Leviticus 11:13-20 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Leviticus 11:9-19

Here is, 1. A general rule concerning fishes, which were clean and which not. All that had fins and scales they might eat, and only those odd sorts of water-animals that have not were forbidden, Lev. 11:9, 10. The ancients accounted fish the most delicate food (so far were they from allowing it on fasting-days, or making it an instance of mortification to eat fish); therefore God did not lay much restraint upon his people in them; for he is a Master that allows his servants not only for... read more

Matthew Henry

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 11:13

And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls ,.... No description or sign is given of fowls, as of beasts and fishes, only the names of those not to be eaten; which, according to Maimonides, are twenty four; so that all the rest but these are clean fowls, and might be eaten; wherefore the same writer observes F24 Maacolot Asurot, c. 1. sect. 14, 15. , that,"whoever was expert in these kinds, and in their names, might eat of every fowl which was not of them,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:14

And the vulture, and the kite after his kind. Perhaps it might be better if the version was inverted, and the words be read, "and the kite, and the vulture, after his kind"; and the last word is by us rendered the vulture in Job 28:7 and very rightly, since the kite is not remarkable for its sight, any other than all rapacious creatures are, whereas the vulture is to a proverb; and besides, of the vulture there are two sorts, as Aristotle says F11 Hist. Animal. l. 8. c. 3. , the one... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:15

Every raven after his kind. The red raven, night raven, the water raven, river raven, wood raven, &c.; this also includes crows, rooks, pies, jays, and jackdaws, &c.; The raven was with the Heathens sacred to Apollo F15 Aelian. De Animal. l. 1. c. 48. & l. 7. c. 18. , is a voracious creature, and so reckoned among unclean ones, and unfit for food; nor does the care that God takes of these creatures, or the use he has made of them, contradict this; see Job 38:41 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:16

And the owl ,.... The great and little owls being after mentioned, it seems best, by the word here used, to understand the "ostrich" with the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, the Oriental versions, and the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan: the account which Pliny F16 Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 1. Vid. Aristot. de Part. Animal. l. 4. c. 14. gives of the African and Ethiopic ostriches is this; that they are the largest of birds, and almost of the kind of beasts; that they exceed the height of a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:17

And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl. Ainsworth translates the words just the reverse, and takes the first word to signify the great owl, and the last the little one; the great owl may intend the great horn owl, called sometimes the eagle owl, which is thus described; it is of the size of a goose, and has large wings, capable of extending to a surprising breadth: its head is much of the size and figure of that of a cat, and has clusters of black feathers over the ears,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:18

And the swan ,.... This is a bird well known to us, but it is a question whether it is intended by the word here used; for though it is so rendered in the Vulgate Latin, it is differently rendered by many others: the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem call it "otia", which seems to be the same with the "otus" of Aristotle F14 Hist. Animal. l. 8. c. 12. Vid. Plin. l. 10. c. 23. , who says it is like an owl, having a tuft of feathers about its ears (from whence it has its name); and some... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:19

And the stork ,..... A bird of passage, Jeremiah 8:7 it has its name from kindness, which it exercises both to its dam, and to its young. Various writers F2 Aristot. Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 13. Aelian. de Animal. l. 3. c. 23. & l. 10. c. 16. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 23. speak of the kindness of these birds to their dams, which when they are old they take care of and feed them, to which the apostle is thought to allude, 1 Timothy 5:4 and its tenderness to its young is no less... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:20

All fowls that creep ,.... Or rather "every creeping thing that flies"; for what are designed are not properly fowls, but, as the Jewish writers interpret them, flies, fleas, bees, wasps, hornets, locusts, &c.; so the Targum of Jonathan, Jarchi, Ben Gersom, and Maimonides F25 Maacolot Asurot, c. 2. l. 5. : going upon all four ; that is, upon their four feet, when they walk or creep: these shall be an abomination to you ; not used as food, but detested as such. read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Leviticus 11:9-19

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

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:14

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:15

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:16

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:18

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:19

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:20

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