Lev 11 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Lev 11:1-47: 11:1–15:33 These chapters detail the regulations pertaining to purity. The mixing of types of animals was forbidden (see Deut 22:9-11 ) because it represented a violation of the normal created order. “Abnormal” creatures—such as fish without fins and scales, carnivores, crawling insects, and animals without split hooves—cross boundaries between “normal” types and were unfit for food or offerings (see also Deut 14:1-21 ). The dietary laws were meant to distinguish Israel as a holy people from the surrounding nations (Lev 11:44-45 ).

Summary for Lev 11:1-47: 11:1–15:33 ^a These chapters detail the regulations pertaining to purity. The mixing of types of animals was forbidden (see Deut 22:9-11 ^b) because it represented a violation of the normal created order. “Abnormal” creatures—such as fish without fins and scales, carnivores, crawling insects, and animals without split hooves—cross boundaries between “normal” types and were unfit for food or offerings (see also Deut 14:1-21 ^c). The dietary laws were meant to distinguish Israel as a holy people from the surrounding nations (Lev 11:44-45 ^d).
Summary for Lev 11:2-8: 11:2-8 ^e Some scholars have suggested that unclean animals were to be avoided for reasons of public health, but the evidence does not support this. Horse meat, for example, is no less healthy than beef, yet it was considered unclean because the horse does not have a split hoof (see 11:2-3 ^f). The regulations existed because an unclean animal was unacceptable as an offering to God and, therefore, it was also unacceptable as food for God’s people. Jesus proclaimed all foods clean for Christians (Mark 7:14-19 ^g; Acts 10:9-16 ^h).
Summary for Lev 11:2-3: 11:2-3 ⁱ these ... you may use for food: Animals that have split hooves and chew the cud were considered “normal” and ceremonially clean (see also Deut 14:3-21 ^j).
Summary for Lev 11:5-6: 11:5-6 ^k Neither the hyrax nor the hare truly chews the cud, though both appear to. They are considered unclean because they do not have split hooves.
11:9 ^l marine animals: Fish considered clean for the Israelites had both fins and scales.
11:10 ^m The prohibition included fish such as eels and sharks that have fins but not scales, as well as crustaceans and mollusks, which have neither fins nor scales.
Summary for Lev 11:13-19: 11:13-19 ⁿ The list of unclean birds includes birds of prey and scavengers, both of which come in contact with dead animals and blood. This renders them unclean and unfit. Bats (11:19 ^o) fly, but are not birds; they are therefore “abnormal” and ceremonially unclean.
Summary for Lev 11:21-22: 11:21-22 ^p insects that walk along the ground and have jointed legs: This phrase eliminates creatures that creep or crawl low to the ground (11:27 ^q). Leviticus 11:42 ^r indicates that multi-legged creatures, such as centipedes, are unclean. Locusts and grasshoppers are examples of clean insects (see Matt 3:4 ^s).
Summary for Lev 11:24-25: 11:24-25 ^t defiled until evening: Anyone who touched a carcass of an unclean animal would be unclean until evening, which marked the beginning of the next day in Israel.
Summary for Lev 11:29-31: 11:29-31 ^u This list of unclean creatures that crawl contains both warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals that scurry along the ground. Snakes are also included in this category (11:42 ^v).
Summary for Lev 11:32-40: 11:32-40 ^w Dead animals could make things and people unclean. Even a clean animal that died without having its blood drained was considered unclean (11:39-40 ^x). When a person became unclean from contact with an animal’s carcass, it lasted only until evening. Household articles that came into contact with a carcass had to be purified (11:25 ^y, 28 ^z, 32 ^aa, 40 ^ab) or destroyed (11:33 ^ac, 35 ^ad).
11:36 ^ae A cistern was a hole dug into the ground or rock, often lined with plaster, that retained rain and surface water.
Summary for Lev 11:37-38: 11:37-38 ^af Grain moistened with water was probably intended to be cooked for food; eating contaminated grain would be like eating a carcass. However, if the grain was sown, the new plant and the grain it bore were undefiled.
Summary for Lev 11:39-40: 11:39-40 ^ag Israelites were not to consume blood (7:26 ^ah). They could eat an animal only after the blood had been drained and properly disposed of (17:13 ^ai). The undrained blood of an otherwise clean animal that died of natural causes rendered it unclean. An Israelite was permitted to give or sell such an animal to foreigners (Deut 14:21 ^aj) but not to eat it.
Summary for Lev 11:44-45: 11:44-45 ^ak I am the Lord your God: See study note on 18:2.

• be holy, because I am holy: These words express the dominant theme of Leviticus: God is holy. He must be regarded and treated as holy, and he expects holiness from his people (10:3 ^al; 19:2 ^am). The profound teaching of this verse is that God’s own nature permeates those who covenant with him (see also 11:45 ^an; 20:7 ^ao, 26 ^ap; 21:8 ^aq, 15 ^ar; 22:9 ^as, 16 ^at, 32 ^au), and they become his holy people (Exod 22:31 ^av; Deut 28:9 ^aw; cp. 1 Pet 1:16 ^ax).
11:45 ^ay brought you up from the land of Egypt: This or a similar phrase is found often throughout the Pentateuch (see 19:36 ^az; 22:33 ^ba; 25:38 ^bb; 26:13 ^bc; Exod 13:9 ^bd; 20:2 ^be; Num 15:41 ^bf; Deut 4:37 ^bg). Each time, it reminds the Israelites, God’s covenant people, of God’s great act in liberating them from Egypt. The Exodus event is frequently commemorated elsewhere in the Old Testament (Pss 80:8 ^bh; 106:21 ^bi; Isa 11:16 ^bj; Jer 34:13 ^bk; Hos 12:9 ^bl; 13:4 ^bm; Amos 2:10 ^bn).