Leviticus 11:4. The camel A usual food in Arabia, but yielding bad nourishment; for though its food is only vegetables and water, the fibres of its flesh are hardened, and rendered in a great measure indigestible, and the salts highly exalted, by its habitual and great exercise. This prohibition cut off all familiar intercourse between the Jews and Arabians. read more
11:1-15:33 CLEANNESS AND UNCLEANNESSSince Israel’s God was holy, Israel itself had to be holy (11:44-45). One duty of the priests was to distinguish between what was holy and unholy, clean and unclean (10:10). This holiness was to extend to every part of the people’s lives, including the food they ate and their bodily cleanliness. Those who broke any of the laws of cleanliness were considered unclean and had to be ceremonially cleansed before they could join again in the full religious life of... read more
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 . spake. See note on Leviticus 5:14 . read more
children. Hebrew sons. These. Hebrew this. Figure of speech Heterosis (of Number), singular for plural. beasts = living creatures. beasts = animals. Hebrew. behemah. The Hebrew division of animal kingdom was: (1) Land animals; (2) water animals; (3) birds of the air; (4) swarming animals. Deuteronomy 14:4 , Deuteronomy 14:5 enumerates ten clean animals. read more
parteth the hoof. Compare Deuteronomy 14:6 . read more
not eat. These laws are not arbitrary. Food plays a chief part in health and sickness. It is our wisdom to obey these laws now, as far as possible. All are based on the preservation and health of the race. Some for sanitary reasons. Some from peculiarities of climate. Some for separating from other peoples. read more
PART THREE ON "PUTTING AWAY" UNCLEANNESS (Leviticus 11-22)This is the principal part of Leviticus, consisting of eleven sections presented in Leviticus 11-22. Most of these sub-sections consist of one chapter each. This first one outlines the regulations concerning uncleanness from:(a) eating or touching unclean flesh of beasts;(b) fish;(c) birds;(d) insects; and(e) vermin.UNCLEAN MEATSUnder the Mosaic covenant, there was an extensive list of creatures that could not be used for food, and these... read more
Leviticus 11:1. And the Lord spake unto Moses—saying— The use of wine having been forbidden the priests, that they might be able, at all times, to distinguish between clean and unclean, ch. Leviticus 10:10 a more particular account of such distinctions is given in the following chapters. In this chapter the sacred writer treats of unclean meats: in the 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th, of unclean persons, garments, and dwellings; in the 17th of the principal sacrifice, whereby all manner of... read more
Leviticus 11:2. These are the beasts which ye shall eat— It is extraordinary, that any objections should have been raised against the Jewish law and its divine Author, from that careful distinction made in it between meats clean and unclean; since this distinction is evidently founded on nature and reason, and, most probably, prevailed from the beginning of the world: at least, we find it was observed in the time of Noah; see note on Genesis 7:8. Whence we may reasonably conclude (as no mention... read more
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Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Leviticus 11:3
Leviticus 11:3. Whatsoever parteth the hoof That is, divides it into two parts only; or, is cloven-footed As is here expressed. These qualities are not assigned as reasons why such animals are proper for food, but merely as marks whereby to distinguish them. In some animals the hoofs are solid, and not divided at all, as horses, asses, and mules; in others they are divided into several parts like toes, as in lions, wolves, dogs, (of which see Leviticus 11:27;) in a third sort, they are... read more