Leviticus 11

Comments
The Book of Leviticus is about those "He called" to become the Church in the wilderness and their instructions concerning the seeking of the kingdom of God and the way of the righteousness of God for the the exercise of Pure Religion for the people in free assemblies and the priests in a network of Levites. The Called out of Christ would also institute a similar system of Lively Stones of a Living Altar through a daily ministration of fervent charity to provide all care for early Christians who would not eat at the tables of the social welfare system operated through the temples of Rome and the governments of the world because David, Paul, Peter warned that those dainties were a not only the wages of unrighteousness of a Corban that made the word of God to none effect but were also a snare and a trap that was capable of entangling the masses as captives and merchandise through covetous practices again in the bondage of Egypt. They knew that the free bread of those systems of the word were provided by men who called themselves benefactors but exercise authority one over the other.^[1]
Audio files
Download Recording #1 or press play Leviticus 11 or press play Babylon Download Recording #2 Mystery Babylon or press play or press play
Why food law? The care of the body is care of the nation.
Are the food laws superstition or was there a practice side to the practice?
Why are some clean and some unclean?
Is there deeper meaning or at least symbolic message?
Forbidding consumption of a camel, just because of the hoof. Why?
Did God protect His people from illnesses unknown to many in ancient science (Deuteronomy 7:15).
Camels are not true ruminants. Camels are pseudoruminants with three stomach compartments, while sheep are true ruminants carry unique parasites like Nematodirus spp. that are less common in small ruminants. Additionally, camels can transmit parasites that may pose health risks to humans, making them a concern in terms of cleanliness. Camel parasites can pose significant health risks to humans, particularly through zoonotic diseases like echinococcosis, which is caused by tapeworms that can be transmitted through contaminated food or water. Additionally, the presence of pathogens in camel meat can lead to food safety concerns, emphasizing the need for proper hygiene practices.
Many prohibited Animals are known to be carriers of zoonotic disease. ^[2]
v7. Pork carried Trichinella spiralis and Taenia solium; the USDA still requires 160 °F internal temperature to neutralize parasites. Just touching pork or the ground they live on or other people could contaminate people.
Shellfish were filter feeders that concentrate Vibrio bacteria and heavy metals could effect health.
Carrion and birds were reservoirs for Salmonella and avian influenza which illustrate the wisdom embedded in the Mosaic diet long before germ theory.
Surgeon-General Cyrus Edson (1893) documented dramatically lower incidences of intestinal parasites among kosher-observant European immigrant communities in New York, an historical confirmation of Leviticus’ practical benefits
In our article on the Peaceful invasion of Canaan we address the rules and instruction of Moses concerning sanitation and diet to keep the nation healthy.




Spiritual symbolism
Chewing cud pictures inward meditation and the taking in of nourishment; the split hoof pictures an outward walk that is steady and distinct.
An animal that has only one mark illustrates an incomplete picture—much like professing devotion without separated conduct, or moral behavior without inward devotion (cf. James 1:8).
The Lord used visible creation to teach Israel that true holiness requires both heart and walk lining up with His will.
Question
Did John the Baptist eat locusts or Carob beans. "Scholars generally agree that John the Baptist ate real locusts, the clean insects permitted under Mosaic Law, rather than carob beans. The Greek word used in the New Testament, akris, specifically refers to the insect, and early church traditions along with modern biblical scholarship support this literal interpretation." "While some earlier theories suggested he ate carob beans (also known as ^[3]) because they were a more accessible year-round food source in the wilderness, this view is now largely dismissed by experts. The carob interpretation relies on a linguistic confusion with similar-sounding words in other ancient texts, whereas the insect diet aligns with the ascetic, prophetic lifestyle described in the Gospels." The carob was called the "locust beans" so to the people who were often multilingual during this period in common trading circles there would be no confusion.

[1]

ye shall eat

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.

3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.

shall ye not eat

4 Nevertheless 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.

5 And the coney^[4], because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

6 And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

The swine

7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.

8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.

Water fins and scales

9 These 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.

No fins or scales

10 And 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:

11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.

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

Fowls to not eat

13 And 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,

14 And the vulture, and the kite^[5] after his kind;

15 Every raven after his kind;

16 And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow,^[6] and the hawk after his kind,

17 And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,

18 And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,

19 And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing,^[7] and the bat.

20 All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you.^[8]

These may ye eat

21 Yet 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;^[9]

22 Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust^[10] after his kind, and the beetle after his kind^[11], and the grasshopper after his kind.^[12]

shall be an abomination

23 But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.

ye shall be unclean

24 And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even.

25 And whosoever beareth ought of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.

26 The 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.

On his paws

27 And 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.

28 And he that beareth the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you.

Also unclean

29 These 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,

30 And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole.

Things that touch

31 These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even.

32 And 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.

33 And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it.

34 Of 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.

35 And 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.

Flowing water

36 Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean.

37 And if any part of their carcase fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean.

38 But if any water be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcase fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you.

39 And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even.

Washing after touching

40 And 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.

41 And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten.^[13]

42 Whatsoever 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.

Ye shall not

43 Ye 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.

44 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.

45 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.

46 This 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:

↑ Not exercise authority
Matthew 20:25 "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you:..."

Mark 10:42 "But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you:..."

Luke 22:25 "And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye [shall] not [be] so:..."
↑ Zoonotic diseases are infections that can be transmitted from animals to humans, caused by pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi. They account for approximately 60% of known infectious diseases in humans and can range from mild to severe illnesses.
↑ locust beans
↑ coney in the Bible refers to the Syrian hyrax (Hyrax syriacus), a small, rock-dwelling mammal found in the Holy Land, rather than the rabbit or hare as historically mistranslated. In Hebrew, the animal is known as shaphan, meaning "the hider," and it is characterized by its habit of seeking refuge in the clefts of rocks rather than burrowing. (Leviticus 11:5; Deuteronomy 14:7)
↑ "... kite. Its name in the original (dââh), which literally denotes the swift, majestic and gliding flier, appropriately describes this bird, which sails with its expanded wings through the air, where it often pauses as if suspended, watching for its prey. Kites are very plentiful in Syria, and are frequently seen hovering over the plains, the villages, and the outskirts of towns, and looking out for garbage and offal, and hence are often seen in company with the vulture at their useful task of devouring the carrion." Elliot Com.
↑ And the cuckow.—Rather, and the sea-gull. Like the foregoing bird of prey, the shachaph here mentioned only occurs again in the duplicate list of unclean animals in Deuteronomy 14:15. It literally means the thin, slender, or cadaverous bird, and is taken by the most ancient authorities to denote the sea-gull, which is “the raven of the sea.” Elliot Com.
↑ And the lapwing.—Better, the hoopoe. This dirty bird, which only occurs again in the parallel list in Deuteronomy 14:18, and which according to the ancients builds its nest of human dung, feeds upon offal and garbage. Its loathsome smell during brooding-time, and for weeks after, is perfectly insufferable. Though its flesh, which in the autumn tastes like quail’s, is eaten in some places, yet the Mohammedans regard it as proscribed. According to another ancient tradition the bird here meant is “the mountain cock.” Elliot Com.
↑ The phrase, however, “upon all four” does not refer to the exact number of feet, but, as in some modern languages, denotes walking with its body in a horizontal position, or near the ground, in contradistinction to the two-legged birds discussed in the foregoing verses. This is the sense which the administrators of the law in the time of Christ attached to the phrase. Hence the Chaldee paraphrase of Jonathan translates it, “And all creeping-things which have wings going upon all four, the flyspecies and the wasp or hornet species and the bee species.”
↑ "Which have legs above their feet.—Better, which have knees above their hinder legs, that is, those which have the third or hindmost pair of legs much longer and stronger than ordinary insects. Those insects, therefore, in whose hindermost legs the second joint is much larger and stronger, whereby they are enabled to leap or raise themselves up with great force and leap a great distance upon the earth, are excepted. These are the locusts. The canonical law which obtained during the second Temple defines more minutely the characteristics of clean locusts. A clean locust we are told has (1) four front feet, (2) four wings, (3) two springing feet, and (4) the wings so long and broad that they cover the greater portion of the back body of the insect. If it possesses these four characteristics it is clean, whether it is with a tail or without it, and whether it has an oblong or round head." Elliot Com.
↑ And the bald locust.—This is the only place where salam, which is the name in the original, occurs as one of the edible kinds of leaping insects. Any attempt to identify the species is simply conjecture, since all which tradition tells us about it is that this kind of locust “has no tail but has a hump.”
↑ The beetle.—Rather, the hopping locust. Though it is difficult to identify the exact species, as the name (chargol) does not occur again in the Bible, yet it is perfectly certain that a sort of locust is here intended, since the context clearly shows that four different kinds of the same insect are enumerated. This is moreover confirmed by the administrators of the law in the time of Christ, who assure us the chargol is a species of locust having both a hump and a tail, the eggs of which Jewish women suspended in the ear as a remedy against ear-ache. This shows that it must have been a very large kind, and as the name denotes the galloping or hopping one, it is evidently designed to describe an unwinged species.
↑ "The grasshopper.—Rather, the small locust. This name (chagab) occurs four times more in the Bible (Numbers 13:33; 2Chronicles 7:13; Ecclesiastes 12:5; Isaiah 40:22), and is only in one place rightly rendered by locust (2Chronicles 7:13) in the Authorised Version. From the fact that it is described as laying waste the fields (2Chronicles 7:13), and that its insignificant appearance is contrasted with giant men (Numbers 13:33) and with the great God of heaven (Isaiah 40:22), it is justly inferred that it denotes a small devastating locust which swarms in great quantities. According to the authorities in the time of Christ, it is a species which has a tail, but no hump. It was so common that the name (chagab) became a generic term for many of the locust tribe. Some kinds bearing this name were beautifully marked, and were eagerly caught by Jewish children as playthings, just as butterflies and cockchafers are sought after by children in the present day. Others again were caught in large numbers, sprinkled over with wine, and then sold. Hence the following two rules obtained during the second Temple: (1) No Israelite was allowed to buy them after the dealer had prepared them in this manner; and (2) he that vowed to abstain from flesh is not allowed to eat the flesh of fish and of (chagabim) locusts. Because the edible kinds of locusts are passed over in the parallel dietary laws in Deuteronomy, some have concluded that the eating of these insects was prohibited at the more advanced time when Deuteronomy was written. The fact, however, that John the Baptist ate locusts, and that a benediction was ordered during the second Temple to be recited at eating them, plainly shows the futility of the assertion. The Lawgiver never intended to repeat in Deuteronomy every particular point of legislation." Elliot Com.
↑ (41) And every creeping thing.—Besides the eight reptiles which defile by touching their carcase, and which are enumerated in Leviticus 11:29-30, all other creeping things upon the earth, with the exception of those specified in Leviticus 11:21-22, are to be treated as an abomination, and must not be eaten, though their carcases do not defile by coming in contact with them. From the fact that the creeping things here proscribed are expressly described as “creeping upon the earth,” the administrators of the law during the second Temple concluded that the small worms which do not creep upon the earth do not come within the operation of this prohibition. Hence worms bred in vegetables, fruit, and certain kinds of food are permitted.

[exauth-1] Not exercise authority
Matthew 20:25 "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you:..."

Mark 10:42 "But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you:..."

Luke 22:25 "And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye [shall] not [be] so:..."

[2] Zoonotic diseases are infections that can be transmitted from animals to humans, caused by pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi. They account for approximately 60% of known infectious diseases in humans and can range from mild to severe illnesses.

[3] ust beans

[4] y in the Bible refers to the Syrian hyrax (Hyrax syriacus), a small, rock-dwelling mammal found in the Holy Land, rather than the rabbit or hare as historically mistranslated. In Hebrew, the animal is known as shaphan, meaning "the hider," and it is characterized by its habit of seeking refuge in the clefts of rocks rather than burrowing. (Leviticus 11:5; Deuteronomy 14:7)

[kite-5] "... kite. Its name in the original (dââh), which literally denotes the swift, majestic and gliding flier, appropriately describes this bird, which sails with its expanded wings through the air, where it often pauses as if suspended, watching for its prey. Kites are very plentiful in Syria, and are frequently seen hovering over the plains, the villages, and the outskirts of towns, and looking out for garbage and offal, and hence are often seen in company with the vulture at their useful task of devouring the carrion." Elliot Com.

[6] And the cuckow.—Rather, and the sea-gull. Like the foregoing bird of prey, the shachaph here mentioned only occurs again in the duplicate list of unclean animals in Deuteronomy 14:15. It literally means the thin, slender, or cadaverous bird, and is taken by the most ancient authorities to denote the sea-gull, which is “the raven of the sea.” Elliot Com.

[lapwing-7] And the lapwing.—Better, the hoopoe. This dirty bird, which only occurs again in the parallel list in Deuteronomy 14:18, and which according to the ancients builds its nest of human dung, feeds upon offal and garbage. Its loathsome smell during brooding-time, and for weeks after, is perfectly insufferable. Though its flesh, which in the autumn tastes like quail’s, is eaten in some places, yet the Mohammedans regard it as proscribed. According to another ancient tradition the bird here meant is “the mountain cock.” Elliot Com.

[allfour-8] The phrase, however, “upon all four” does not refer to the exact number of feet, but, as in some modern languages, denotes walking with its body in a horizontal position, or near the ground, in contradistinction to the two-legged birds discussed in the foregoing verses. This is the sense which the administrators of the law in the time of Christ attached to the phrase. Hence the Chaldee paraphrase of Jonathan translates it, “And all creeping-things which have wings going upon all four, the flyspecies and the wasp or hornet species and the bee species.”

[9] "Which have legs above their feet.—Better, which have knees above their hinder legs, that is, those which have the third or hindmost pair of legs much longer and stronger than ordinary insects. Those insects, therefore, in whose hindermost legs the second joint is much larger and stronger, whereby they are enabled to leap or raise themselves up with great force and leap a great distance upon the earth, are excepted. These are the locusts. The canonical law which obtained during the second Temple defines more minutely the characteristics of clean locusts. A clean locust we are told has (1) four front feet, (2) four wings, (3) two springing feet, and (4) the wings so long and broad that they cover the greater portion of the back body of the insect. If it possesses these four characteristics it is clean, whether it is with a tail or without it, and whether it has an oblong or round head." Elliot Com.

[10] And the bald locust.—This is the only place where salam, which is the name in the original, occurs as one of the edible kinds of leaping insects. Any attempt to identify the species is simply conjecture, since all which tradition tells us about it is that this kind of locust “has no tail but has a hump.”

[11] The beetle.—Rather, the hopping locust. Though it is difficult to identify the exact species, as the name (chargol) does not occur again in the Bible, yet it is perfectly certain that a sort of locust is here intended, since the context clearly shows that four different kinds of the same insect are enumerated. This is moreover confirmed by the administrators of the law in the time of Christ, who assure us the chargol is a species of locust having both a hump and a tail, the eggs of which Jewish women suspended in the ear as a remedy against ear-ache. This shows that it must have been a very large kind, and as the name denotes the galloping or hopping one, it is evidently designed to describe an unwinged species.

[12] "The grasshopper.—Rather, the small locust. This name (chagab) occurs four times more in the Bible (Numbers 13:33; 2Chronicles 7:13; Ecclesiastes 12:5; Isaiah 40:22), and is only in one place rightly rendered by locust (2Chronicles 7:13) in the Authorised Version. From the fact that it is described as laying waste the fields (2Chronicles 7:13), and that its insignificant appearance is contrasted with giant men (Numbers 13:33) and with the great God of heaven (Isaiah 40:22), it is justly inferred that it denotes a small devastating locust which swarms in great quantities. According to the authorities in the time of Christ, it is a species which has a tail, but no hump. It was so common that the name (chagab) became a generic term for many of the locust tribe. Some kinds bearing this name were beautifully marked, and were eagerly caught by Jewish children as playthings, just as butterflies and cockchafers are sought after by children in the present day. Others again were caught in large numbers, sprinkled over with wine, and then sold. Hence the following two rules obtained during the second Temple: (1) No Israelite was allowed to buy them after the dealer had prepared them in this manner; and (2) he that vowed to abstain from flesh is not allowed to eat the flesh of fish and of (chagabim) locusts. Because the edible kinds of locusts are passed over in the parallel dietary laws in Deuteronomy, some have concluded that the eating of these insects was prohibited at the more advanced time when Deuteronomy was written. The fact, however, that John the Baptist ate locusts, and that a benediction was ordered during the second Temple to be recited at eating them, plainly shows the futility of the assertion. The Lawgiver never intended to repeat in Deuteronomy every particular point of legislation." Elliot Com.

[13] (41) And every creeping thing.—Besides the eight reptiles which defile by touching their carcase, and which are enumerated in Leviticus 11:29-30, all other creeping things upon the earth, with the exception of those specified in Leviticus 11:21-22, are to be treated as an abomination, and must not be eaten, though their carcases do not defile by coming in contact with them. From the fact that the creeping things here proscribed are expressly described as “creeping upon the earth,” the administrators of the law during the second Temple concluded that the small worms which do not creep upon the earth do not come within the operation of this prohibition. Hence worms bred in vegetables, fruit, and certain kinds of food are permitted.

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Leviticus 11

Contents

ye shall eat

shall ye not eat

The swine

Water fins and scales

No fins or scales

Fowls to not eat

These may ye eat

shall be an abomination

ye shall be unclean

On his paws

Also unclean

Things that touch

Flowing water

Washing after touching

Ye shall not

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Leviticus 11

ye shall eat

shall ye not eat

The swine

Water fins and scales

No fins or scales

Fowls to not eat

These may ye eat

shall be an abomination

ye shall be unclean

On his paws

Also unclean

Things that touch

Flowing water

Washing after touching

Ye shall not

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