Leviticus 11:1-8

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Leviticus 11:1-8

Now that Aaron was consecrated a high priest over the house of God, God spoke to him with Moses, and appointed them both as joint-commissioners to deliver his will to the people. He spoke both to Moses and to Aaron about this matter; for it was particularly required of the priests that they should put a difference between clean and unclean, and teach the people to do so. After the flood, when God entered into covenant with Noah and his sons, he allowed them to eat flesh (Gen. 9:13), whereas... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:1

And the Lord spake unto Moses, and unto Aaron ,.... The one being the chief magistrate, and the other the high priest, and both concerned to see the following laws put into execution; according to Jarchi, the Lord spoke to Moses that he might speak to Aaron; but being now in office, and one part of his office being to distinguish between clean and unclean, the following discourse is directed equally to him as to Moses: saying unto them ; as follows. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:2

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying ,.... For to them only belong the following laws, and not unto the Gentiles, as Jarchi rightly observes; these were parts of the ceremonial law, which was peculiarly given to them, and lay, among other things, in meats and drinks, and now abolished; for it is not what goes into a man that defiles him; nor is anything common or unclean of itself, but every creature of God is good if received with thanksgiving. The sons of Noah had free liberty,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:3

Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is cloven footed ,.... That is, whose hoof is parted and cloven quite through; for there are some creatures that have partitions in their feet, but not quite through, they are parted above, but underneath are joined together by a skin; wherefore both these phrases are used to describe the beasts lawful to be eaten: the Egyptians seem to have borrowed this law from the Jews, for Chaeremon says F24 Apud Porphyr. de Abstinentia, l. 4. sect. 7. , that they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:4

Nevertheless, these shall ye not eat ,.... To whom one of these descriptive characters may agree but not the other: of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof : there being some that chewed the cud but did not divide the hoof; others that divided the hoof but did not chew the cud, of which instances are given as follow: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you ; and not to be eaten, whether male or female; or... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:5

And the coney ,.... Or rabbit: because he cheweth the cud ; or "though he cheweth"; which yet, some observe, the coney or rabbit does not, it having upper teeth, and therefore they think some other creature is meant by Shaphan, the word here used; and Bochart F13 Hierozoic par. 1. l. 3. c. 33. col. 1015, 1016. is of opinion, that the Aljarbuo of the Arabians, a sort of mountain mouse, is meant, which chews the cud and divides not the hoof, and resides in rocks, which agrees with... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:6

And the hare, because he cheweth the cud ,.... Or, "though he chews" it: but divideth not the hoof, he is unclean to you ; and so not to be eaten; so Plutarch F17 Sympos. l. 9. c. 5. says, that the Jews are said to abstain from the hare, disdaining it as a filthy and unclean animal, and yet was in the greatest esteem with the Romans of any four footed beast, as Martial says F18 L. 13. Epigr. 87. : Moses, as Bochart F19 Ut supra, (Hierozoic par. 1. l. 3.) c. 31. col.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:7

And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven footed ,.... Not only its hoofs are parted, but cloven quite through, and so in this respect answers Moses's first descriptive character of clean creatures; though Aristotle F21 Hist. Animal. l. 2. c. 1. and Pliny F23 Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 46. speak of some kind of swine in Illyricum, Paeonia, and other places, which have solid hoofs; but perhaps these were not properly swine, though so called: yet he cheweth not the cud ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:8

Of their flesh shall ye not eat ,.... Meaning, not of swine only, but of the camel, coney, and hare: and their carcass shall ye not touch ; which must not be understood of touching them in any sense; for then it would have been unlawful for a Jew to have rode upon a camel, or to take out and make use of hog's lard in medicine; but of touching them in order to kill them, and prepare them for food, and eat them; and indeed all unnecessary touching of them is forbidden, lest it should bring... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Leviticus 11:1

And the Lord spake unto Moses - In the preceding chapter the priests are expressly forbidden to drink wine; and the reason for this law is given also, that they might be able at all times to distinguish between clean and unclean, and be qualified to teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord had spoken, Leviticus 10:10 , Leviticus 10:11 ; for as inebriation unfits a person for the regular performance of every function of life, it must be especially sinful in those who... read more

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