Leviticus 11:23

23 But all winged creeping things which have four feet, are an abomination to you.

Leviticus 11:23 Meaning and 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 creatures that have six feet have but four equal ones, on which they walk or creep; and the two foremost, which are longer, are as hands to them to wipe their eyes with, and protect them from anything that may fall into them and hurt them; they not being able to see clearly because of the hardness of their eyes, as Aristotle

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 observes, and particularly it may be remarked of the fly, as it is by Lucian ^F2, that though it has six feet it only goes on four, using the other two foremost as hands; and therefore you may see it walking on four feet, with something eatable in its hands, lifting them up on high, just after the manner of men: now all such creatures that have four feet or more, excepting the above,

[shall be] an abomination unto you;
abhorred as food, and abstained from.

F1 Ut supra. (Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 6.)
F2 De Musca.

Leviticus 11:23 In-Context

21 Yet you may eat these: of all winged creeping things that go on all fours, which have legs above their feet, with which to hop on the eretz.

22 Even of these you may eat: any kind of arbeh, any kind of katydid, any kind of cricket, and any kind of grasshopper.

23 But all winged creeping things which have four feet, are an abomination to you.

24 "'By these you will become unclean: whoever touches the carcass of them shall be unclean until the evening.

25 Whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening.