Leviticus 11:22-23

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Leviticus 11:20-42

Here is the law, 1. Concerning flying insects, as flies, wasps, bees, etc.; these they might not eat (Lev. 11:20), nor indeed are they fit to be eaten; but there were several sorts of locusts which in those countries were very good meat, and much used: John Baptist lived upon them in the desert, and they are here allowed them, Lev. 11:21, 22. 2. Concerning the creeping things on the earth; these were all forbidden (Lev. 11:29, 30, and again, Lev. 11:41, 42); for it was the curse of the serpent... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:22

Even these of them ye may eat , &c.; The four following ones, which seem to be no other than four sorts of locusts: the locust after his kind ; this is the common locust, called by the name of Arbeh, from the great multiplication and vast multitudes of them; the phrase, "after his kind", and which also is used in all the following instances, signifies the whole entire species of them, which might be eaten: and the bald locust after his kind ; which in the Hebrew text is Soleam,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:23

But all other flying creeping things ,.... Excepting the four sorts before mentioned, wherefore we rightly supply the word "other": which have four feet ; or more; the Vulgate Latin version adds, "only", but wrongly; for those that have more are unclean, and forbidden to be eaten, excepting those in the preceding verse; and most creeping things that fly have six feet, as the locusts themselves, reckoning their leaping legs into the number; though it may be observed, that those... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Leviticus 11:22

The locust - ארבה arbeh , either from ארב arab , to lie in wait or in ambush, because often immense flights of them suddenly alight upon the fields, vineyards, etc., and destroy all the produce of the earth; or from רבה rabah , he multiplied, because of their prodigious swarms. See a particular account of these insects in the notes on Exodus 10:4 ; (note). The bald locust - סלעם solam , compounded, says Mr. Parkhurst, from סלע sala , to cut, break, and עם am ,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 11:1-47

PART III UNCLEANNESS , CEREMONIAL AND MORAL : ITS REMOVAL OR ITS PUNISHMENT SECTION I The second section deals with the uncleanness contracted every year by the whole congregation, to be annually atoned for on the great Day of Atonement ( Leviticus 16:1-34 ), followed by a parenthetical chapter as to the place in which sacrifice is to be offered—sacrifice being the means by which purification from uncleanness is to be effected ( Leviticus 17:1-16 ). The... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 11:20-23

All fowls that creep should rather be rendered all winged creeping things, that is, all flying insects. None are allowed except the Saltatoria, or locust family. The word translated beetle signifies a sort of locust, like the other three words. That the locust was a regular article of food in Palestine is amply proved. "It is well known that locusts were eaten by many of the nations of antiquity, both in Asia and Africa, and even the ancient Greek thought the cicadas very agreeable in... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Leviticus 11:22

In the uncertainty of identifying these four creatures, it has been suggested that some of the names may belong to locusts in an imperfect state of development. Most modern versions have taken a safer course than our translators, by retaining the Hebrew names. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Leviticus 11:22

Leviticus 11:22. The locust after his kind The Hebrew word ארבה arbeh, is sometimes a common name for all locusts, but here signifies a peculiar sort of them The name derived from רבה rabah, to multiply, imports a multitude, no animal being more prolific. The bald locust As it is not easy to determine what species of locust this is, and as it has not any name in modern languages, it might be better, in a translation, to retain the original name סלעם solgnam, which, in the... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Leviticus 11:23-25

Leviticus 11:23-25. All other That is, which have not those legs above and beside their feet, mentioned Leviticus 11:21. For these ye shall be unclean If they did either eat, or so much as touch the carcasses of them, they were not, for that day, to come into the tabernacle, to eat of any holy thing, or to converse freely with their neighbours. And as a sign of this legal uncleanness, (Leviticus 11:25,) they were to bathe in water, which was the usual rite of purification in such cases. ... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:1-47

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

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