Reflections on Leviticus 11

Leviticus 11 (Contemporary English Version)

1. The LORD told Moses and Aaron
   
2. to say to the community of Israel: You may eat
   
3. any animal that has divided hoofs and chews the cud.
   
4. But you must not eat animals such as camels, rock badgers, and rabbits that chew the cud but don't have divided hoofs. And you must not eat pigs--they have divided hoofs, but don't chew the cud. All of these animals are unclean, and you are forbidden even to touch their dead bodies.
   
5. (SEE 11:4)
   
6. (SEE 11:4)
   
7. (SEE 11:4)
   
8. (SEE 11:4)
   
9. You may eat anything that lives in water and has fins and scales. But it would be disgusting for you to eat anything else that lives in water, and you must not even touch their dead bodies.
   
10. (SEE 11:9)
    
11. (SEE 11:9)
    
12. (SEE 11:9)
    
13. Eagles, vultures, buzzards, crows, ostriches, hawks, sea gulls, owls, pelicans, storks, herons, hoopoes, and bats are also disgusting, and you are forbidden to eat any of them.
    
14. (SEE 11:13)
    
15. (SEE 11:13)
    
16. (SEE 11:13)
    
17. (SEE 11:13)
    
18. (SEE 11:13)
    
19. (SEE 11:13)
    
20. The only winged insects you may eat are locusts, grasshoppers, and crickets. All other winged insects that crawl are too disgusting for you to eat.
    
21. (SEE 11:20)
    
22. (SEE 11:20)
    
23. (SEE 11:20)
    
24. Don't even touch the dead bodies of animals that have divided hoofs but don't chew the cud. And don't touch the dead bodies of animals that have paws. If you do, you must wash your clothes, but you are still unclean until evening.
    
25. (SEE 11:24)
    
26. (SEE 11:24)
    
27. (SEE 11:24)
    
28. (SEE 11:24)
    
29. Moles, rats, mice, and all kinds of lizards are unclean.
    
30. (SEE 11:29)
    
31. Anyone who touches their dead bodies or anything touched by their dead bodies becomes unclean until evening.
    
32. If something made of wood, cloth, or leather touches one of their dead bodies, it must be washed, but it is still unclean until evening.
    
33. If any of these animals is found dead in a clay pot, the pot must be broken to pieces, and everything in it becomes unclean.
    
34. If you pour water from this pot on any food, that food becomes unclean, and anything drinkable in the pot becomes unclean.
    
35. If the dead body of one of these animals touches anything else, including ovens and stoves, that thing becomes unclean and must be destroyed.
    
36. A spring or a cistern where one of these dead animals is found is still clean, but anyone who touches the animal becomes unclean.
    
37. If the dead body of one of these animals is found lying on seeds that have been set aside for planting, the seeds remain clean.
    
38. But seeds that are soaking in water become unclean, if the dead animal is found in the water.
    
39. If an animal that may be eaten happens to die, and you touch it, you become unclean until evening.
    
40. If you eat any of its meat or carry its body away, you must wash your clothes, but you are still unclean until evening.
    
41. Don't eat any of those disgusting little creatures that crawl or walk close to the ground.
    
42. (SEE 11:41)
    
43. If you eat any of them, you will become just as disgusting and unclean as they are.
    
44. I am the LORD your God, and you must dedicate yourselves to me and be holy, just as I am holy. Don't become disgusting by eating any of these unclean creatures.
    
45. I brought you out of Egypt so that I could be your God. Now you must become holy, because I am holy!
    
46. I have given these laws so that you will know what animals, birds, and fish are clean and may be eaten, and which ones are unclean and may not be eaten.
    
47. (SEE 11:46)
    
    

    ---

    
    Following the handbook on sacrifices which consists of the first seven chapters of Leviticus, chapters 11-15 deal with matters of ceremonial cleanness and uncleanness. While these restrictions concerning what was unclean had some health benefits, this was not their primary purpose. Nor were distinctions between clean or unclean an issue of morality. Much of what was considered ritually defiled was a result of "accident, illness, physical processes, or other actions that were proper and even commendable." (Bamberger) All of this was about Israel being a chosen people by a holy God, and served as a constant reminder that God had distinguished between them and other nations.
    
    Chapter 11 addresses five types of creatures that are clean or unclean. If a person came in contact with any of these they must wash and then remain unclean until evening, which meant no contact with other people or involvement in the evening sacrifice. The five types of creatures that were clean include:
    
    
    • Land animals that are both hooved and chews the cud were clean. All others were unclean.
      
    • Water creatures that had fins and scales. All others were unclean.
      
    • A lengthy list of birds that were unclean is given but none mentioned that were clean. Though not mentioned here, clean birds that could be eaten were doves, pigeons, quail, and sparrows.
      
    • Among winged insects, the locust, katydid, cricket, and grasshopper were considered clean. All others were unclean.
      
    • Among creatures that swarm on the ground, none were clean. Examples of these type creatures were weasel, mouse, and lizard.
    
    The reason given at the end of the chapter for observing these restrictions was that "I am the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God, so you must be holy because I am holy." (11:45)