← All Chapters The Book of Leviticus · Chapter 11

Leviticus 11: Clean and Unclean

God distinguishes clean from unclean animals, teaching Israel to be holy, for he is holy, in every part of daily life.

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Leviticus 11 (WEB)

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them,

2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘These are the living things which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth.

3 Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud among the animals, that you may eat.

4 “‘Nevertheless these you shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those who part the hoof: the camel, because he chews the cud but doesn’t have a parted hoof, he is unclean to you.

5 The cony, because he chews the cud but doesn’t have a parted hoof, he is unclean to you.

6 The hare, because she chews the cud but doesn’t part the hoof, she is unclean to you.

7 The pig, because he has a split hoof, and is cloven-footed, but doesn’t chew the cud, he is unclean to you.

8 Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you.

9 “‘These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, that you may eat.

10 All that don’t have fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of all the living creatures that are in the waters, they are an abomination to you,

11 and you detest them. You shall not eat of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses.

12 Whatever has no fins nor scales in the waters, that is an abomination to you.

13 “‘These you shall detest among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the vulture, and the black vulture,

14 and the red kite, any kind of black kite,

15 any kind of raven,

16 the horned owl, the screech owl, and the gull, any kind of hawk,

17 the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl,

18 the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey,

19 the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.

20 “‘All flying insects that walk on all fours are an abomination to you.

21 Yet you may eat these: of all winged creeping things that go on all fours, which have legs above their feet, with which to hop on the earth.

22 Even of these you may eat: any kind of locust, any kind of katydid, any kind of cricket, and any kind of grasshopper.

23 But all winged creeping things which have four feet, are an abomination to you.

24 “‘By these you will become unclean: whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening.

25 Whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening.

26 “‘Every animal which parts the hoof, and is not cloven-footed, nor chews the cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean.

27 Whatever goes on its paws, among all animals that go on all fours, they are unclean to you. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening.

28 He who carries their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. They are unclean to you.

29 “‘These are they which are unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard,

30 the gecko, and the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink, and the chameleon.

31 These are they which are unclean to you among all that creep. Whoever touches them when they are dead, shall be unclean until the evening.

32 On whatever any of them falls when they are dead, it shall be unclean; whether it is any vessel of wood, or clothing, or skin, or sack, whatever vessel it is, with which any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening; then it will be clean.

33 Every earthen vessel, into which any of them falls, all that is in it shall be unclean, and you shall break it.

34 All food which may be eaten, that on which water comes, shall be unclean; and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean.

35 Everything whereupon part of their carcass falls shall be unclean; whether oven, or range for pots, it shall be broken in pieces: they are unclean, and shall be unclean to you.

36 Nevertheless a spring or a cistern in which water is gathered shall be clean: but that which touches their carcass shall be unclean.

37 If part of their carcass falls on any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean.

38 But if water is put on the seed, and part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.

39 “‘If any animal, of which you may eat, dies; he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening.

40 He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. He also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening.

41 “‘Every creeping thing that creeps on the earth is an abomination. It shall not be eaten.

42 Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, even all creeping things that creep on the earth, them you shall not eat; for they are an abomination.

43 You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps, neither shall you make yourselves unclean with them, that you should be defiled thereby.

44 For I am Yahweh your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy: neither shall you defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth.

45 For I am Yahweh who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

46 “‘This is the law of the animal, and of the bird, and of every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth,

47 to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the living thing that may be eaten and the living thing that may not be eaten.’”

Summary

Yahweh now teaches Israel which creatures they may and may not eat, weaving holiness into the most ordinary of activities. Among land animals, only those that both chew the cud and have a split hoof are clean; the camel, the cony, the hare, and the pig are named as unclean. In the water, only creatures with fins and scales may be eaten. A list of birds, mostly birds of prey and scavengers, is declared detestable, and most flying insects are forbidden, though certain locusts may be eaten. Detailed rules follow about contact with carcasses and the uncleanness it brings, even to vessels and ovens. The chapter's heart is its great refrain: Israel is to consecrate themselves and be holy, for Yahweh their God is holy, the God who brought them up out of Egypt. These distinctions set Israel apart from the nations and trained them to live every meal mindful of their God. In Christ these food laws are fulfilled and the table opened to all peoples, yet the abiding call remains, to be holy because God is holy.

Key Themes

  • The holiness of God — The central reality: “I am holy,” the standard to which God calls his people in every part of their lives.
  • Clean and unclean — The distinction God draws among animals, training Israel to discern between what is set apart and what is common.
  • Israel set apart — The people called to consecrate themselves and live differently from the nations, even in what they eat.
  • Yahweh, the Redeemer — The God “who brought you up out of the land of Egypt,” whose redemption is the ground of the call to holiness.

Key Verse

Leviticus 11:45 (WEB)

For I am Yahweh who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

Lessons Learned

  • Holiness touches everyday life, even what we eat, not only formal worship.
  • God's people are called to be distinct from the surrounding nations.
  • The call to holiness flows from who God is: “be holy, for I am holy.”
  • Redemption from bondage is the foundation and motive for a holy life.
  • Holiness reaches the everyday. God regulates even “the living things which you may eat” (Leviticus 11:2, WEB). Devotion to God is meant to shape ordinary daily choices.
  • God's people are set apart. Israel must “make a distinction between the unclean and the clean” (Leviticus 11:47, WEB). Belonging to God means living differently from the world.
  • Be holy, for God is holy. “You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45, WEB). The character of God is the pattern for the lives of his people.
  • Redemption grounds obedience. “I am Yahweh who brought you up out of the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 11:45, WEB). Holiness is the grateful response of the redeemed, not a way to earn rescue.
  1. Why might God regulate something as ordinary as the food his people eat?
  2. How do these distinctions set Israel apart from the surrounding nations?
  3. What does the refrain “be holy, for I am holy” reveal about the basis of holiness?
  4. How is the mention of being brought out of Egypt connected to the call to be holy?
  5. How might remembering that you belong to a holy God shape your everyday, ordinary choices?
  1. By touching even meals, God teaches that no part of life is outside his lordship. The food laws made Israel mindful of God at every table, training the heart to live all of life before him.
  2. Distinct diet marked Israel as a peculiar, set-apart people among the nations and limited intermingling that could erode their faith. Their distinctiveness pointed to their belonging to the one true God.
  3. Holiness is not arbitrary rule-keeping but reflecting God's own character. The standard is God himself, which is why the New Testament repeats this very call to believers (1 Peter 1:15-16).
  4. God grounds the command in redemption: because he rescued them from Egypt to be their God, they are to live as his. Obedience flows from grace received, not as a means of earning it.
  5. This is a gentle personal-application question. Invite members to consider where belonging to a holy God might reshape ordinary habits and choices, motivated by gratitude for redemption in Christ.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), the King James Version (KJV), and the American Standard Version (ASV), all of which are in the public domain.