1What beasts may, and what may not be eaten: 9what fishes: 13what fowls: 29the creeping things which are unclean.
1AND the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,
2Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Theseaare the beasts which ye shall eat among 1all the beasts that are on the earth.
a Deut. 14:4; Acts 10:14.
1 Hebr. out of all cattle. The Hebrew word is taken here in a general notion; as also Gen. 1:26; 6:7, 20.
3Whatsoever parteth the 2hoof, and is 3clovenfooted, and 4cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that 5shall ye eat.
2 That is, of which hoof, or shoe, or nail is parted, which is not in the hoofs of horses, asses, mules, etc.
3 That is, are parted as such that they have their claws divided not into many, as we see in dogs, cats, etc., but into two only, as in oxen, cows, sheep, etc.
4 Hebr. fetches up the chewed (food) or, cud, and so in the sequel. Understand these beasts which ruminate or chew again what they had chewed and swallowed once already; as we see the oxen, cows and sheep do, when they are set down. Three conditions or properties are required in these clean animals: 1. the dividing of the hoofs; 2. the cleaving of them in two; 3. the chewing of the cud. The difference of the two first conditions is to be inferred not only from this verse and the seventh, but especially from verse 26.
5 That is, that ye may eat.
4Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them 6that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but 7divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
6 That is, those only which chew the cud wanting the two other properties; and so for the words following, of them that divide the hoof. See Deut. 14:6.
7 Understand not in two, but into more parts; which is against the second required condition, wanting likewise in the conies and hares, mentioned in the two next verses.
5And the 8coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
8 Other, a mount-mouse, or, a bear-mouse, a four footed beast about the size of a hedgehog, and the shape of a mouse and bear, having its abode in the hollow rocks and abounding much in Palestine.
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 9unclean to you.
9 As having but the two first conditions and wanting the third.
8Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.
9¶These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath 10fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
10 Namely, together. Therefore all were unclean among the fishes: 1. that had neither fins nor scales; 2. that had but one of the two.
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 11living thing which is in the waters, they shall be 12an abomination unto you:
11 See Gen. 1 on verse 20.
12 That is, that whereof men ought to abhor to eat, or to touch it being dead, as the next verse explains it.
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.
13¶And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: 13the eagle, and 14the ossifrage, and 15the ospray,
13 In the translation of the names of the fowls, the most common opinions of the learned have been followed.
14 Other, gier eagle, (or, the bone-breaker), a certain kind of eagles which renew their youth, Psalm 103:5.
15 Having his name in the Hebrew, from the strength and vigor of his flying.
14And the vulture, and the 16kite after his kind;
16 A very good and sharp sight is ascribed here unto this fowl, Job 28:7.
15Every raven after his kind;
16And the 17owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow,b and the hawk after his kind,
17 Hebr. the daughter of the ostrich. Some are of the opinion that this qualification here is given to this sort of fowl, because they would be all females or hens, and have no cock among them. Other, the owl.
b gull
17And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the 18great owl,
18 Here is meant a certain kind of a great owl, or a fowl flying in the night, otherwise called huhu.
18And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,c
c vulture
19And the 19stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.
19 This bird has its name from the benevolence which he shows to its procreators, who feed and help them when they have become impotent through old age.
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, 20which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;
20 Other, which has no shanks.
22Even these of them ye may eat; the 21locust after his kind, and the 22bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.
21 Hebr. arbe. That this creature was fed on in the oriental countries, appears in Mat. 3:4; Mark 1:6.
22 The bald locusts, the beetle and the grasshopper are expressed in other translations with their corresponding Hebrew words solham, hargol and hagab for the reason that they are not so properly and certainly known what they were. In general, they signify certain kinds of small creatures, called insect, described in the previous verse.
23But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.
24And 23for these ye shall be 24unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them 25shall be unclean until the even.
23 Namely, for the following things, which are rehearsed from here to verse 43 in this chapter.
24 Namely, by touching of the same.
25 That is, he shall, by reason of his ceremonial uncleanness, not be allowed to associate with people, much less appear in the court of the Lord, or eat of that which is offered, till after that evening.
25And whosoever beareth ought of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.
26The carcases of 26every beast 27which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean.
26 Three sorts of beats are mentioned here, by the touching of them, a man was made unclean: I. unclean ones, which were large, here and in the next two verses; II. unclean ones, which were small, verses 29, 30, 31, etc.; III. clean ones, which have died of their own accord or were torn in pieces, verse 39.
27 That is, which have divided indeed the hoof, but not in two only, as sheep and oxen; but in more parts, as the lions, wolves, bears, dogs, cats. See on verses 3, 4.
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.
29¶These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; 28the weasel, and the mouse, and the 29tortoise after his kind,
28 In translating these names we have followed what seemed most probable and truthful, and is accepted by the greater part of the learned.
29 The Hebrew word for tortoise properly signifies that which is swollen or blown up, and as it were vaulted.
30And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole.
3130These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even.
30 Understand the fore-mentioned animals, which made a man unclean, not only being eaten, but also by only being touched, as appears further by the sequel.
32And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vesseld 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.
d Lev. 15:12.
33And every earthen vessel, 31whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it.
31 Hebr. which shall fall out of the same into its middle, that is, into the middle of this vessel, or into which there shall have fallen anything of the said unclean beasts, whether they were alive or dead; for they were not to be touched in any wise.
34Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which such 32water cometh shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drunk in every such 33vessel shall be unclean.
32 Namely, wherewith anything shall have been washed, that was made unclean by touching the things or creatures aforesaid.
33 Namely, which, through the touching of those things, was become 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 34a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, 35shall be clean: but 36that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean.
34 Namely, into which any of these unclean beasts shall have fallen, be cast or be suffocated.
35 That is, one shall not need to draw out all its water, and throw it away as unclean, but everyone shall have liberty to use it, according to his occasions.
36 Whatsoever person, or thing, touches the carcass, being drawn forth out of the well or water fountain, into which it was fallen or thrown, etc.
37And if any part of their carcase fall upon any 37sowing seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean.
37 That is, such as is usually sown for the use of men or beasts; as appears by the following words.
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 38eateth 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.
38 Understand this properly of eating of it ignorantly, when a man knew not that the meat made ready and put before him, was of a dead carcass, for otherwise they were prohibited to eat of any such, Deut. 14:21.
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 39whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.
39 Hebr. unto all that multiplieth its feet.
43Ye shall not make 40yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.
40 That is, your persons. See Gen. 12:5.
44Fore41I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore 42sanctify 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.
e Lev. 19:2; 20:7; 1 Peter 1:16.
41 From the reasons which God makes use of here for the pressing and inculcating of these laws upon His people, it appears that the ceremonial cleanness was an instruction and introduction of them to the true spiritual holiness, as principally intended and to be regarded. God takes His reasons: 1. from His nature, which is spiritual and perfectly holy; 2. from the end, whereunto He chose and called the Israelites, which was the hallowing and sanctifying of them in body and in spirit; 3, from the mercies and benefits He showed them, having led them forth out of Egypt, to bring them into the land of promise, representing thereby that He was likewise ready to deliver them out of the spiritual Egypt, that they would learn to know and serve Him here, and live with Him forever in the heavenly Canaan hereafter.
42 That is, cleanse and purify yourselves from all pollution and defilement of soul and body, and accomplish your holiness, that is, the true renovation of life in the fear of God, 2 Cor. 7:1.
45For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be 43your God: 44ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
43 See Gen. 17 on verse 7.
44 Or, be ye then 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.