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11 The Eternal One addressed Moses and Aaron again.

Now that Aaron and his sons have been set aside as priests, it is time to instruct them on one of their major duties, that is, helping God’s covenant people understand the difference between purity and impurity. Impurity is a constant challenge and threat to holiness, and God has called His people to be holy. But many actions and circumstances in life put holiness in jeopardy. God knows that His people need help figuring these things out. That’s one of the reasons He sets aside Aaron’s family as priests and gives them these instructions.

It is important to note that purity and impurity, as understood here, are much more than what is sanitary or unsanitary. The ritual purity instructions encompass nearly every aspect of social and religious life in Israel.

Eternal One: Go talk to the Israelites and explain to them which animals of the earth you may and may not eat. You are allowed to eat any animals with split hooves divided into two parts or that chew the cud. But from those animals with split hooves or that chew the cud, you are not allowed to eat camels. Because they only chew the cud and do not have split hooves, camels are impure to you. In the same way, the rock badger chews the cud but does not have split hooves. Therefore, rock badgers are impure to you. Also the hare chews the cud, but it does not have split hooves. Therefore, they are impure to you. The pig has split hooves divided into two parts, but it does not chew the cud. Therefore pigs are impure to you. Do not eat their meat or touch their dead bodies, for they are impure to you.

You are certainly allowed to eat these creatures of the water: any fish with fins and scales that swim in the seas or rivers. 10 But any finless or scaleless fish that comes from the abundance of water-life in the seas or rivers, and any other creatures living in the water, are detestable to you. 11 Recognize and treat them for what they are: detestable. You are not allowed to eat their meat, and their dead bodies are repulsive to you. 12 Any finless or scaleless fish or animal or insect in the seas or rivers is detestable to you.

13 Also among the creatures of the air, there are some you should detest as well. Do not eat the eagle, the bearded vulture, or the black vulture, 14 the kite and all kinds of buzzards, 15 any sort of crow, 16 the ostrich, the owl, the seagull, all kinds of hawks, 17 the little owl, the cormorant, the screech owl, 18 the white owl, the pelican, the carrion vulture, 19 the stork, all kinds of herons, the hoopoe, and the bat.

20 Also, any insect that can fly and move around on four legs is detestable. 21 But you are allowed to eat any flying, four-legged insect that has joints above its feet for jumping. 22 You may eat the following insects: locusts, destructive locusts, desert locusts, and grasshoppers. 23 But any other flying, four-legged insects are detestable.

Have you noticed how often faith and food come together? One of the most authentic expressions of our spiritual lives has to do with the table where we gather with family and friends to bless God for the goodness the earth provides. These regulations recorded here helped Israel to maintain its status as God’s chosen and holy people. Kosher laws, as they are called, are unique to Israel’s covenant with the Eternal One. They aren’t God’s laws for everyone; they serve as a cultural boundary-marker indicating what kinds of meat should be eaten.

Eternal One: 24 Also you will become impure until dusk if you touch the carcass of any creature. 25 A person who picks up any part of its carcass must wash his clothes and remain impure until dusk. 26 All animals that do not chew cud or have split hooves that are not in two parts are impure to you. Anyone who has contact with them becomes impure. 27 Also, any four-legged animals that walk on paws are impure to you. Anyone who has contact with their carcasses will be impure until dusk. 28 And anyone who carries their carcass is to wash his clothes and remain impure until dusk. They are impure to you as well.

29 These small creatures that scamper about the earth are impure to you: small rodents, great lizards, 30 geckos, monitor lizards, other lizards, sand reptiles, and chameleons. 31 These small creatures of the earth are impure to you. Anyone who touches their remains will be impure until dusk. 32 If one of the carcasses touches an object you intend to use—such as a piece of wood, an article of clothing, an animal hide, or a sack—then that item is impure and should soak in water until dusk. After that, it will be pure again. 33 If one of the carcasses falls into any container made of clay, the substance within the container will become impure and you should destroy the container. 34 If any food in the container that is ready to eat is touched by water, then the food becomes impure. Any drink from a contaminated container will become impure as well. 35 If any part of a dead body touches something—say, an oven or stove—then that oven or stove must be destroyed. They are impure and will always be impure to you. 36 However if a carcass falls into a spring or a container accumulating water, the water will be ritually pure because it is continually renewed. But the person who pulls the carcass out of the water will be ritually impure. 37 If any part of the dead body has contact with a seed that is to be planted, then the seed remains ritually pure because it is dry. 38 But if the seed becomes wet and any part of a dead body touches it, then the seed is ritually impure.

39 If a clean animal dies naturally, whoever touches the carcass will be impure until dusk. 40 And if anyone eats some of its meat, then that person is to wash his clothes and remain impure until dusk. Anyone who touches the dead body is to wash his clothes and remain impure until dusk.

41 Any swarming creature that scurries along the ground is detestable to you and must not be eaten. Do not consume any of them! 42 Also do not eat any creature that moves on its belly, walks on four legs, or has multiple pairs of feet, for they are detestable to you. 43 Do not defile yourselves by having contact with any of the swarming creatures. Do not become impure by having contact with any of them. 44 For I am the Eternal One, your God. You are to consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am holy.[a] Do not cause yourselves to become impure by having contact with any swarming creature that crawls along the ground. 45 I am the Eternal One who led you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. Therefore, you are to be holy, for I am holy.[b]

46 So this is God’s instruction concerning animals, birds, creatures that live in the waters, and small creatures that move along the ground, 47 so that the people will be able to distinguish between what animals are ritually acceptable and ritually unacceptable, and what is to be eaten and what is not to be eaten.

Clean and Unclean Food(A)

11 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat:(B) You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud.

“‘There are some that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them.(C) The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. The hyrax, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. And the pig,(D) though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.(E)

“‘Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams you may eat any that have fins and scales. 10 But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales—whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water—you are to regard as unclean.(F) 11 And since you are to regard them as unclean, you must not eat their meat; you must regard their carcasses as unclean.(G) 12 Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be regarded as unclean by you.(H)

13 “‘These are the birds you are to regard as unclean and not eat because they are unclean: the eagle,[a] the vulture, the black vulture, 14 the red kite, any kind(I) of black kite, 15 any kind of raven,(J) 16 the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, 17 the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, 18 the white owl,(K) the desert owl, the osprey, 19 the stork,(L) any kind(M) of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.(N)

20 “‘All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be regarded as unclean by you.(O) 21 There are, however, some flying insects that walk on all fours that you may eat: those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground. 22 Of these you may eat any kind of locust,(P) katydid, cricket or grasshopper. 23 But all other flying insects that have four legs you are to regard as unclean.

24 “‘You will make yourselves unclean by these;(Q) whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening.(R) 25 Whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash their clothes,(S) and they will be unclean till evening.(T)

26 “‘Every animal that does not have a divided hoof or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you; whoever touches the carcass of any of them will be unclean. 27 Of all the animals that walk on all fours, those that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. 28 Anyone who picks up their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.(U) These animals are unclean for you.

29 “‘Of the animals that move along the ground, these are unclean for you:(V) the weasel, the rat,(W) any kind of great lizard, 30 the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon. 31 Of all those that move along the ground, these are unclean for you. Whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean till evening. 32 When one of them dies and falls on something, that article, whatever its use, will be unclean, whether it is made of wood, cloth, hide or sackcloth.(X) Put it in water; it will be unclean till evening, and then it will be clean. 33 If one of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will be unclean, and you must break the pot.(Y) 34 Any food you are allowed to eat that has come into contact with water from any such pot is unclean, and any liquid that is drunk from such a pot is unclean. 35 Anything that one of their carcasses falls on becomes unclean; an oven or cooking pot must be broken up. They are unclean, and you are to regard them as unclean. 36 A spring, however, or a cistern for collecting water remains clean, but anyone who touches one of these carcasses is unclean. 37 If a carcass falls on any seeds that are to be planted, they remain clean. 38 But if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, it is unclean for you.

39 “‘If an animal that you are allowed to eat dies,(Z) anyone who touches its carcass(AA) will be unclean till evening. 40 Anyone who eats some of its carcass(AB) must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.(AC) Anyone who picks up the carcass must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.

41 “‘Every creature that moves along the ground is to be regarded as unclean; it is not to be eaten. 42 You are not to eat any creature that moves along the ground, whether it moves on its belly or walks on all fours or on many feet; it is unclean. 43 Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures.(AD) Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them or be made unclean by them. 44 I am the Lord your God;(AE) consecrate yourselves(AF) and be holy,(AG) because I am holy.(AH) Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground.(AI) 45 I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt(AJ) to be your God;(AK) therefore be holy, because I am holy.(AL)

46 “‘These are the regulations concerning animals, birds, every living thing that moves about in the water and every creature that moves along the ground. 47 You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.(AM)’”

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 11:13 The precise identification of some of the birds, insects and animals in this chapter is uncertain.