order came (Hebrews 9:10, 13).
- Leviticus 11:36-38 (BSB)“Nevertheless, a spring or cistern containing water will remain clean, but one who touches a carcass in it will be unclean. If a carcass falls on any seed for sowing, the seed is clean; but if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, it is unclean for you.”A spring or cistern stays clean, and dry seed stays clean, but seed that has been wetted becomes unclean.
- Hebrews 9:13 (BSB)“For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean,”Describes the old purity rites as concerned with ceremonial, bodily cleanness.
- Hebrews 9:10 (BSB)“They consist only in food and drink and special washings—external regulations imposed until the time of reform.”Calls such food, drink, and washing regulations external rules in force until the time of reform.
General
What happened to someone who picked up the carcass of an unclean animal (11:25, 28)?
Answer: He had to wash his garments and stayed unclean until evening
Anyone who simply touched the dead body of one of these unclean creatures became unclean until evening; a person who picked one up and carried it also had to launder his clothing and remained unclean until evening (11:24-25). The same applied to animals that go on four paws rather than hooves (11:27-28). Being unclean meant being in a temporary ritual state that kept a person from holy things, not a state of moral guilt; it ended at evening, with the one who had carried the carcass also washing his clothes. A similar rule appears elsewhere (Leviticus 17:15). Hebrews describes such rites as making the body ceremonially clean and calls them outward regulations meant to last until God's time of reform in Christ (Hebrews 9:10, 13).
- Leviticus 11:24-25 (BSB)“These creatures will make you unclean. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening, and whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening.”Touching the carcass of an unclean creature makes a person unclean until evening, and carrying it also requires washing clothes.
- Leviticus 11:27-28 (BSB)“All the four-footed animals that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening, and anyone who picks up a carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening. They are unclean for you.”Four-footed animals that walk on paws are unclean, and the same rules of touching and carrying apply.
- Leviticus 17:15 (BSB)“And any person, whether native or foreigner, who eats anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening; then he will be clean.”Another case where washing clothes is required and the uncleanness ends at evening.
- Hebrews 9:13 (BSB)“For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean,”The New Testament describes these rites as making the body ceremonially clean.
- Hebrews 9:10 (BSB)“They consist only in food and drink and special washings—external regulations imposed until the time of reform.”Calls such washings external regulations in force until the time of reform.
Theological
According to 11:25 and 11:28, what was required of one who carried an unclean carcass?
Answer: Washing his clothes, remaining unclean until evening
Contact with the carcass of an unclean creature rendered a person unclean until evening; carrying it additionally required washing one's clothes (11:24-25), and the same rule applied to animals going on four paws (11:27-28). The uncleanness was a temporary ritual status rather than moral guilt, lapsing at evening, with the carrier also washing his clothes, a pattern also seen in Leviticus 17:15. Hebrews classifies such washings as external regulations that made the body ceremonially clean, in force until Christ brought the new order (Hebrews 9:10, 13).
- Leviticus 11:24-25 (BSB)“These creatures will make you unclean. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening, and whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening.”Touching the carcass of an unclean creature makes a person unclean until evening, and carrying it also requires washing clothes.
- Leviticus 11:27-28 (BSB)“All the four-footed animals that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening, and anyone who picks up a carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening. They are unclean for you.”Four-footed animals that walk on paws are unclean, and the same rules of touching and carrying apply.
- Leviticus 17:15 (BSB)“And any person, whether native or foreigner, who eats anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening; then he will be clean.”Another case where washing clothes is required and the uncleanness ends at evening.
- Hebrews 9:13 (BSB)“For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean,”The New Testament describes these rites as making the body ceremonially clean.
- Hebrews 9:10 (BSB)“They consist only in food and drink and special washings—external regulations imposed until the time of reform.”Calls such washings external regulations in force until the time of reform.
General
Which creatures from the seas and streams could Israel eat (11:9-12)?
Answer: Those with both fins and scales
Israel could eat any creature from the seas or rivers that had both fins and scales (11:9). Anything living in the water without both of these, such as shellfish, was to be treated as detestable, meaning something to be regarded with disgust and avoided; they were not to eat its meat and were to treat even its dead body as detestable (11:10-12). The rule applied to salt water and fresh water alike. Deuteronomy repeats it (Deuteronomy 14:9-10), and it is part of the clean-unclean distinction God told Israel to keep (Leviticus 20:25).
- Leviticus 11:9-12 (BSB)“Of all the creatures that live in the water, whether in the seas or in the streams, you may eat anything with fins and scales. But the following among all the teeming life and creatures in the water are detestable to you: everything in the seas or streams that does not have fins and scales. They shall be an abomination to you; you must not eat their meat, and you must detest their carcasses. Everything in the water that does not have fins and scales shall be detestable to you.”Water creatures are clean only if they have both fins and scales.
- Deuteronomy 14:9-10 (BSB)“Of all the creatures that live in the water, you may eat anything with fins and scales, but you may not eat anything that does not have fins and scales; it is unclean for you.”Deuteronomy restates the same rule for creatures living in the water.
- Leviticus 20:25 (BSB)“You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.”God commands Israel to distinguish between clean and unclean creatures.
Theological
What criterion in 11:9-12 determines which water creatures are clean?
Answer: Possession of both fins and scales
Among creatures of seas and streams alike, those having both fins and scales were clean (11:9); all others were to be regarded as detestable, neither eaten nor treated as anything but abhorrent in death (11:10-12). The single criterion is restated in Deuteronomy 14:9-10 and belongs to the wider clean-unclean distinction commanded in Leviticus 20:25.
- Leviticus 11:9-12 (BSB)“Of all the creatures that live in the water, whether in the seas or in the streams, you may eat anything with fins and scales. But the following among all the teeming life and creatures in the water are detestable to you: everything in the seas or streams that does not have fins and scales. They shall be an abomination to you; you must not eat their meat, and you must detest their carcasses. Everything in the water that does not have fins and scales shall be detestable to you.”Water creatures are clean only if they have both fins and scales.
- Deuteronomy 14:9-10 (BSB)“Of all the creatures that live in the water, you may eat anything with fins and scales, but you may not eat anything that does not have fins and scales; it is unclean for you.”Deuteronomy restates the same rule for creatures living in the water.
- Leviticus 20:25 (BSB)“You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.”God commands Israel to distinguish between clean and unclean creatures.