Leviticus 11 Study Notes
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11:1-15:33 By observing the purity laws, the Israelites would live and prosper by God’s presence and blessing.
11:1-47 This chapter includes two separate listings of clean and unclean creatures (vv. 1-23; vv. 41-45); the identity of many of the animals is uncertain. If the food laws were observed by the Israelites, the holiness of God would extend from the sanctuary to their homes, ensuring his continued presence.
Although there may have been some hygienic benefit derived from keeping the food laws, the prohibited creatures were not consistently unhealthy for human consumption. More likely, these laws reflected the distinctive kinds at creation (Gn 1:26) and thereby taught the Israelites that there was an ordained pattern of conformity. The instructions showed the Israelites that they must conform to their creation as a holy people, avoiding assimilation with their pagan neighbors by adopting their domestic habits.
The food laws that once separated the Israelites and the nations are not binding on modern believers (Ac 10:11-16; Col 2:16), but the underlying principle remains true: all that a Christian does must be for the glory of God (1Co 10:31). Consecrated Christian living arises from the inner person who is redeemed, not from physical things (Mk 7:18-23; Rm 14:17-18). Christians must exercise spiritual maturity in choosing food and drink (Rm 14; 1Co 8; 10:23) and in associating with others (1Co 5:11; 2Co 6:14).
’akal
| Hebrew pronunciation | [ah KHAL] |
| CSB translation | eat, devour, consume |
| Uses in Leviticus | 104 |
| Uses in the OT | 820 |
| Focus passage | Leviticus 11:2-4,8-9,11,13,21-22 |
’Akal means eat (Gn 2:16). Creatures (Hab 1:8) and swords devour; heat (Gn 31:40) and fire consume (Lv 10:2). ’Akal is rendered dine (Jr 52:33), dine on (Am 6:4), feed on (Nm 24:8), and feast (Dt 14:26). People enjoy goods (Ec 6:2), taste prosperity (Jb 21:25), and eat the fruit of deeds (Is 3:10). They spend money or ate from their allowance (Gn 31:15; 47:22). Forests claim lives (2Sm 18:8). Peoples destroy enemies (Dt 7:16). “Eating bread” can mean earning a living (Am 7:12). “Eating from” is sharing (Lv 22:13) or getting food from (Dt 20:19). ’Akal connotes edible (Lv 11:34). Infinitives can indicate food (Ezk 16:20) or easy prey (Dt 31:17). Flesh is eaten away (Nm 12:12); gates are destroyed (Neh 2:3). Causatives mean feed (Ex 16:32), make eat (Is 49:26), or let enjoy (Is 58:14). God gives food (Hs 11:4) or something to eat (Dt 8:3).
11:1 The Lord included Aaron as the recipient of the purity instructions (chaps. 11-15) since they were primarily a priestly responsibility (10:10-11; 13:1; 14:33; 15:1).
11:3 Some mammals are “ruminants,” from Latin ruminare, “to chew again.” Such animals have four stomachs and regurgitate into the mouth the fermented food in the first stomach to chew it again. Ruminants include cattle, goats, sheep, giraffes, yaks, deer, antelope, and some in the kangaroo family.
11:9-12 The unacceptable sea creatures were designated abhorrent (Hb sheqets) three times (vv. 10-12). Although there is no specific prohibition against touching them or warning of ritual uncleanness by consumption, these prohibitions may be assumed.
11:13-19 These birds may have been outlawed because they are scavengers.
11:24-25 Defilement occurred by touching carcasses or by transporting them. When transporting them, the clothing of the person was defiled by contact and required laundering. All corpses conveyed uncleanness through touch (22:4; Nm 5:2). For consecrated persons, just being in the presence of a dead body resulted in defilement (Lv 21:11; Nm 6:6; Hg 2:13). The duration of uncleanness stretched until sunset, which concluded a day (Dt 22:26; Jos 8:29).
11:27 Four-footed animals that walked on paws (lit “palms”), such as dogs and cats, were considered unclean.
11:29-38 Carcasses of creatures that swarm on the ground (such as insects) conveyed defilement through direct contact or indirectly to persons who handled inanimate things which had already come into contact with the dead creatures. Since a clay pot absorbed the liquid polluted by a carcass, it must be thrown away; food or drink touched secondarily by the contaminated water in the pot was unclean. Two exceptions pertained to water: the water of a reservoir from which a carcass was retrieved remained clean, probably because of the ritual significance of water for purification; and seed already germinated by water was unclean.
11:39-40 Animals that had been killed by wild animals or that had died by natural means—that is, not slaughtered for food—could be eaten, but they still conveyed uncleanness (17:15; they were prohibited for a priest, 22:8). The cleansing rite demanded more of the person who had longer contact with a carcass. This involved the laundering of clothes for those who ate or transported the animal.
11:44-45 Since the Lord had made the Israelites uniquely his by delivering them from the land of Egypt, they must be holy as he is holy (Ex 19:2). It was necessary that the people maintain their ritual cleanness in everyday activities as well as in sanctuary worship. The food offered to the Lord in worship involved the partaking of portions by the priests and the people. For God to continue his presence among the people, they must practice the same measure of holiness in their homes. Since it was inevitable that the people became unclean, they must consecrate themselves by undergoing these cleansing procedures.
11:46-47 The purpose was to distinguish (Hb badal) what could be lawfully consumed; the same root term occurs in 10:10 and means “set apart” in 20:24. The ultimate rationale was theological. Since the Lord is holy, the people had to express holiness by their behavior (19:2; 20:7,26).