查經資料大全

 

| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index |

 

Leviticus Chapter Eleven

 

Leviticus 11 Outlines

Foods Permitted and Forbidden (v.1~23)

Unclean Animals (v.24~47)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 11

This chapter treats of creatures clean and unclean as fit or not fit to be eaten; and first of beasts whose signs are given Leviticus 11:1 then of fishes which are likewise described Leviticus 11:9 after that of fowls and those that are not to be eaten are particularly named Leviticus 11:13 next of creeping things which are distinguished into two sorts as flying creeping things of which those that are unclean their carcasses are not even to be touched as neither the carcasses of unclean beasts Leviticus 11:20 and creeping things on the earth which defile by touching as well as eating and make everything unclean upon which being dead they fall Leviticus 11:29 and these laws are enforced from the holiness and goodness of God Leviticus 11:44 and the chapter is concluded with a recapitulation of them Leviticus 11:46.

 

Leviticus 11:1.  Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron saying to them

   YLT  1And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses and unto Aaron saying unto them

And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron .... The one being the chief magistrate and the other the high priest and both concerned to see the following laws put into execution; according to Jarchi the Lord spoke to Moses that he might speak to Aaron; but being now in office and one part of his office being to distinguish between clean and unclean the following discourse is directed equally to him as to Moses:

saying unto them; as follows.

 

Leviticus 11:2.  2 “Speak to the children of Israel saying ‘These are the animals which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth:

   YLT  2`Speak unto the sons of Israel saying This [is] the beast which ye do eat out of all the beasts which [are] on the earth:

Speak unto the children of Israel saying .... For to them only belong the following laws and not unto the Gentiles as Jarchi rightly observes; these were parts of the ceremonial law which was peculiarly given to them and lay among other things in meats and drinks and now abolished; for it is not what goes into a man that defiles him; nor is anything common or unclean of itself but every creature of God is good if received with thanksgiving. The sons of Noah had free liberty without any restraint or limitation of using for food any living creature that moved upon the face of the earth; in the choice of which they were left to exercise their reason and judgment and is the case with us now; but as men have not so nice a smell as some animals have and cannot distinguish by their senses so well as they what food is most wholesome which makes the exercise of their reason and judgment necessary and the people of the Jews being a special people and for whom the Lord had a peculiar regard; for the sake of their health and to preserve them from diseases they were subject to such as the leprosy and others and to direct them to what was most salubrious and healthful gave them the following laws; and which though they are not obligatory upon us yet may be a direction to us in the use of what may be most suitable and proper food for us the difference of climates and of the constitutions of men's bodies being considered: not that we are to suppose that the case of health was the only reason of delivering out these laws to the children of Israel for other ends besides that may be thought to be had in view; as to assert his sovereign right to the creatures and his disposal of them to them according to his will and pleasure; to lay a restraint on their appetites to prevent luxury and to teach them self denial and compliance with his will; as also to keep them the more from the company and conversation of the Gentiles by whom they otherwise might be led into idolatry; and to give them an aversion to their idols to whom the creatures forbidden them to eat many of them were either now or would be sacred to them; and chiefly to excite to a care for purity both inward and outward and create in the man abhorrence of those vices which may be signified by the ill qualities of several of the creatures; and to instruct them in the difference between holy and unholy persons with whom they should or should not have communion; see Acts 10:11.

these are the beasts that ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth; they are not particularly mentioned here but they are in Deuteronomy 14:4 and they are these ten; the ox the sheep and the goat the hart and the roebuck and the fallow deer and the wild goat and the pygarg and the wild ox and the chamois; of all which; see Gill on Deuteronomy 14:4 Deuteronomy 14:5 here only some general things are observed to describe them by as follow.

 

Leviticus 11:3.  3 Among the animals whatever divides the hoof having cloven hooves and chewing the cud—that you may eat.

   YLT  3any dividing a hoof and cleaving the cleft of the hoofs bringing up the cud among the beasts it ye do eat.

Whatsoever parteth the hoof and is cloven footed .... That is whose hoof is parted and cloven quite through; for there are some creatures that have partitions in their feet but not quite through they are parted above but underneath are joined together by a skin; wherefore both these phrases are used to describe the beasts lawful to be eaten: the Egyptians seem to have borrowed this law from the Jews for Chaeremon saysF24Apud Porphyr. de Abstinentia l. 4. sect. 7. that they abstain from such four footed beasts that have only one hoof or have many partitions or have no horns: and so the Targum of Jonathan adds here "which have horns 'which though not in the text agrees well with the creatures allowed by this law to be eaten see Deuteronomy 14:4 for such are all horned cattle; nor are there any cattle horned forbid to be eaten:

and cheweth the cud among the beasts that shall ye eat: who having no upper teeth cannot thoroughly chew their food at once and therefore bring it up again out of their stomachs into their mouths and chew it over again that it may be better prepared for digestion in the stomach and so yield better nourishment; and this makes the flesh of such creatures fitter for food: and these creatures have more stomachs than one; the ventricles for rumination are four; the first is the paunch which in oxen is so big as to hold food of fifty pound weight the second the honeycomb the third the tripe the fourth the honey tripe and to which are helpful the pectoral muscle the abdomen with the diaphragmF25Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. vol. 2. p. 278 279. : all this might have a moral and spiritual meaning in it and may be applied either to ministers of the word; who ought rightly to divide the word of truth and give to everyone their part and who should walk uprightly according to it and who should give themselves up wholly to the meditation of it and thoroughly digest it; and study to show themselves workmen that need not to be ashamed; or to private Christians who have a discerning spirit in spiritual things and can distinguish not only morality from immorality but spiritual things from carnal heavenly things from earthly the voice of Christ from the voice of a stranger and the doctrines of Christ from the doctrines of men; and who also walk as they should do by faith on Christ in the ways of God and according to the Gospel; these chew the cud meditate on the word feed upon it while delivered recall it and have it brought to their remembrance by the divine Spirit and ponder it in their hearts; see Psalm 1:1.

 

Leviticus 11:4.  4 Nevertheless these you shall not eat among those that chew the cud or those that have cloven hooves: the camel because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves is unclean to you;

   YLT  4`Only this ye do not eat -- of those bringing up the cud and of those dividing the hoof -- the camel though it is bringing up the cud yet the hoof not dividing -- it [is] unclean to you;

Nevertheless these shall ye not eat .... To whom one of these descriptive characters may agree but not the other:

of them that chew the cud or of them that divide the hoof: there being some that chewed the cud but did not divide the hoof; others that divided the hoof but did not chew the cud of which instances are given as follow:

as the camel because he cheweth the cud but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you; and not to be eaten whether male or female; or rather "though he cheweth the cud"; and this account agrees with what naturalists give of it; so AristotleF26De Part. Animal. l. 3. c. 14. says it has not both rows of teeth but wants its upper teeth and chews as horned cattle do and has bellies like theirs; for they have more bellies than one as the sheep and goat and hart and others; since the service of the mouth is not sufficient to grind the food for want of teeth this is supplied by the bellies which receive the food one after another; in the first it is undigested in the second somewhat more digested in the third more fully in the fourth completely: and so many bellies the camel has as a very learned searcherF1Scheuchzer. ib. p. 280. into these things observes; the first is the biggest the second very small the third much greater than the second and the fourth equal to the second; in the second belly between the tunics he says seem to be the hydrophylacia in which the water they drink is kept very commodious for these animals passing through sandy deserts so that they can long bear thirst: PlinyF2Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 18. says four days: Leo AfricanusF3Descriptio Africae l. 1. p. 75. relates a method used by travellers in the deserts of Lybia who being in extreme want of water kill one of their camels out of whose intestines they press out water; this they drink this they carry about till they find a well or must die with thirst: and the account also which is given of the feet of these creatures agrees; it parts the hoof but not thoroughly it is not cleft quite through and so comes not up to Moses's descriptive character of clean creatures; its hoof is divided in two but so divided as AristotleF4Hist. Animal. l. 2. c. 1. observes that it is but little divided on the back part unto the second joint of the toes; the fore part is very little divided to the first joint of the toes and there is something between the parts as in the feet of geese: and so Pliny saysF5L. 11. c. 45. it has two hoofs but the lower part of the foot is but very little divided so that it is not thoroughly cleft: but though the flesh of these creatures was forbidden the Jews it was eaten by people of other nations; both AristotleF6Hist. Animal. l. 6. c. 26. and PlinyF7Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 41. commend the milk of camels; and by the former the flesh of them is said to be exceeding sweet; and Diodorus Siculus relatesF8Bibliothec. l. 2. p. 137. that what with their milk and their flesh which is eaten as well as on account of their carrying burdens they are very profitable unto men; and StraboF9Geograph. l. 16. p. 535. says the Nomades eat the flesh and milk of camels; and so the Africans according to Leo AfricanusF11Descriptio Africae l. 1. p. 48. l. 6. 617 620. Arab. Geogr. Clim. 1. par. 1. 3. ; and a countryman of oursF12Pitts's Account of the Mahometans c. 8. p. 106. Vid. Hieron adv. Jovinian. l. 2. who lived some time in Arabia relates that when a camel falls they kill it and the poorer sort of the company eat it; and he says that he himself ate of camel's flesh and that it was very sweet and nourishing: these creatures in the mystic sense may be an emblem of such persons that carry their heads high are proud and haughty that boast of their riches or trust in their righteousness.

 

Leviticus 11:5.  5 the rock hyrax because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves is unclean to you;

   YLT  5and the rabbit though it is bringing up the cud yet the hoof it divideth not -- unclean it [is] to you;

And the coney .... Or rabbit:

because he cheweth the cud; or "though he cheweth"; which yet some observe the coney or rabbit does not it having upper teeth and therefore they think some other creature is meant by Shaphan the word here used; and BochartF13Hierozoic par. 1. l. 3. c. 33. col. 1015 1016. is of opinion that the Aljarbuo of the Arabians a sort of mountain mouse is meant which chews the cud and divides not the hoof and resides in rocks which agrees with the account of the Shaphan in Proverbs 30:26 but this is rejected by Dr. ShawF14Travels p. 177 348. Ed. 2. who takes the creature here to be the Daman Israel or Israel's lamb an animal of Mount Lebanon a harmless creature of the same size and quality with the rabbit and with the like incurvating posture and disposition or the fore teeth but is of a browner colour with smaller eyes and a head more pointed like the marmots; the fore feet likewise are short and the hinder are nearly as long in proportion as those of the jerboa; and though this animal is known to burrow sometimes in the ground yet its usual residence and refuge is in the holes and clifts of the rocks; but a learned manF15Scheuchzer. ut supra (Physic. Sacr. vol. 2.) p. 281. and very inquisitive in the things of nature tells us that the "cuniculus" coney or rabbit this sort of animals do chew half an hour after eating:

but divideth not the hoof; which is well known of this creature:

he is unclean unto you; not fit or proper to be eaten of but to be abstained from as an unclean animal; and may be an emblem of timorous persons as these creatures by AristotleF16Hist. Animal. l. 1. c. 1. are observed to be and it is well known they are; even of the fearful and unbelieving reckoned among the impure who will have their portion in the lake of fire Revelation 21:8.

 

Leviticus 11:6.  6 the hare because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves is unclean to you;

   YLT  6and the hare though it is bringing up the cud yet the hoof hath not divided -- unclean it [is] to you;

And the hare because he cheweth the cud .... Or "though he chews" it:

but divideth not the hoof he is unclean to you; and so not to be eaten; so PlutarchF17Sympos. l. 9. c. 5. says that the Jews are said to abstain from the hare disdaining it as a filthy and unclean animal and yet was in the greatest esteem with the Romans of any four footed beast as Martial saysF18L. 13. Epigr. 87. : Moses as BochartF19Ut supra (Hierozoic par. 1. l. 3.) c. 31. col. 977. and other learned men observe is the only writer that speaks of the hare as chewing the cud; though they also observe that AristotleF20De Part. Animal. l. 3. c. 15. & Hist. Animal. l. 3. c. 21. makes mention of that in common with those that do chew the cud namely a "coagulum" or "runnet" in its stomach; his words are "all that have many bellies have what is called πυετια a coagulum or runnet and of them that have but one belly the hare;'only that: this creature being prone to lust may be an emblem of lustful persons who give up themselves to lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness Ephesians 4:19. (The "hare" is this verse may be an animal that is now is extinct but was alive at the time of Moses. It is only other mentioned in Deuteronomy 14:7. Editor.)

 

Leviticus 11:7.  7 and the swine though it divides the hoof having cloven hooves yet does not chew the cud is unclean to you.

   YLT  7and the sow though it is dividing the hoof and cleaving the cleft of the hoof yet the cud it bringeth not up -- unclean it [is] to you.

And the swine though he divide the hoof and be cloven footed .... Not only its hoofs are parted but cloven quite through and so in this respect answers Moses's first descriptive character of clean creatures; though AristotleF21Hist. Animal. l. 2. c. 1. and PlinyF23Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 46. speak of some kind of swine in Illyricum Paeonia and other places which have solid hoofs; but perhaps these were not properly swine though so called:

yet he cheweth not the cud; and a learned physician observesF24Scheuchzer. ut supra (Physic. Sacr. vol. 2.) p. 282. that such creatures that chew not the cud so perfect a chyle cannot be elaborated by them as is by those that chew the cud and therefore their flesh must be less wholesome; and of the swine he saysF25Ib. p. 284. they have but one belly and so there is no rumination or chewing the cud by them; wherefore they are to be placed and are in a lower degree than the camel the coney and the hare; and as they cannot digest the chyle so well as those that chew the cud and also live upon most sordid and filthy food the eating of swine's flesh he observes must produce many inconveniences to the body as especially scorbutic arthritic scabious and leprous disorders: so Manetho the Egyptian saysF26Apud Aelian. de Animal. l. 10. c. 16. that he that eats swine's milk is liable to be filled with the leprosy; and MaimonidesF1Moreh Nevochim par. 3. c. 48. gives it as the principal reason of its being forbid the Jews because it is such a filthy creature and eats such filthy things:

he is unclean to you: and so it has always been accounted by the Jews and nothing is more abominable to them as is even testified by HeathenF2"Et vetus indulget" &c. Juvenal. Satyr. 6. "nec distare putant" &c. Ib. Satyr. 14. Vid. Porphyr. de Abstinentia l. 4. sect. 11 12. writers; and in this they have been imitated by many nations particularly the Egyptians who as Herodotus saysF3Euterpe sive l. 2. c. 47. reckon swine a very filthy creature; so that if anyone does but touch it passing by he is obliged to plunge himself into a river with his clothes on; and keepers of them may not go into any of their temples nor do the rest of the Egyptians intermarry with them but they marry among themselves; the reason of this their abhorrence of swine Aelianus saysF4Ut supra. (Apud Aelian. de Animal. l. 10. c. 16.) is because they are so gluttonous that they will not spare their own young nor abstain from human flesh; and this says he is the reason why the Egyptians hate it as an impure and voracious animal: likewise the Arabians entirely abstain from swine's flesh as Solinus saysF5Polyhistor. c. 46. who adds that if any of this sort of creatures is carried into Arabia it immediately dies; and the same PlinyF6Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 52. attests: and so the Phoenicians the near neighbours of the Jews would not eat the flesh of them; hence Antoninus is said to abstain from it after the manner of the PhoeniciansF7Herodian. Hist. l. 5. c. 16. unless the historian should mean the Jews; also the Gallo-Grecians or GalatiansF8Pausan. Achaica sive l. 7. p. 430. ; nay even the Indians have such an abhorrence of it that they would as soon taste of human flesh as taste of thatF9Ctesias apud Aelian. de Animal. l. 16. c. 37. and it is well known that the Mahometans abstain from it; and they have such an aversion to it that if any chance to kill a wild pig for tame they have none they look on the merit of it to be almost equivalent to the killing a Christian in fightF11Pitts's Account of the Mahometans p. 163. : now these creatures may be an emblem of filthy and impure sinners especially apostates who return to their former impurities and wallow in them 2 Peter 2:22.

 

Leviticus 11:8.  8 Their flesh you shall not eat and their carcasses you shall not touch. They are unclean to you.

   YLT  8`Of their flesh ye do not eat and against their carcase ye do not come -- unclean they [are] to you.

Of their flesh shall ye not eat .... Meaning not of swine only but of the camel coney and hare:

and their carcass shall ye not touch; which must not be understood of touching them in any sense; for then it would have been unlawful for a Jew to have rode upon a camel or to take out and make use of hog's lard in medicine; but of touching them in order to kill them and prepare them for food and eat them; and indeed all unnecessary touching of them is forbidden lest it should bring them to the eating of them; though perhaps it may chiefly respect the touching of them dead:

they are unclean to you: one and all of them; for as this was said of each of them in particular so now of all of them together; and which holds good of all wild creatures not named to whom the description above belongs and which used to be eaten by other nations; some of which were called Pamphagi from eating all sorts and others Agriophagi from eating wild creatures as lions panthers elephantsF12Plin. l. 6. c. 30. Solinus c. 43. &c.

 

Leviticus 11:9.  9 ‘These you may eat of all that are in the water: whatever in the water has fins and scales whether in the seas or in the rivers—that you may eat.

   YLT  9`This ye do eat of all which [are] in the waters; any one that hath fins and scales in the waters in the seas and in the brooks them ye do eat;

These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters .... In the waters of the sea or in rivers pools and ponds; meaning fishes; for though some persons abstain from eating them entirely as the Egyptian priests as HerodotusF13Euterpe sive l. 2. c. 37. relates; and it was a part of religion and holiness not with the Egyptians only but with the Syrians and Greeks to forbear eating themF14Plutarch. Sympos. p. 730. ; and JulianF15Orat. 5. p. 330. gives two reasons why men should abstain from fishes; the one because what is not sacrificed to the gods ought not to be used for food; and the other is because these being immersed in the deep waters look not up to heaven; but God gave the people of Israel liberty of eating them under certain limitations:

whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters in the seas and in the rivers them shall ye eat; some render it disjunctively "fins or scales"F16So Bootius. ; but as MaimonidesF17Hilchot Maacolot Asurot l. 1. sect. 24. observes whatsoever has scales has fins; and who also says if a fish has but one fin and one scale it was lawful to eat: fins to fishes are like wings to birds and oars to boats with which they swim and move swiftly from place to place; and scales are a covering and a protection of them; and such fishes being much in motion and so well covered are less humid and more solid and substantial and more wholesome: in a spiritual sense fins may denote the exercise of grace in which there is a motion of the soul Godward Christward and heavenward; and scales may signify good works which adorn believers and protect them from the reproaches and calumnies of men.

 

Leviticus 11:10.  10 But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water they are an abomination to you.

   YLT  10and any one that hath not fins and scales in the seas and in the brooks of any teeming creature of the waters and of any creature which liveth which [is] in the waters -- an abomination they [are] to you;

And all that have not fins nor scales in the seas and in the rivers .... Such as eels lampreys &c.

of all that move in the waters and of any living thing which is in the waters; the former of these are interpreted by Aben Ezra and Ben Gersom of little fishes that have but a small body and such as are created out of the waters; and the latter of such as are produced of a male and female; or as MaimonidesF18Hilchot Maacolot Asuret l. 1. c. 2. sect. 12. explains it the one signifies the lesser creatures such as worms and horse leeches; the other greater ones sea beasts as sea dogs &c.

they shall be an abomination to you; not only unclean and so unfit to eat but to be had in abhorrence and detestation as being exceeding disagreeable and unwholesome; and as a learned man observesF19Scheuchzer. ut supra (Physic. Sacr. vol. 2.) p. 287. to these prohibited in general belong all those animals in lakes rivers or seas which are of a slow motion and which because of the slow motion of their bodies do not so well digest their food; and for that may be compared with four footed beasts that have but one belly and so unwholesome as they.

 

Leviticus 11:11.  11 They shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their flesh but you shall regard their carcasses as an abomination.

   YLT  11yea an abomination they are to you; of their flesh ye do not eat and their carcase ye abominate.

They shall be even an abomination to you .... This is repeated again and again to deter from the eating of such fishes lest there should be any desire after them:

ye shall not eat of their flesh here mention is made of the flesh of fishes as is by the apostle 1 Corinthians 15:39. Aben Ezra observes that their wise men say this is according to the usage of words in those ages:

but you shall have their carcasses in abomination; not only abstain from eating them and touching them but to express the utmost aversion to them.

 

Leviticus 11:12.  12 Whatever in the water does not have fins or scales—that shall be an abomination to you.

   YLT  12`Any one that hath not fins and scales in the waters -- an abomination it [is] to you.

Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters .... Which is repeated that they might take particular notice of this law and be careful to observe it this being the only sign given:

that shall be an abomination unto you; the Targum of Jonathan says that not only the flesh of such fish but the broth and pickles made of them were to be an abomination; which contradicts what PlinyF20Nat. Hist. l. 31. c. 8. relates that the Jews made a pickle of fishes that lacked scales; so Grotius understands him: this law of the Jews is taken notice of by PorphyryF21De Abstinentia l. 4. c. 14. who says it is forbidden all the Jews to eat horse flesh or fishes that lack scales or any animal that has but one hoof: and PlinyF23Nat. Hist. l. 32. c. 2. from an ancient author Cassius Hemina makes mention of a law of Numa forbidding the use of fish that had not scales in feasts made for the gods.

 

Leviticus 11:13.  13 ‘And these you shall regard as an abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten they are an abomination: the eagle the vulture the buzzard

   YLT  13`And these ye do abominate of the fowl; they are not eaten an abomination they [are]: the eagle and the ossifrage and the ospray

And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls .... No description or sign is given of fowls as of beasts and fishes only the names of those not to be eaten; which according to Maimonides are twenty four; so that all the rest but these are clean fowls and might be eaten; wherefore the same writer observesF24Maacolot Asurot c. 1. sect. 14 15. that "whoever was expert in these kinds and in their names might eat of every fowl which was not of them and there was no need of an inquiry:'but what creatures are intended by these is not now easy to know; very different are the sentiments both of the Jews and Christians concerning them; and indeed it does not much concern us Christians to know what are meant by them but as curiosity may lead us to such an inquiry not thinking ourselves bound by these laws; but it is of moment with the Jews to know them who think they are; wherefore to supply this deficiency they venture to give some signs by which clean and unclean fowls may be known and they are three; such are clean who have a superfluous claw and also a craw and a crop that is uncovered by the handF25T. Bab. Cholin fol. 75. 1. Maimon. ib. sect. 15. ; and on the contrary they are unclean and not to be eaten as says the Targum of Jonathan which have no superfluous talon or no craw or a crop not uncovered:

they shall not be eaten they are an abomination; and they are those that follow:

the eagle and the ossifrage and the ospray; about the first of these there is no difficulty all agree the eagle is intended; which has its name either from the nature of its sight or from the casting of its feathers or from its tearing with its bill: it is a bird of prey a very rapacious creature and sometimes called the bird of Jupiter and sacred to the gods; and these may be the reasons why forbid to be eaten as well as because its flesh is hard and not fit for food and unwholesome; "the ossifrage" or "bone breaker" has its name from its tearing its prey and breaking its bones for the marrow as the word "peres" here used signifies Micah 3:3 it is said to dig up bodies in burying places to eat what it finds in the bonesF26Calmet's Dictionary in the word "Ossifraga". : this is thought to be of the eagle kind as it is reckoned by PlinyF1Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 3. though AristotleF2Hist. Animal. l. 6. c. 6. l. 8. c. 3. & l. 9. c. 34. speaks of it as very different from the eagle as larger than that and of an ash colour; and is so kind to the eagle's young that when they are cast out by that it takes them and brings them up: the "ospray" is the "halioeetus" or sea eagle as the Septuagint version and several others render it; which AristotleF3Ib. l. 9. c. 32. describes as having a large and thick neck crooked wings and a broad tail and resides about the sea and shores: PlinyF4Ut supra. (Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 3.) speaks of it as having a very clear sight and poising itself on high having sight of a fish in the sea will rush down at once and fetch it out of the water; and he also reports that she will take her young before they are fledged and oblige them to look directly against the rays of the sun and if any of them wink or their eyes water she casts them out of her nest as a spurious brood. AristotleF5Ib. c. 34. who relates the same says she kills them. The name of this creature in the Hebrew text seems to be taken from its strength; wherefore BochartF6Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 2. c. 6. col. 188. is of opinion that the "melanoeetos" or black eagle which though the least of eagles as to its size exceeds all others in strength as both AristotleF7Ut supra (Hist. Animal. l. 9.) c. 32. and PlinyF8Ut supra. (Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 3.) say; and therefore as the latter observes is called by the Romans "valeria" from its strength. MaimonidesF9Maacolot Asurot c. 1. sect. 17. says of these two last fowls which we render the ossifrage and the ospray that they are not to be found on the continent but in the desert places of the isles of the sea very far off even those which are at the end of the habitable world.

 

Leviticus 11:14.  14 the kite and the falcon after its kind;

   YLT  14and the vulture and the kite after its kind

And the vulture and the kite after his kind. Perhaps it might be better if the version was inverted and the words be read "and the kite and the vulture after his kind"; and the last word is by us rendered the vulture in Job 28:7 and very rightly since the kite is not remarkable for its sight any other than all rapacious creatures are whereas the vulture is to a proverb; and besides of the vulture there are two sorts as Aristotle saysF11Hist. Animal. l. 8. c. 3. the one lesser and whiter the other larger and more of an ash colour; and there are some that are of the eagle kindF12Aristot. ib. l. 9. c. 32. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 3. Aelian. de Animal. l. 2. c. 46. whereas there is but one sort of kites; though Ainsworth makes mention of two the greater of a ruddy colour common in England and the lesser of a blacker colour known in Germany but produces no authority for it; however these are both ravenous creatures: of the kite Aelianus saysF13De Animal. l. 2. c. 42. it is very rapacious and will take meat out of the meat market but not touch any sacrificed to Jupiter; the truth of which may well be questioned; and of vultures he reportsF14Ib. c. 46. that they will watch a dying man and follow armies going to battle expecting prey; See Gill on Matthew 24:28.

 

Leviticus 11:15.  15 every raven after its kind

   YLT  15every raven after its kind

Every raven after his kind. The red raven night raven the water raven river raven wood raven &c. this also includes crows rooks pies jays and jackdaws &c. The raven was with the Heathens sacred to ApolloF15Aelian. De Animal. l. 1. c. 48. & l. 7. c. 18. is a voracious creature and so reckoned among unclean ones and unfit for food; nor does the care that God takes of these creatures or the use he has made of them contradict this; see Job 38:41.

 

Leviticus 11:16.  16 the ostrich the short-eared owl the sea gull and the hawk after its kind;

   YLT  16and the owl and the night-hawk and the cuckoo and the hawk after its kind

And the owl .... The great and little owls being after mentioned it seems best by the word here used to understand the "ostrich" with the Septuagint Vulgate Latin the Oriental versions and the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan: the account which PlinyF16Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 1. Vid. Aristot. de Part. Animal. l. 4. c. 14. gives of the African and Ethiopic ostriches is this; that they are the largest of birds and almost of the kind of beasts; that they exceed the height of a horseman on horseback and are swifter than the horses; that their wings are given them to help them in their running otherwise they are not flying fowls nor are they lifted up from the earth. Their hoofs are like to those of harts with which they fight and are cloven and serve to gather up stones which in their flight they throw with their feet against them that follow them; they have a wonderful concoction digesting whatever is swallowed down; and according to GalenF17Apud Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 2. c. 14. col. 226. all the parts of them their flesh and their eggs are hard and difficult of digestion and excermentitious: Aben Ezra saysF18Pirush in Exod. xxiii. 19. their flesh is as dry as a stick and it is not usual to eat it for there is no moisture in it; and therefore nothing can be eaten of the whole species but the daughter or young one for that being a female and little there is some moisture in it; but not so the male when little; wherefore as the flesh of this creature is always reckoned by the Jews as unlawful to be eaten it may the rather be supposed to be intended here since if not here it cannot be thought to be any where observed; and yet we find that both the eggs and the flesh of this creature have been eaten by some people: their eggs with the Indians were reckoned delicate eating as AelianusF19De Animal. l. 14. c. 13. reports; and near the Arabians and Ethiopians were a people as both Diodorus SiculusF20Bibliothec. l. 3. p. 162. and StraboF21Geograph. l. 16. p. 531. relate who were called Struthophagi from their living on ostriches; and they eat them in Peru where they are commonF23Calmet's Dictionary in the word "Ostrich". ; and in several parts of Africa as Nubia Numidia and Lybia as Leo AfricanusF24Descriptio Africae l. 6. p. 601 605 613. l. 9. p. 766. relates:

and the night hawk; which according to PlinyF25Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 8. is sometimes called "cymindis" and is seldom to be found in woods sees not so well in the day time and wages a deadly war with the eagle and they are often found joined together: BochartF26Ut supra (Apud Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 2.) c. 15. col. 235. who thinks that the female ostrich is meant by the preceding bird is of opinion that the male ostrich is meant here there being no general name in the Hebrew language to comprehend both sexes:

and the cuckoo; a bird well known by its voice at least: some have thought it to be the same with the hawk changing its figure and voice; but this has been refuted by naturalistsF1Aristot. Hist. Animal. l. 6. c. 7. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 9. : but though it is here forbidden to be eaten yet its young when fat are said to be of a grateful savour by Aristotle: and PlinyF2Ibid. says no bird is to be compared to it for the sweetness of its flesh though perhaps it may not be here intended: the word is by the Septuagint rendered a "sea gull" and so it is by Ainsworth and which is approved of by BochartF3Ut supra (Apud Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 2. c. 15.) col. 26. :

and the hawk after his kind; a well known bird of which according to AristotleF4Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 36. there are not less than ten sorts: PlinyF5Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 8. says sixteen; it has its name in Hebrew from flying it being a bird that flies very swiftly; see Job 39:26 the hawk was a symbol of deity with the Egyptians and was reverenced and worshipped by themF6Plutarch. de Iside & Osyr. Strabo. Geograph. l. 17. p. 559 562. Diodor. Sicul. l. 1. p. 78. Clement. Alex. Stromat. l. 5. p. 566. .

 

Leviticus 11:17.  17 the little owl the fisher owl and the screech owl;

   YLT  17and the little owl and the cormorant and the great owl

And the little owl and the cormorant and the great owl. Ainsworth translates the words just the reverse and takes the first word to signify the great owl and the last the little one; the great owl may intend the great horn owl called sometimes the eagle owl which is thus described; it is of the size of a goose and has large wings capable of extending to a surprising breadth: its head is much of the size and figure of that of a cat and has clusters of black feathers over the ears rising to three fingers' height; its eyes are very large and the feathers of its rump long and extremely soft; its eyes have yellow irises and its beak black and crooked: it is all over mottled with white reddish and black spots; its legs are very strong and are hairy down to the very ends of the toes their covering being of a whitish brownF7Ray's Ornithol. p. 63. apud Supplement to Chambers's Dictionary in the word "Bubo". : and as this is called the great horn owl others in comparison of it may be called the little owl. Some reckon several species of owls--there are of three sizes; the large ones are as big as a capon the middle sized are as big as a wood pigeon the smaller sort about the size of an ordinary pigeon--the horned owl is of two kinds a larger and a smaller--the great owl is also of two sorts that is of a larger and a smaller kindF8Calmet's Dictionary in the word "Owl". ; it is a bird sacred to Minerva: but though it is pretty plain that the last of the words used signifies a bird that flies in the twilight of the evening from whence it seems to have its name as Aben Ezra Ben Gersom and other Jewish writers observe and fitly agrees with the owl which is not seen in the day but appears about that time; yet the first is thought by BochartF9Ut supra (Apud Bochard. Heirozoic. par. 2. l. 2.) c. 20. col. 275. to be the "onocrotalus" or "pelican" which has under its bill a bag or sack which will hold a large quantity of anything; and the word here used has the signification of a cup or vessel see Psalm 102:6. The word we render "cormorant" the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan paraphrase it a drawer of fish out of the sea so Baal Hatturim; and thus it is interpreted in the TalmudF11Bab. Cholin fol. 63. 1. ; and the gloss upon it says this is the water raven which is the same with the cormorant; for the cormorant is no other than "corvus aquaticus" or water raven; See Gill on Zephaniah 2:14. The Septuagint render it by "catarrhactes" which according to the description of itF12 resides by rocks and shores that hang over water; and when it sees fishes swimming in it it will fly on high and contract its feathers and flounce into the water and fetch out the fish; and so is of the same nature though not the same creature with the cormorant. Aben Ezra observes that some say this is a bird which casts its young as soon as born; and this is said of the "catarrhactes" that it lets down its young into the sea and draws them out again and hereby inures them to this exerciseF13Ibid. .

 

Leviticus 11:18.  18 the white owl the jackdaw and the carrion vulture;

   YLT  18and the swan and the pelican and the gier eagle

And the swan .... This is a bird well known to us but it is a question whether it is intended by the word here used; for though it is so rendered in the Vulgate Latin it is differently rendered by many others: the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem call it "otia" which seems to be the same with the "otus" of AristotleF14Hist. Animal. l. 8. c. 12. Vid. Plin. l. 10. c. 23. who says it is like an owl having a tuft of feathers about its ears (from whence it has its name); and some call it "nycticorax" or the owl; and here by BochartF15Ut supra (Apud Bochard Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 2.) c. 23. and others the owl called "noctua" is thought to be meant; and with which agrees the account some Jewish writers give of it as Aben Ezra and Baal Hatturim who say it is a bird which every one that sees is astonished at it as other birds are at the owl are frightened at the sight of it and stupefied. But as the same word is used Leviticus 11:30 among the creeping things for a mole what Jarchi observes is worthy of consideration that this is "calve (chauve) souris" (the French word for a bat) and is like unto a mouse and flies in the night; and that which is spoken of among the creeping things is like unto it which hath no eyes and they call it "talpa" a mole. The Septuagint version renders it by "porphyrion" the redshank; and so Ainsworth; and is thought to be called by the Hebrew name in the text from the blowing of its breath in drinking; for it drinks biting as Aristotle saysF16Ut supra (Hist. Animal. l. 8.) c. 6. so Plin. l. 10. c. 46. :

and the pelican; which has its name in Hebrew from vomiting; being said by Aben Ezra and Baal Hatturim to be a bird that vomits its food; and it is observed by several naturalistsF17Aristot. Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 10. Aelian. de Animal. l. 3. c. 20 Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 40. of the pelican that it swallows down shellfish and after they have lain some time in its stomach it vomits them up again; where having been heated the shells open and it picks out the meat:

and the gier eagle; or vulture eagle the "gypoeetos" of AristotleF18Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 32. and who says it is called also "oripelargos" or the mountain stork; and which PlinyF19Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 3. also makes to be an eagle of the vulture kind. Dr. Shaw saysF20Travels p. 449. Ed. 2. that near Cairo there are several flocks of the "ach bobba" (white father differing little from the stork but in its colour) the "percnopterus" or "oripelargos" which like the ravens about London feed upon carrion and nastiness that is thrown without the city; this the Arabs call "rachama" the same with רחם Leviticus 11:18 and רחמה in Deuteronomy 14:17 and whatever bird is here meant it must be one that is tender toward its young as its name signifies as Aben Ezra and Baal Hatturim observe; and though both the eagle and the vulture are rapacious birds yet have a great regard to their young; of the eagle see Deuteronomy 32:11 and the vulture with the Egyptians was an "hieroglyphic" of a tender mother or any merciful person; it being reported of it that during the one hundred twenty days its young are under its care it very rarely flies from them being so solicitous of nourishing them; and that by making incisions in its thigh it lets out a bloody flow of milk when it has nothing else to support themF21. The TalmudistsF23T. Bab. Cholin fol. 63. 1. say that the bird "racham" as it is here called is the same with "serakrak" and is by the Targum of Jonathan and in the Syriac version here rendered "serakraka" so called from שרק which signifies to "squall"; and according to MunsterF24Dictionar. Chald. p. 4. 18. is thought by some to be the "pica" magpie or rather the jay; and Dr. ShawF25Travels p. 183. observes that by a small transmutation of letters that and the "shagarag" of the Arabs are the same; which he says is of the size and shape of a jay though with a smaller bill and shorter legs; the back is brownish; the head neck and belly of a light green; and upon the wings and tail there are several spots or ringlets of a deep blue; it makes a "squalling" noise; and he adds it has no small affinity both in voice and plumage with the jay. The Septuagint version renders the word by the "swan"; which if not intended by the first word in this text may by this being kind to its young though otherwise reckoned a cruel and unmerciful bird as BochartF26 observes; some think the woodpecker is meant so called from its love to its parentsF1Plin. l. 10. c. 33. .

 

Leviticus 11:19.  19 the stork the heron after its kind the hoopoe and the bat.

   YLT  19and the stork the heron after its kind and the lapwing and the bat.

And the stork ..... A bird of passage Jeremiah 8:7 it has its name from kindness which it exercises both to its dam and to its young. Various writersF2Aristot. Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 13. Aelian. de Animal. l. 3. c. 23. & l. 10. c. 16. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 23. speak of the kindness of these birds to their dams which when they are old they take care of and feed them to which the apostle is thought to allude 1 Timothy 5:4 and its tenderness to its young is no less manifest: when the city of Delf in Holland was on fire the storks were seen very busy to save their young from the flames and which when they could not do threw themselves into the midst of them and perished with them as Drusius from the Dutch historians relates. It is said to feed upon serpents; and hence by VirgilF3Georgic. l. 2. to be "invisa colubris"; and JuvenalF4Satyr. 14. says it nourishes its young with them; and which may be a reason of its being forbid to be eaten and is the reason given by the MahometansF5Apud Bochart. ut supra (Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 2.) c. 29. col. 329. for the prohibition of it; though on this account it was in great honour in Thessaly that country being freed from serpents by it and therefore they made it a capital crime to kill them as PlinyF6Ut supra. (Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 23.) relates; formerly people would not eat the stork but at present it is much esteemed for the deliciousness of its fleshF7Calmet in the word "Stork". .

the heron after her kind; this bird has its name in Hebrew from its being soon angry as Aben Ezra observes; and Jarchi calls it the angry vulture or kite as it is in the TalmudF8T. Bab. Cholin fol. 63. 1. ; and adds and it appears to me to be what they call the "heron" one sort of which named "asterias" as there is one sort so called by PlinyF9; it becomes tame in Egypt and so well understands the voice of a man as AelianusF11De Animal. l. 5. c. 36. reports that if anyone by way of reproach calls it a servant or slothful it is immediately exceeding angry. There are three kinds of herons as both AristotleF12Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 1. and PlinyF13Ut supra. (Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 23.) ; and by a learned man of oursF14Ainsworth's Dictionary in voce "Ardea". their names are thus given the criel or dwarf heron the blue heron and the bittour; some reckon nineteen:

and the lapwing; the upupa or hoopoe; it has its name in Hebrew according to Jarchi from its having a double crest; and so PlinyF15Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 29. ascribes to it a double or folded crest and speaks of it as a filthy bird; and according to AristotleF16Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 15. and AelianF17De Animal. l. 3. c. 26. its nest is chiefly made of human dung that by the ill smell of it men may be kept from taking its young; and therefore may well be reckoned among impure fowl. CalmetF18Dictionary in the word "Lapwing". says there is no such thing as a lapwing to be seen in any part of England; but there are such as we call so whether the same bird with this I cannot say:

and the bat; a little bird which flies in the night Aben Ezra says; KimchiF19Sepher Shorash. in voc. עטלף. describes it a mouse with wings which flies in the night and we sometimes call it the "flitter mouse"; it is a creature between a fowl and a beast; and as Aristotle saysF20De Part. Animal. l. 4. c. 13. it partakes of both and is of neither; and it is the only fowl as PlinyF21Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 61. l. 11. c. 37. observes that has teeth and teats that brings forth animals and nourishes them with milk. It is a creature so very disagreeable that one would think almost there was no need of a law to forbid the eating of it; and yet it is said by some to be eatable and to be eaten as StraboF23Geograph. l. 16. affirms yea to be delicious food. It is assertedF24Calmet's Dictionary in the word "Bat". that there is a sort of them in the east larger than ordinary and is salted and eaten--that there are bats in China as large as pullets and are as delicate eating. Of these several fowls before mentioned some are of the ravenous kind and are an emblem of persecutors and covetous persons and such as live by rapine and violence; others are of a lustful nature and are an emblem of those who serve various lusts and pleasures and give up themselves to uncleanness; others are night birds and are a proper emblem of them whose works are works of darkness and love darkness rather than the light; and others never rise higher than the earth and so may denote earthly minded persons; and others live on impure things and so fitly represent such who live an impure life; with all such the people of God are to have no fellowship.

 

Leviticus 11:20.  20 ‘All flying insects that creep on all fours shall be an abomination to you.

   YLT  20`Every teeming creature which is flying which is going on four -- an abomination it [is] to you.

All fowls that creep .... Or rather "every creeping thing that flies"; for what are designed are not properly fowls but as the Jewish writers interpret them flies fleas bees wasps hornets locusts &c. so the Targum of Jonathan Jarchi Ben Gersom and MaimonidesF25Maacolot Asurot c. 2. l. 5. :

going upon all four; that is upon their four feet when they walk or creep:

these shall be an abomination to you; not used as food but detested as such.

 

Leviticus 11:21.  21 Yet these you may eat of every flying insect that creeps on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth.

   YLT  21`Only -- this ye do eat of any teeming thing which is flying which is going on four which hath legs above its feet to move with them on the earth;

Yet these may ye eat .... Which are after described and named:

of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four; even though it is a creeping thing that flies and goes upon four feet provided they be such:

which have legs above their feet to leap withal upon the earth; there is a double reading of this clause; the textual reading is "which have not legs" and is followed by several interpreters and translators; and the marginal reading which we follow is "which have legs"; and both are to be regarded as true and written by Moses as Ainsworth observes; for locusts are born without legs and yet creep low as Pliny assertsF26Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 29. and they have them afterwards; and it is a canon of the Jews that what have not legs or wings now or have not wings to cover the greatest part of them but shall have after a time when grown up these are as free (to eat) now as when grown upF1Maimon. ib. c. 1. sect. 23. . Dr. Shaw thinksF2Travels p. 420. the words may bear this construction "which have knees upon" or "above their hinder legs to leap withal upon the earth"; and applying this to the locust afterwards and only instanced in he observes that this has the two hindermost of its legs and feet much stronger larger and longer than any of the foremost. In them the knee or the articulation of the leg and thigh is distinguished by a remarkable bending or curvature whereby it is able whenever prepared to jump to spring or raise itself up with great force and activity. And these AristotleF3De Part. Animal. l. 4. c. 6. calls the leaping parts; and though he attributes to the locust six feet as does also PlinyF4Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 48. yet he takes the two leaping parts into the account; whereas Moses distinguishes those two from the four feet; and so AustinF5Retract. l. 2. c. 15. observes that Moses does not reckon among the feet the two hinder thighs with which locusts leap which he calls clean and thereby distinguishes them from such unclean flying creatures which do not leap with their thighs such as beetles; and so the Jewish writers always describe a clean locust as having four feet and two legs thighs or knees. MaimonidesF6Maacolot Asurot c. 1. sect. 22. gives three signs of them which are these whatsoever has four feet and four wings which cover the greatest part of its body in length and the greatest part of the compass of it and has two thighs or knees to leap with they are of the clean kind; and although its head is long and it hath a tail if its name is "chagob" (a locust) it is clean.

 

Leviticus 11:22.  22 These you may eat: the locust after its kind the destroying locust after its kind the cricket after its kind and the grasshopper after its kind.

   YLT  22these of them ye do eat: the locust after its kind and the bald locust after its kind and the beetle after its kind and the grasshopper after its kind;

Even these of them ye may eat &c. The four following ones which seem to be no other than four sorts of locusts:

the locust after his kind; this is the common locust called by the name of Arbeh from the great multiplication and vast multitudes of them; the phrase "after his kind" and which also is used in all the following instances signifies the whole entire species of them which might be eaten:

and the bald locust after his kind; which in the Hebrew text is Soleam and has its name as Aben Ezra suggests from its ascending rocks: but since locusts do not climb rocks or have any peculiar regard for them rather this kind of locust may be so called from their devouring and consuming all that come in their wayF7So R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed fol. 88. 1. from the Chaldee word סלעם which signifies to swallow devour and consume; but why we should call it the bald locust is not so clear though it seems there were such since the Jews describe some that have no baldness which the gloss explains whose head is not baldF8T. Bab. Cholin fol. 65. 2. which shows that some are bald; and so this is described by KimchiF9Sepher Shorash. in voc. סלעם. it has an eminence a rising or bunch upon it; some render it baldness and it hath no tail and its head is long; and so Ben Melech:

and the beetle after his kind; which is another sort of locust called Chargol and should not be rendered a beetle for no sort of beetles are eatable nor have legs to leap withal and so come not under the general description given of such flying creeping things fit to eat: Kimchi says it is one kind of a locustF11Ib. in voc. חרגול. and Hiscuni derives its name from תחד and רגל because it strives to leap with its feet which answers to the above descriptive character: the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions and some others render it by Ophiomachus a fighter with serpents to which the locust is an enemy and kills them taking fast hold of their jaws as Pliny saysF12Ut supra. (Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 29.) and so AristotleF13Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 6. :

and the grasshopper after his kind; this is another and the fourth kind of the locust that might be eaten; its name is Chagab from the Arabic word Chaguba "to vail" locusts vailing the light of the sun: and according to the Jewish doctors it is a name which every locust fit to eat should have;"among the locusts (fit for food) are these who have four feet and four wings and thighs and wings covering the greatest part of them and whose name is ChagabF14Misn. Cholin c. 3. sect. 7. ;'and commentators sayF15Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. it must be called by this name as well as have those signs: the difference between these several sorts is with them this; the Chagab has a tail but no bunch; Arbeh neither bunch nor tail; and Soleam has a bunch but not a tail; and Chargol has both bunch and tailF16Vid. T. Bab. Cholin fol. 65. 2. : MaimonidesF17Maacolot Asurot c. 1. sect. 21. reckons up eight sorts of them fit to eat; and these creatures were not only eaten by the Jews but by several other nations: with the Parthians they were very agreeable and grateful food as PlinyF18Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 29. relates; who also saysF19Ib. l. 6. c. 30. that some part of the Ethiopians live only upon them all the year hardened in smoke and with salt: Diodorus SiculusF20Bibliothec. l. 3. p. 162 163. makes mention of the same and calls them Acridophagi locust eaters and gives a particular account of their hunting and taking them and preserving them for food; and so does StraboF21Geograph. l. 16. p. 531. ; and the same SolinusF23Polyhistor. c. 43. relates of those that border on Mauritania; and they are still eaten in Barbary where they dry them in ovens to preserve them and then either eat them alone or pounded and mixed with milk: their taste is said to be like shrimpsF24Sir Hans Sloane's Natural History of Jamaica vol. 1. p. 29. ; and BochartF25Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 4. c. 7. Colossians 490 491. has shown from various writers that they were a delicious food with the Greeks especially among the common people; and so they are with the IndiansF26Agreement of Customs of the East Indians and Jews art. 12. p. 60. .

 

Leviticus 11:23.  23 But all other flying insects which have four feet shall be an abomination to you.

   YLT  23and every teeming thing which is flying which hath four feet -- an abomination it [is] to you.

But all other flying creeping things .... Excepting the four sorts before mentioned wherefore we rightly supply the word "other":

which have four feet; or more; the Vulgate Latin version adds "only" but wrongly; for those that have more are unclean and forbidden to be eaten excepting those in the preceding verse; and most creeping things that fly have six feet as the locusts themselves reckoning their leaping legs into the number; though it may be observed that those creatures that have six feet have but four equal ones on which they walk or creep; and the two foremost which are longer are as hands to them to wipe their eyes with and protect them from anything that may fall into them and hurt them; they not being able to see clearly because of the hardness of their eyes as AristotleF1Ut supra. (Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 6.) observes and particularly it may be remarked of the fly as it is by LucianF2De Musca. that though it has six feet it only goes on four using the other two foremost as hands; and therefore you may see it walking on four feet with something eatable in its hands lifting them up on high just after the manner of men: now all such creatures that have four feet or more excepting the above:

shall be an abomination unto you; abhorred as food and abstained from.

 

Leviticus 11:24.  24 ‘By these you shall become unclean; whoever touches the carcass of any of them shall be unclean until evening;

   YLT  24`And by these ye are made unclean any one who is coming against their carcase is unclean till the evening;

And for these ye shalt be unclean .... That is for eating them; or should they eat them they would be unclean:

whosoever toucheth the carcass of them shall be unclean until the even; not only he was unclean that ate them but he that even touched their dead bodies was reckoned unclean; might not go into the tabernacle nor have conversation with men nor eat of the holy things which were forbid men in any uncleanness; and though there is no mention of his washing himself it may be understood this being a short or concise way of speaking as Aben Ezra observes; who adds that it was necessary that he should wash himself in water; which was typical of washing and cleansing by the grace and blood of Christ without which a man cannot be cleansed from the least sin and pollution by it; and may signify that during the legal dispensation there was no proper cleansing from sin until the evening of the world when Christ came and shed his blood for the cleansing of it.

 

Leviticus 11:25.  25 whoever carries part of the carcass of any of them shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening:

   YLT  25and anyone who is lifting up [aught] of their carcase doth wash his garments and hath been unclean till the evening: --

And whosoever beareth ought of the carcass of them .... That carries them from one place to another out of the camp city village or house or field where they may lie; and though this is done with a good design as being offensive or infectious yet such an one

shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the even; from whence both Jarchi and Aben Ezra infer that the pollution by hearing or carrying is greater than that by touching; since such a man so defiled was obliged to wash his clothes as well as his body; so saints that have contracted pollution by any manner of sin are to wash their garments and make them white in the blood of the Lamb Revelation 7:14.

 

Leviticus 11:26.  26 The carcass of any animal which divides the foot but is not cloven-hoofed or does not chew the cud is unclean to you. Everyone who touches it shall be unclean.

   YLT  26even every beast which is dividing the hoof and is not cloven-footed and the cud is not bringing up -- unclean they [are] to you; any one who is coming against them is unclean.

The carcasses of every beast which divideth the hoof and is not cloven footed .... As the camel:

nor cheweth the cud; though it may divide the hoof as the swine; and on the other hand such as may chew the cud and yet not dividing the hoof as the coney and hare; for the Scripture here as Aben Ezra observes again uses a short and concise way of speaking: these

are unclean unto you; to be reckoned by them such and neither to be eaten nor touched:

everyone that toucheth them shall be unclean; until the evening; and obliged to washing though not expressed: this is not to be understood of touching them while alive as some Sadducees or Karaites understand it according to Aben Ezra; for camels horses mules &c. might be and were rode upon and so touched; but of them when dead or their carcases as is rightly supplied in the beginning of the verse; and the Jewish writersF3Misn. Edaiot c. 6. sect. 3. & Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. understand this of the flesh of the carcass only not of the bones horns and hoofs which they say do not defile only the flesh: this is repeated from Leviticus 11:8.

 

Leviticus 11:27.  27 And whatever goes on its paws among all kinds of animals that go on all fours those are unclean to you. Whoever touches any such carcass shall be unclean until evening.

   YLT  27`And any one going on its paws among all the beasts which are going on four -- unclean they [are] to you; any one who is coming against their carcase is unclean until the evening;

Whatsoever goeth upon his paws .... Or "the palms"F4על כפיו "super volas suas" Pagninus Montanus "super manus suas" Munster Tigurine version Drusius. of his hands; meaning such creatures whose feet are not divided into two parts but into many like the fingers of an hand as apes lions bears wolves foxes dogs cats &c.

among all manner of beasts that go on all four; this is added to distinguish them from fowl such as are clean; who walk but on two feet though their feet are divided into fingers or talons and may be called hands on which they walk:

these are unclean unto you: and as they might not be eaten so neither touched as follows:

whoso toucheth their carcass shall be unclean until the even; See Gill on Leviticus 11:24.

 

Leviticus 11:28.  28 Whoever carries any such carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. It is unclean to you.

   YLT  28and he who is lifting up their carcase doth wash his garments and hath been unclean until the evening -- unclean they [are] to you.

And he that beareth the carcass of them .... Carries it upon any account from place to place:

shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the even; as he that bore the carcasses of any of the flying creeping things Leviticus 11:25.

they are unclean to you; even the carcasses of the one and of the other; and to all the Israelites men women and children as Aben Ezra observes.

 

Leviticus 11:29.  29 ‘These also shall be unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth: the mole the mouse and the large lizard after its kind;

   YLT  29`And this [is] to you the unclean among the teeming things which are teeming on the earth: the weasel and the mouse and the tortoise after its kind

These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth .... As distinguished from those creeping things that fly these having no wings as they; and which were equally unclean neither to be eaten nor touched neither their blood their skin nor their flesh as the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it: and the Misnic doctors sayF4Misn. Meilah c. 4. sect. 3. that the blood of a creeping thing and its flesh are joined together: and MaimonidesF5Pirush. in ib. observes that this is a fundamental thing with them that the blood of a creeping thing is like its flesh; which in Siphre (an ancient book of theirs) is gathered from what is said in Leviticus 11:29 "these shall be unclean" &c. hence the wise men say the blood of a creeping thing pollutes as its flesh: the creeping things intended are as follow:

the weasel and the mouse and the tortoise after his kind; the first of these "the weasel" a creature well known; there are two sorts of it as PlinyF6Nat. Hist. l. 29. c. 4. says the field weasel and the house weasel; the former are called by the Jewish writers the weasel of the bushesF7Misn. Celaim c. 8. sect. 5. and the latter the weasel that dwells in the foundations of housesF8T. Bab. Cholin fol. 20. 2. ; and of the former there was a doubt among some of them whether it was a species of the eight reptiles in Leviticus 11:29 or whether it was a species of animalsF9Maimon. in Misn. ib. ; and which Maimonides says is a species of foxes like to weasels: BochartF11Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 3. c. 95. col. 1022. thinks the mole is intended; but the generality of interpreters understand it of the weasel; and so Jarchi and Kimchi and Philip AquinasF12Sepher Shorash. & Aquinas in rad. חלד. interpret it by "mustela" the weasel: however all agree the second is rightly interpreted "the mouse"; which has its name in Hebrew from its being a waster and destroyer of fields; an instance of which we have in 1 Samuel 6:5; see Gill on 1 Samuel 6:5; so that this sort may be chiefly intended though it includes all others who are distinguished by their colours the black the red and the white which are all mentioned by Jonathan in his paraphrase of the text: this animal as a learned physicianF13Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. vol. 2. p. 307. expresses it eats almost everything gnaws whatever it meets with and among other things is a great lover of swine's flesh which was an abomination to the Jews; nor does it abstain from dung and therefore it is no wonder it should be reckoned among impure creatures; and yet we find they were eaten by some people see Isaiah 66:17 especially the dormouse; for which the old Romans made conveniences to keep them in and feed them and breed them for the tableF14Varro de re Rustic. l. 3. c. 14. apud Sir Hans Sloane's History of Jamaica vol. 1. Introduct. p. 24. : so rats in the West Indies are brought to market and sold for food as a learned authorF15Sir Hans Sloane ib. p. 25. of undoubted credit assures us who was an eyewitness of it: the last in this text "the tortoise" means the land tortoise; it has its name from the shell with which it is covered this word being sometimes used for a covered wagon Numbers 7:3 there are various kinds of them as PlinyF16Nat. Hist. l. 9. c. 10. & l. 32. c. 4. and other writers observe and who as StraboF17Geograph. l. 16. p. 532. and MelaF18De Situ Orbis l. 3. c. 8. also speak of a people they call Chelonophagi or tortoise eaters: a tortoise of the land kind is esteemed a very delicate dish: Dr. ShawF19Travels p. 178. speaking of the land and water tortoises in Barbary says the former which hides itself during the winter months is very palatable food but the latter is very unwholesome: the Septuagint version renders it the "land crocodile" which is approved of by BochartF20Ut supra (Hierozoic. par. 1.) l. 4. c. 1. : and Leo Africanus saysF21Descriptio Africae l. 9. p. 762. that many in Egypt eat the flesh of the crocodile and affirm it to be of good savour; and so BenzonF23Nov. Orb. Hist. c. 3. says its flesh is white and tender and tastes like veal; though some among them as StraboF24Geograph. l. 17. p. 558 560 561 563. asserts have a great antipathy and hatred to them; and others worship them as gods and neither can be supposed to eat them; the land crocodiles are eaten by the Syrians as JeromF25Adv. Jovin. l. 2. affirms for those feeding on the sweetest flowers as is said their entrails are highly valued for their agreeable odour: Jarchi says it is a creature like a frog; he means a toad; so Philip Aquinas and many render the word: Dr. Shaw takes the creature designed to be the sharp-scaled tailed lizardF26Ut supra. Travels p. 178 .

 

Leviticus 11:30.  30 the gecko the monitor lizard the sand reptile the sand lizard and the chameleon.

   YLT  30and the ferret and the chameleon and the lizard and the snail and the mole;

And the ferret .... Whatever creature is here meant it has its name in Hebrew from the cry it makes; and so the ferret has but one note in its voice which is a shrill but small whining cry: it is used to drive rabbits out of their holes: the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render the word by "mygale" the weasel mouse or "mus areneus" of the Latins the shrew or shrew mouse: it has something of the mouse and weasel from whence it has its name in Greek being of the size of the one and the colour of the other: but BochartF2 is of opinion that a sort of lizard called "stellio" an evet or newt is meant; one sort of which according to PlinyF3 makes a bitter noise and screaking:

and the chameleon; this is a little creature like a lizard but with a larger and longer head; it has four feet and on each foot three claws; its tail is long; with this as well as with its feet it fastens itself to the branches of trees; its tail is flat its nose long and made in an obtuse point; its back is sharp its skin plaited and jagged like a saw from the neck to the last joint of the tail and upon its head it hath something like a comb; in other respects it is made like a fish; that is to say it has no neckF4; what is said of its living on air and changing colour according to what it is applied are now reckoned vulgar mistakes: but whatever creature is here meant it seems to have its name in Hebrew from its strength wherefore BochartF5 takes the "guaril" or "alwarlo" of the Arabs to be meant; which is the stoutest and strongest sort of lizard and is superior in strength to serpents and the land tortoise with which it often contends:

and the lizard; so Jarchi interprets the word by a "lizard"; it has a larger letter than usual in it that this creature might be taken notice of and guarded against as very pernicious and yet with some people it is eaten: Calmet saysF6 there are several sorts of lizards which are well known: there are some in Arabia of a cubit long but in the Indies there are some they say of twenty four feet in length: in America where they are very good they eat them: one lizard is enough to satisfy four men: and so in the West Indies says Sir Hans SloaneF7 I was somewhat surprised to see serpents rats and lizards sold for food and that to understanding people and of a very good and nice palate; and elsewhereF8 he says all nations inhabiting these parts of the world (the West Indies) do the same: "Guanes" or "lizards" are very common in Jamaica and eaten there and were of great use when the English first took this island being as I was assured says he commonly sold by the first planters for half a crown apiece: Dr. ShawF9 says that he was informed that more than 40 000 persons in Cairo and in the neighbourhood live upon no other food than lizards and serpents though he thinksF11 because the chameleon is called by the Arabs "taitah" which differs little in name from לטאה "letaah" here; that therefore that which is indeed a species of the lizard might with more propriety be substituted for it:

and the snail; so the word is rendered by Jarchi on the place and by Kimchi and Philip Aquinas and David de Pomis in their lexicons; and these creatures though forbid to the Jews yet are not only used for medicine but also for food by many: snails of several kinds we are told are eaten with much satisfaction in Italy and France: in Silesia they make places for the breeding of them at this day where they are fed with turnip tops &c. and carefully preserved for the market; and the Romans took care of them in the same mannerF12: BochartF13 thinks a kind of lizard is meant which lies in sand called by the Arabs "chulaca" or "luchaca" because the word here used signifies in the TalmudicF14 language sandy ground:

and the mole; and so it is interpreted by Onkelos and Jarchi here and by David de Pomis and Philip Aquinas in their lexicons: the same word is used for a certain sort of fowl which we translate the "swan"; Leviticus 11:18 but here of a creeping thing: whatever is intended by it it seems to have its name from its breath; either in a contrary signification if understood of the mole which either holds its breath or breathes not while under ground; or from its breathing more freely wherefore BochartF15 takes it to be the "chameleon"; which as PlinyF16 says is always gaping with its mouth for air; and it has been a vulgar notion though a wrong one that it lives upon it: the Targum of Jonathan interprets it by the "salamander"; now whoever ate any of the above eight creeping things according to the Jewish canons was to be beatenF17.F2 Ut supra (Hierozoic. par. 1.) l. 4. c. 2.F3 Nat. Hist. l. 29. c. 4.F4 Calmet in the word "Chameleon".F5 Ut supra (Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 4.) c. 3.F6 Dictionary in the word "Lizard" Vid. Hieron. adv. Jovinian. l. 2.F7 Natural History of Jamaica vol. 1. Introduct. p. 25.F8 Ibid. vol. 2. p. 333.F9 Travels p. 412.F11 Ibid. p. 178.F12 Sir Hans Sloane's Nat. Hist. ib. p. 23 24.F13 Ut supra F5) c. 5.F14 T. Bab. Sabbat fol. 31. 1. Gloss. in fol. 54. 1.F15 Ut supra (Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 4.) c. 6.F16 Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 33.F17 Maimon. Maacolot Asurot c. 2. sect. 7.

 

Leviticus 11:31.  31 These are unclean to you among all that creep. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening.

   YLT  31these [are] the unclean to you among all which are teeming; any one who is coming against them in their death is unclean till the evening.

These are unclean to you of all that creep .... Unfit for food and not to be touched at least when dead as in the next clause that is these eight sorts of creeping things before mentioned as the Targum of Jonathan expresses it and these only as Maimonides saysF18:

whosoever doth touch them when they are dead shall be unclean until the even; for touching them while alive did not defile only when dead; and this the Jews interpret while they are in the case in which they died that is while they are moist; for as Ben Gersom says if they are so dry as that they cannot return to their moisture they do not defile; for which reason neither the bones nor nails nor nerves nor skin of these creeping things defile; but they sayF19 while the back bone is whole and the bones cleave to it then a creeping thing is reckoned moist and while it is so it defiles.F18 Hilchot Abot Hatumaot c. 4. sect. 14.F19 Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Niddah c. 7. sect. 1.

 

Leviticus 11:32.  32 Anything on which any of them falls when they are dead shall be unclean whether it is any item of wood or clothing or skin or sack whatever item it is in which any work is done it must be put in water. And it shall be unclean until evening; then it shall be clean.

   YLT  32`And anything on which any one of them falleth in their death is unclean of any vessel of wood or garment or skin or sack any vessel in which work is done is brought into water and hath been unclean till the evening then it hath been clean;

And upon whatsoever any of them when they are dead doth fall it shall be unclean .... Any of the above eight creeping things that is of their flesh for as for their bones nails nerves and skin as before observed being separated from them and dry they do not defile:

whether it be any vessel of wood or raiment or skin or sack; every wooden vessel as the Targum of Jonathan; and all sorts of clothes of woollen linen or silk and all sorts of skins excepting skins of sea beasts; for these according to the JewsF20 received no pollution; and also sacks or sackcloth made of goats' hair and the like:

whatsoever vessel it be wherein any work is done; any tool or instrument made use of by any artificer in his trade or any vessel wrought by him:

it must be put into water; dipped into it even into forty seahs of water according to the Targum of Jonathan; and which is to be understood not of any working tool or finished vessel only but of any vessel of wood raiment skin or sack before mentioned:

it shall be unclean until the even; even though put into water and washed:

so it shall be cleansed; in the above manner by being put or dipped into water; or "afterwards" as the Septuagint when it has been dipped and the even is come and not before.F20 Bartenora in Misn. Celaim c. 17. sect. 13.

 

Leviticus 11:33.  33 Any earthen vessel into which any of them falls you shall break; and whatever is in it shall be unclean:

   YLT  33and any earthen vessel into the midst of which [any] one of them falleth all that [is] in its midst is unclean and it ye do break.

And every earthen vessel whereinto any of them falleth .... Any of the above eight reptiles should they by chance fall into the midst an earthen vessel:

whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; if it only by falling touched the outside of it it was not unclean; but if it fell into it then whatever was contained in it was unclean; for as Jarchi says an earthen vessel does not pollute or receive pollution but from the air of itF21 from its inside:

and ye shall break it; other vessels might be put into water and rinsed and so be cleansed but earthen vessels being of no great value were to be broken in pieces: an emblem this as Ainsworth suggests of the dissolution of our bodies which are as earthen vessels and of the destruction of sin thereby and of the entire removal of it by death.F21 Vid. Misn. Celaim c. 2. sect. 1. & Maimon. & Bartenora in ib.

 

Leviticus 11:34.  34 in such a vessel any edible food upon which water falls becomes unclean and any drink that may be drunk from it becomes unclean.

   YLT  34`Of all the food which is eaten that on which cometh [such] water is unclean and all drink which is drunk in any [such] vessel is unclean;

Of all meat which may be eaten .... Which otherwise is lawful to eat and fit for food whether herbs or whether the flesh of clean creatures:

that on which such water cometh shall be unclean; that is such water as is put into an unclean vessel become so by the fall of any unclean reptile into it; wherefore such water poured out upon any sort of food clean and fit to eat or that is put into such water to be dressed it becomes unclean and unfit to eat; for the vessel being unclean defiles the water and the water defiles the food: Jarchi interprets this of water in general which coming upon anything eatable prepares it for uncleanness; "we learn (says he) that no food is fit and prepared to receive defilement until water comes upon it once; and after it is come upon it once it receives defilement for ever even though it becomes dry;' but the former seems to be the true sense:

and all drink that may be drank in every such vessel shall be unclean; whatever otherwise might be lawfully drank yet being put into such a vessel into which any unclean reptile was fallen or being in it when it fell into it became unclean and not fit to be drank; and those liquors which receive uncleanness and make meats unclean by coming on them according to the Misnic doctorsF23 are these seven dew water wine oil blood milk and honey.F23 Misn. Machshirin c. 6. sect. 4.

 

Leviticus 11:35.  35 And everything on which a part of any such carcass falls shall be unclean; whether it is an oven or cooking stove it shall be broken down; for they are unclean and shall be unclean to you.

   YLT  35and anything on which [any] of their carcase falleth is unclean (oven or double pots) it is broken down unclean they [are] yea unclean they are to you.

And everything whereupon any part of their carcass falleth shall be unclean .... Before the Scripture seems to speak of anyone of the reptiles perfect that falling upon anything should pollute it; but here of any part of them though ever so small which should through any accident fall and light upon anything even that would render it unclean and unfit for use:

whether it be oven or ranges of pots; the one to bake bread in and the other to boil flesh in as Aben Ezra observes:

they shall be broken down; and no more made use of for baking and boiling:

for they are unclean and shall be unclean to you; were made hereby unfit for use and should not be used: the Jewish writersF24 explain the phrase "to you" to your necessity that which they had need of but now should not use nor receive advantage from; even "to you"; all men women and children as Hiskuni interprets it: all this was ordered to create in them an abhorrence of these creatures and to make them cautious of eating and touching them and careful that they come not nigh or touched or fell upon anything since it would give them so much trouble as well as occasion loss.F24 Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Edaiot c. 7. sect. 8.

 

Leviticus 11:36.  36 Nevertheless a spring or a cistern in which there is plenty of water shall be clean but whatever touches any such carcass becomes unclean.

   YLT  36`Only -- a fountain or pit a collection of water is clean but that which is coming against their carcase is unclean;

Nevertheless a fountain or pit wherein there is plenty of water .... Or "a fountain or pit a collection of waters" the copulative being wanting as some observe Aben Ezra takes notice of; or it may be by way of apposition and so may explain what fountain or pit is meant even such an one where there is a large continence of water into which if any carcass of a creeping thing fell or any part of it yet it

shall be clean: and fit for use either because of the abundance of water in it which could not be affected with the fall of such a creature into it as where there is but a small quantity; or rather this exception was made because pools of water were of considerable value in these countries and frequently in use for bathings &c. and therefore for the good of men and that they might not suffer so great a loss by such an accident they are declared notwithstanding to be clean and free for use: hence you may learn says Jarchi that he that dips in them is pure from his uncleanness; that a man might lawfully make use of them for a bath on account of any uncleanness notwithstanding the carcass of a creeping thing had fallen into it; as a mouse or rat or any such creature:

but that which toucheth their carcass shall be unclean; not the waters which touch the carcass as Aben Ezra interprets it for then the whole would be defiled and unfit for use; but either the man that touched the carcass laid hold upon it to pluck it out of the fountain or pit or that which he made use of to get it out or both these were unclean in a ceremonial sense: the Targum of Jonathan is "but he that toucheth their carcasses in the midst of these waters shall be unclean.'

 

Leviticus 11:37.  37 And if a part of any such carcass falls on any planting seed which is to be sown it remains clean.

   YLT  37and when [any] of their carcase falleth on any sown seed which is sown -- it [is] clean;

And if any part of their carcass fall upon any sowing seed that is to be sown .... That which is selected from the other seed in order to be sown and which is laid by and laid up for that purpose; should the carcass or any part of the carcass of a creeping thing fall upon an heap of it into a vessel in which it was put as a dead mouse or the like:

yet it shall be clean; be fit for use and sown in the earth; because being cast into the earth and dying and quickening there and then springing up again in stalk and ear it would go through various changes before it became the food of man: the Targum of Jonathan describes it such as is sown in its dryness or being dry; for if it was wetted it was unfit for use as follows.

 

Leviticus 11:38.  38 But if water is put on the seed and if a part of any such carcass falls on it it becomes unclean to you.

   YLT  38and when water is put on the seed and [any] of its carcase hath fallen on it -- unclean it [is] to you.

But if any water be put upon the seed .... Either accidentally or on purpose; whether on sowing seed and with water with which they water the field as Aben Ezra interprets it; or on seed used for food by steeping it in water as sometimes wheat is and boiled; and whether it is water or the rest of the liquors and whether they are put on the seed or the seed falls into them it matters not as Jarchi says:

and any part of their carcass fall thereon; that is on the seed though Aben Ezra observes some say upon the water: the Targum of Jonathan adds in its moisture or while it is wet; and so may be thought to be more susceptible of impurity from the touch of a dead reptile or any part of it and which would render it unfit for sowing or eating until it was dried and cleansed; yea Jarchi says if it falls thereon even after it is dried:

it shall be unclean unto you; unfit for use.

 

Leviticus 11:39.  39 ‘And if any animal which you may eat dies he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until evening.

   YLT  39`And when any of the beasts which are to you for food dieth he who is coming against its carcase is unclean till the evening;

And if any beast of which ye may eat die .... Any clean beast as the ox sheep goat deer &c. what if rightly killed is very lawful to eat of; but if it died of itself through any distemper or was torn by the wild beasts so the Targum of Jonathan:

he that toucheth the carcass thereof shall be unclean until the even; not the bones nerves horns hoofs or skin as Jarchi observes; these might be handled because some of them at least were wrought up into one instrument or another by artificers for use and service but the flesh of them might not be touched; whoever did touch it was ceremonially unclean and might not go into the sanctuary or have conversation with men until the evening of the day in which this was done.

 

Leviticus 11:40.  40 He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. He also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.

   YLT  40and he who is eating of its carcase doth wash his garments and hath been unclean till the evening; and he who is lifting up its carcase doth wash his garments and hath been unclean till the evening.

And he that eateth of the carcass of it .... For though it might be eaten if rightly killed yet not if it died of itself or was strangled or torn to pieces by wild beasts:

shall wash his clothes; besides his body which even he that touched it was obliged to:

and be unclean until the even; though he and his clothes were washed and he might not go into the court of the tabernacle or have any concern with holy things or conversation with men:

he also that beareth the carcass of it; removes it from one place to another carries it to the dunghill or a ditch and there lays it or buries it in the earth:

shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the even; from whence as before observed by the Jewish writers uncleanness by bearing is greater than uncleanness by touching since the former obliged to washing of clothes not so the latter; so Jarchi here; and yet still was unclean until the evening though he had washed himself in water as Aben Ezra notes; and so says Jarchi though he dips himself he has need of the evening of the sun.

 

Leviticus 11:41.  41 ‘And every creeping thing that creeps on the earth shall be an abomination. It shall not be eaten.

   YLT  41`And every teeming thing which is teeming on the earth is an abomination it is not eaten;

And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth .... Nothing is called a creeping thing as Jarchi says but what is low has short feet and is not seen unless it creeps and moves: and "every creeping thing" comprehends as Aben Ezra and Ben Gersom observe the eight creeping things before mentioned Leviticus 11:29 and mention is made of them here that they might not be eaten which is not expressed before; and being described as creeping things "on the earth" is according to Jarchi an exception of worms in pease beans and lentiles; and as others observe in figs and dates and other fruit; for they do not creep upon the earth but are within the food; but if they go out into the air and creep they are forbidden:

shall be an abomination; detested and abhorred as food:

it shall not be eaten; it shall not be lawful to eat such a creature. This as Jarchi is binding upon him that causes another to eat as well as he that eats the one is guilty as the other. And indeed such are not fit to eat and cannot be wholesome and nourishing; for as a learned physician observesF25 insects consist of particles exceeding small volatile unfit for nourishment most of them live on unclean food and delight in dung and in the putrid flesh of other animals and by laying their little eggs or excrements corrupt honey syrups &c. see Ecclesiastes 10:1 and yet some sorts of them are eaten by some people. Sir Hans Sloane after having spoken of serpents rats and lizards sold for food to his great surprise at Jamaica addsF26 but what of all things most unusual and to my great admiration was the great esteem set on a sort of "cossi" or timber worms called cotton tree worms by the negroes and the Indians the one the original inhabitants of Africa and the other of America; these he saysF1 are sought after by them and boiled in their soups pottages olios pepper pots and are accounted of admirable taste like to but much beyond marrow; yea he observesF2 that not they only but the most polite people in the world the Romans accounted them so great a dainty as to feed them with meal and endeavour breeding them up. He speaksF3 also of ants so large as to be sold in the markets in New Granada where they are carefully looked after and bought up for food; and says the negroes feed on the abdomen of these creatures: he observesF4 that field crickets were found in baskets among other provisions of the Indians.F25 Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. vol. 2. p. 302.F26 Nat. Hist. of Jamaica vol. 1. Introduct. p. 25.F1 Ib. vol. 2. p. 193.F2 Introduct. ut supra.F1) Vid. Plin. l. 17. c. 24. & Aelian. de Animal. l. 14. c. 13.F3 Ib. vol. 2. p. 221 223.F4 Ib. p. 204. Vid. Aristotel. Hist. Animal. l. 5. c. 30.

 

Leviticus 11:42.  42 Whatever crawls on its belly whatever goes on all fours or whatever has many feet among all creeping things that creep on the earth—these you shall not eat for they are an abomination.

   YLT  42any thing going on the belly and any going on four unto every multiplier of feet to every teeming thing which is teeming on the earth -- ye do not eat them for they [are] an abomination;

Whatsoever goeth upon the belly .... Jarchi's paraphrase is "whatsoever goeth" as worms and beetles and the like to them "upon the belly" this is the serpent; and to go upon the belly is the curse denounced upon it Genesis 3:14 this and every such creature are forbidden to be eaten; as there are others who either have no feet or what they have so short that they seem to go upon their belly; and yet as horrible and detestable as the serpent is it has been the food of some and accounted very delicious as by a people mentioned by the Arabic geographerF5. MelaF6 speaks of a people who from their eating serpents were called Ophiophagi serpent eaters; and PlinyF7 says of the Troglodytes that the flesh of serpents was their food. The Spaniards when they first found out the West Indies going ashore on the isle of Cuba found certain spits of wood lying at the fire having fish on them about one hundred pound weight and two serpents of eight feet long differing nothing from the crocodiles in Egypt but not so big; there is nothing says my authorF8 among the delicate dishes (of the natives of that place) they esteem so much as these serpents insomuch that it is no more lawful for the common people to eat of them than of peacocks and pheasants among us; the Spaniards at first durst not venture to taste of them because of their horrible deformity and loathsomeness; but the brother of Columbus being allured by a sister of one of the kings of the country to taste of them found them very delicious on which he and his men fell to and ate freely of them affirming them to be of more pleasant taste than either our pheasants or partridges; and that there is no meat to be compared with the eggs of these serpentsF9. Diodorus SiculusF11 speaks of serpents in the island of Taprobane of great size harmless to men and whose flesh is eaten and of a sweet savour:

and whatsoever goeth upon all four; that is whatsoever creeping thing; for otherwise there are beasts that go upon all four that are clean and fit to eat; but this is observed to distinguish this sort of creeping things from those that go upon their belly and from those that have more feet as in the next clause; Jarchi particularly instances in the scorpion:

or whatsoever hath mere feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth; such as caterpillars and particularly the Scolopendra which the eastern people call Nedal; so Jarchi says this is Nedal a reptile which hath feet from its head to its tail called Centipeda; and the Targum of Jonathan is "from the serpent to the Nedal or Scolopendra which has many feet.' Some of then have seventy two thirty six on a side and others eighty four; some fewer but all have many:

them ye shall not eat for they are an abomination; abominable for food and to be had in the utmost aversion.F5 Clim. 1. par. 6.F6 De Situ Orbis l. 3. c. 8.F7 Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 8.F8 Peter Martyr de Angleria Decad. 1. l. 3.F9 Ib. l. 5.F11 Bibliothec. l. 3. p. 141.

 

Leviticus 11:43.  43 You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps; nor shall you make yourselves unclean with them lest you be defiled by them.

   YLT  43ye do not make yourselves abominable with any teeming thing which is teeming nor do ye make yourselves unclean with them so that ye have been unclean thereby.

Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth .... With any creeping thing that flies in the air excepting the four sorts of locusts Leviticus 11:22 and with any creeping thing in the waters Leviticus 11:10 or with anything that creeps on the land by eating any of them; which being abominable for food would make the eater of them so to God he thereby breaking a command of his:

neither shall you make yourselves unclean with them; by touching and bearing them as with dead beasts so with dead flies and the like:

that ye should be defiled thereby; in a ceremonial sense.

 

Leviticus 11:44.  44 For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

   YLT  44`For I [am] Jehovah your God and ye have sanctified yourselves and ye have been holy for I [am] holy; and ye do not defile your persons with any teeming thing which is creeping on the earth;

For I am the Lord your God .... Their Lord and therefore had a right to enjoin them what laws he pleased concerning their food; and their God their covenant God and therefore would consult their good and direct them to what was most proper convenient and wholesome for them:

ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves and ye shall be holy for I am holy; that is separate themselves from all other people and be distinct from them by using a different diet from theirs as their Lord and God was different from all others so called; and thus by observing his commands and living according to his will and to his glory they would be holy in a moral sense as they ought to be who were under the peculiar care and notice of a holy God and so highly favoured by him; and particularly by attending to the above laws concerning food they would be kept from mixing with and having conversation with the Gentiles and so be preserved from falling into idolatry and continue a holy people serving and worshipping the Lord their God and him only; and which seems to be a principal view as to religion in delivering out the above commands:

neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; which is repeated to keep them at the utmost distance from these things and to fill them with an aversion to them that they might be careful to avoid them. There is no penalty annexed to these laws but the breach of them making them unclean thereby they were debarred the use of the sanctuary and of holy things and of the conversation of men for that day; but according to the Jewish writers such transgressions were punishable with stripes. Jarchi observes out of the TalmudF12 that he that eateth "putitha" (a small water reptile) was to be beaten four times and if an ant or pismire five times and if a wasp or hornet six times.F12 T. Bab. Erubin fol. 28. 1. Pesachim fol. 24. 1. Maccot fol. 16. 2.

 

Leviticus 11:45.  45 For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy for I am holy.

   YLT  45for I [am] Jehovah who am bringing you up out of the land of Egypt to become your God; and ye have been holy for I [am] holy.

For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt .... He had brought them out of it and was now bringing them on in the wilderness towards Canaan's land in order to settle them there; and this is observed to show what obligations they lay under to him to observe his commands; for since he had done such great things for them it became them to be obedient to him in all things: and the more since his end herein was as he observes to them

to be your God; to make it appear that he was their God and they were his special people whom he had chosen for himself above all people upon the earth; that he was their King and their God to protect and defend them to provide for them and take care of them and bestow all good things on them proper for them:

ye shall therefore be holy for I am holy; separate from all others as he was living holy lives and conversations agreeably to his will made known to them in imitation or him who had chosen and called them to be his people; for since holiness is his nature it becomes them who are his house and family his subjects and people.

 

Leviticus 11:46.  46 ‘This is the law of the animals and the birds and every living creature that moves in the waters and of every creature that creeps on the earth

   YLT  46`This [is] a law of the beasts and of the fowl and of every living creature which is moving in the waters and of every creature which is teeming on the earth

This is the law of the beasts .... Clean and unclean what were to be eaten and what not

and of the fowl; Leviticus 11:2 the unclean ones which are particularly mentioned that they might be avoided all others excepting them being allowed: Leviticus 11:13.

and of every living creature that moveth in the waters; all sorts of fish in the sea rivers ponds and pools such as have fins and scales these were to be eaten but if they had neither were forbidden: Leviticus 11:9.

and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth; eight of which are mentioned particularly which when dead defiled by touching; and all others are forbidden to be eaten Leviticus 11:29 together with such creeping things that fly excepting those that had legs above their feet to leap with Leviticus 11:20 This is a recapitulation of the several laws respecting them though not in the exact order in which they are delivered in this chapter.

 

Leviticus 11:47.  47 to distinguish between the unclean and the clean and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten.’”

   YLT  47to make separation between the unclean and the pure and between the beast that is eaten and the beast that is not eaten.'

To make a difference between the unclean and the clean .... Whether of beasts fish fowl and flying creeping things:

and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten; the former clause takes in all in general this instances in a particular sort of creatures; and the first mentioned of which that might be eaten are that part the hoof are cloven footed and chew the cud; and that might not that chew the cud but divide not the hoof or divide the hoof but chew not the cud; and now by such like descriptions and distinctions of the creatures treated of the Israelites would be able to make a difference between the one and the other and know what was to be eaten and what not.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible