The Third Book of Moses: Leviticus

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

- Chapter 11 -

(Deuteronomy 14:1–21; Acts 10:9–16)

And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:

Say to the sons of Israel: These are the animals that you ought to eat out of all the living things of the earth.(a)

All that has a divided hoof, and that chews over again, among the cattle, you shall eat.(b)

But whatever certainly chews over again, but has a hoof that is not divided, such as the camel and others, these you shall not eat, and you shall consider them to be among what is unclean.

The rock rabbit which chews over again, and whose hoof is not divided, is unclean,(c)

(d)

and so also is the hare, for it too chews over again, yet its hoof is not divided,

and also the swine, which, though its hoof is divided, does not chew over again.

The flesh of these you shall not eat, nor shall you touch their carcasses, because they are unclean to you.

These are the things that breed in the waters, and which it is lawful to eat. All that has little fins and scales, as much in the sea, as in the rivers and ponds, you shall eat.

But whatever does not have fins and scales, of those things that live and move in the waters, shall be abominable to you,

and detestable; their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall avoid.

All that does not have fins and scales in the waters shall be polluted.

These are those things among the birds which you must not eat, and which are to be avoided by you: the eagle, and the griffin, and the osprey,(e)

and the kite, as well as the vulture, according to their kind,

and all that is of the raven kind, according to their likeness,(f)

the ostrich, and the owl, and the gull, and the hawk, according to its kind,

the owl, and the sea bird, and the ibis,

and the swan, and the pelican, and the marsh hen,

the heron, and the plover according to its kind, the crested hoopoe, and also the bat.(g)

Of all that flies, whatever steps upon four feet shall be abominable to you.

But whatever certainly walks upon four feet, and also has longer legs behind, with which it hops upon the earth,(h)

you shall eat, such as the beetle in its kind, and the cricket, and grasshopper, and the locust, each one according to its kind.(i)

But among flying things, whatever has only four feet shall be detestable to you.

And whoever will have touched their carcasses shall be defiled, and he shall be unclean until evening.

And if it will be necessary to carry any of these dead things, he shall wash his clothes, and he shall be unclean until the sun sets.

Every animal that certainly has a hoof, but which is not divided, nor does it chew over again, shall be unclean. And whoever will have touched it shall be contaminated.

Whatever walks upon its hands, out of all the animals that advance on all fours, shall be unclean. Whoever will have touched their carcasses shall be polluted until evening.

And whoever will have carried this kind of carcass shall wash his clothes, and he shall be unclean until evening. For all these are unclean to you.

Likewise, these shall be considered among the polluted things, out of all that moves upon the earth: the weasel, and the mouse, and the crocodile, each one according to its kind,

the shrew, and the chameleon, and the gecko, and the lizard, and the mole.

All these are unclean. Whoever will have touched their carcasses shall be unclean until evening.

And anything upon which something from their carcasses will have fallen shall be defiled, whether it is a vessel of wood, or a garment, or skins, or haircloths, or anything by which work is done. These shall be dipped in water and shall be defiled until evening, but then afterwards these shall be clean.

But an earthen vessel, into which something from these will fall, shall be defiled; and therefore it is to be broken.

Any of the foods that you eat, if water from such a vessel will have been poured upon it, it shall be unclean. And every liquid which one may drink from such a vessel shall be unclean.

And if anything from among these kinds of dead things has fallen upon it, it shall be unclean, whether it be an oven, or a pot with feet, these shall be unclean and shall be destroyed.

Yet truly, fountains and cisterns, and all reservoirs of water shall be clean. Whoever will have touched their carcasses shall be defiled.

If it falls upon seed grain, it shall not defile it.

But if anyone has poured water upon the seed grain, and afterwards it was touched by the carcasses, it shall be immediately defiled.

If any animals will have died, from which it is lawful for you to eat, whoever will have touched its carcass shall be unclean until evening.

And whoever will have eaten or carried anything of these shall wash his clothes, and he shall be unclean until evening.

All that creeps across the earth shall be abominable, neither shall it be taken up as food.

Whatever advances by four feet upon the chest, or that has many feet, or that drags across the soil, you shall not eat, because it is abominable.

Do not be willing to contaminate your souls, nor shall you touch any of these, lest you become unclean.

For I am the Lord your God. Be holy, for I am Holy. Do not pollute your souls with any creeping thing, which moves across the land.

For I am the Lord, who led you away from the land of Egypt, so that I would be your God; you shall be holy, for I am Holy.

This is the law of animals and flying things, and of every living soul that moves in the waters or creeps upon the land,

so that you may know the difference between clean and unclean, and so that you may know what you ought to eat, and what you ought to refuse.

Footnotes

(a)11:2 Animals which you are to eat, etc:The prohibition of so many kinds of beasts, birds, and fishes, in the law, was ordered, 1st, to exercise the people in obedience, and temperance; 2ndly, to restrain them from the vices of which these animals were symbols; 3rdly, because the things here forbidden were for the most part unwholesome, and not proper to be eaten; 4thly, that the people of God, by being obliged to abstain from things corporally unclean, might be trained up to seek a spiritual cleanness.(Challoner)

(b)11:3 Hoof divided, and chews the cud:The dividing of the hoof and chewing of the cud, signify discretion between good and evil, and meditating on the law of God; and where either of these is wanting a man is unclean. In like manner fishes were reputed unclean that had not fins and scales: that is, souls that did not raise themselves up by prayer and cover themselves with the scales of virtue.(Challoner)

(c)11:5 This particular animal is also called a hyrax, or a daman, or a cherogril. This animal is not scientifically categorized as a ruminant, but the Scripture passage uses ruminant with a broader meaning than science today uses. Rabbits chew over again in the sense of consuming a certain type of their own droppings, in order to derive additional nutrition.(Conte)

(d)11:5 The cherogrillus:Some suppose it to be the rabbit, others the hedgehog. St. Jerome intimates that it is another kind of animal common in Palestine, which lives in the holes of rocks or in the earth. We choose here, as also in the names of several other creatures that follow (which are little known in this part of the world,) to keep the Greek or Latin names.(Challoner)

(e)11:13 The griffon:Not the monster which the painter represent, which has no being upon earth; but a bird of the eagle kind, larger than the common.(Challoner)

(f)11:15 These categories are according to their likeness, i.e. according to appearances, which is a natural and practical way to categorize such animals.(Conte)

(g)11:19 Bats are classified with birds because they fly; the ancient categories for animals (as well as their names) do not always match modern scientific categories.(Conte)

(h)11:21 So these insects would have four walking legs, plus a longer pair behind for hopping or jumping.(Conte)

(i)11:22 Since ancient classifications of insects do not match modern classifications, the translation uses the more commonly understood words describing these types of insects.(Conte)