Leviticus Chapter 11 — Laws of Clean and Unclean Animals
God instructs Moses and Aaron on which animals the Israelites are permitted to eat and which are considered unclean or an abomination.
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Notable Verses
Leviticus 11:3
“Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud among the animals, that you may eat.”
This verse establishes the primary criteria for determining which land animals were permitted for food.
Leviticus 11:45
“For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”
This summarizes the theological purpose behind the dietary laws, linking physical practices to spiritual holiness.
Chapter Summary
Leviticus 11 outlines the dietary regulations given by God to the nation of Israel. The text categorizes animals into four groups: land animals, water creatures, birds, and insects or creeping things. Land animals must have a split hoof and chew the cud to be considered clean. Water creatures must possess both fins and scales. Specific birds are listed as prohibited, and most flying insects are deemed abominations, with the exception of certain locusts and grasshoppers. The chapter also details the consequences of touching the carcasses of unclean animals, which results in ceremonial uncleanness until evening. These laws conclude with a theological justification: because God is holy and brought Israel out of Egypt, His people must also be holy and maintain a clear distinction between the clean and the unclean in every aspect of their lives.
Frequently Asked Questions
For a land animal to be clean, it must both chew the cud and have a completely divided or split hoof. Animals like the camel, hyrax, and pig are specifically listed as unclean because they fail to meet both criteria.
Israelites were permitted to eat any creature from the water, whether from seas or rivers, that possessed both fins and scales. Anything without both fins and scales was considered an abomination and was not to be eaten.
Touching the carcass of an unclean animal made a person ceremonially unclean until the evening. If they carried the carcass, they were also required to wash their clothes to become clean again.
The text states that these laws were intended to help the Israelites make a distinction between the clean and the unclean. Ultimately, it was a call to holiness, reflecting God's own holiness as their Savior from Egypt.
Study Note
The Hebrew word 'tame' (unclean) refers to a state of ritual impurity that disqualified an individual from participating in communal worship rather than a lack of physical hygiene.
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