Leviticus 11:29

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 11:29

These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth ,.... As distinguished from those creeping things that fly, these having no wings as they; and which were equally unclean, neither to be eaten nor touched, neither their blood, their skin, nor their flesh, as the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it: and the Misnic doctors say F4 Misn. Meilah, c. 4. sect. 3. that the blood of a creeping thing and its flesh are joined together: and Maimonides F5 ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Leviticus 11:29

The weasel - חלד choled , from chalad , Syr., to creep in. Bochart conjectures, with great propriety, that the mole, not the weasel, is intended by the Hebrew word: its property of digging into the earth, and creeping or burrowing under the surface, is well known. The mouse - עחבר achbar . Probably the large field rat, or what is called by the Germans the hamster, though every species of the mus genus may be here prohibited. The tortoise - צב tsab . Most critics allow... 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 11:29-30

The creeping things that creep upon the earth. This class contains things that go on their belly, but have not wings, like the previous class of creeping things ( Leviticus 11:20-23 ). By the words translated tortoise, ferret, chameleon, lizard, snail, mole, different varieties of the lizard are probably meant. The mouse is joined by Isaiah with "eating swine's flesh and the abomination" ( Isaiah 66:17 ). read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Leviticus 11:29-30

The identification of “the creeping things” here named is not always certain. They are most likely those which were occasionally eaten. For the “Tortoise” read “the great lizard,” for the “ferret” the “gecko” (one of the lizard tribe), for the “chameleon” read the “frog” or the Nile lizard: by the word rendered “snail” is probably meant another kind of lizard, and by the “mole” the “chameleon.” 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

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Leviticus 11:29

weasel. Hebrew. choled = the glider or slipper, Occurs only here. mouse. Hebrew. 'akbar = the corn destroyer. 1 Samuel 6:4 , 1 Samuel 6:5 , 1 Samuel 6:11 , 1 Samuel 6:18 . Isaiah 66:17 . tortoise. Hebrew. zab = the inflated, Numbers 5:27 ; probably = toad. read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Leviticus 11:29

UNCLEANNESS OF SMALLER CREATURES; RODENTS, etc."And these are they which are unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth: the weasel, and the mouse, and the great lizard after its kind, and the gecko, and the land-crocodile, and the lizard, and the sand-lizard, and the chameleon. These are they which are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they are dead, shall be unclean until the even. And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Leviticus 11:29-30

Leviticus 11:29-30. These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things, &c.— Dr. Shaw well observes, that this expression, creeping things that creep, or which bring forth abundantly upon the earth, (see Genesis 1:0.) being descriptive of reptiles, with what propriety can we place among them the weasel, the mouse, the ferret, or the mole, which are no greater breeders than a variety of others of the less viviparous quadrupeds? for the tortoise, the camelion, the lizard, and the... read more

Group of Brands