Leviticus 11 26

Leviticus 11:26 kjv

The carcasses of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not cloven-footed, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean.

Leviticus 11:26 nkjv

The carcass of any animal which divides the foot, but is not cloven-hoofed or does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches it shall be unclean.

Leviticus 11:26 niv

"?'Every animal that does not have a divided hoof or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you; whoever touches the carcass of any of them will be unclean.

Leviticus 11:26 esv

Every animal that parts the hoof but is not cloven-footed or does not chew the cud is unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean.

Leviticus 11:26 nlt

"Any animal that has split hooves that are not evenly divided or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you. If you touch the carcass of such an animal, you will be defiled.

Leviticus 11 verses

Leviticus 11 26 Meaning

Leviticus 11:26 establishes a specific category of animals that are considered ritually unclean for the people of Israel. This applies to any animal that possesses a cloven or divided hoof, which is typically a characteristic of clean animals, but crucially does not chew the cud, a requirement for animals to be considered clean. Such an animal, specifically its carcass, renders anyone who touches it ritually impure. This law contributes to Israel's distinctness and sets boundaries for their dietary and ceremonial practices, emphasizing a life of separation and holiness before God.

Leviticus 11 26 Context

Leviticus chapter 11 details comprehensive laws concerning dietary purity for the Israelites. It categorizes animals, birds, fish, and insects into "clean" and "unclean" groups, determining what may be eaten and what constitutes a source of ritual impurity. These regulations were not merely about hygiene, but primarily served to distinguish Israel from the surrounding nations, reinforce their covenant relationship with Yahweh, and instill principles of holiness and separation in their daily lives. Verse 26, specifically, clarifies a general rule for quadrupeds, providing the criteria (cloven hoof and chewing cud) for an animal to be deemed clean. An animal lacking either of these traits, like the pig (which has cloven hoofs but does not chew the cud, mentioned in earlier verses as an example), is unclean. Touching the carcass of such an animal transmitted ritual impurity, requiring a cleansing process to regain ritual purity before participation in communal worship or activities. This continuous emphasis on ritual purity shaped the Israelites' interaction with their environment and reinforced their identity as God's set-apart people, emphasizing the theological truth that defilement requires purification.

Leviticus 11 26 Word analysis

• Every animal (כָּל הַחַיָּה - kol hakhayyah):
  • "Every" (kol): Denotes universality, indicating that this rule applies without exception to all animals meeting the description, highlighting the absolute nature of the divine command.
  • "animal" (chayyah): Refers generally to living creatures, particularly wild animals, though here it functions broadly within the context of terrestrial creatures for human consumption or contact. Its use here covers the entire class of non-aquatic, non-avian creatures discussed.
• that has divided hooves (מַפְרֶסֶת פַּרְסָה - mafreset parsah):
  • "divided" (mafreset): A participle of the verb "to split" or "to divide," emphasizing the physical characteristic of the hoof being split. This refers to the visible anatomical feature.
  • "hooves" (parsah): The Hebrew term for a hoof, often used in plural. This feature, when present with cud-chewing, identified an animal as clean. Examples include cattle, sheep, and goats. Its presence alone is insufficient for cleanness.
• but does not chew the cud (וְהִוא לֹא גֵרָה תַעֲלֶה - vehi lo gerah ta'aleh):
  • "but" (vehi): Connective emphasizing a contrast. The preceding positive characteristic (divided hoofs) is immediately negated by the absence of the second, equally crucial, characteristic.
  • "not" (lo): Clear negation.
  • "chew the cud" (gerah ta'aleh): Literally "bring up cud." Refers to rumination, the process where partially digested food is brought back up from the stomach to be chewed a second time. This physiological trait was crucial for determining clean animals like cows. Animals such as pigs have cloven hooves but do not ruminate, rendering them unclean.
• is unclean for you (טְמֵאָה הִיא לָכֶם - tame'ah hi lakhem):
  • "unclean" (tame'ah): The core concept of ritual impurity. It signifies something that is separated from the sacred, not fit for contact, consumption, or participation in sacred acts. It's not inherently "evil" but signifies separation from holiness. This status is conferred by God's decree.
  • "for you" (lakhem): Specifically for the Israelites, distinguishing their practices from other nations and emphasizing their unique covenant relationship.
• Whoever touches them (וְכֹל הַנֹּגֵעַ בָּהֶם - vekol hanogea bahem):
  • "Whoever touches" (vekol hanogea): Implies any person, indicating a direct cause-and-effect relationship between physical contact with the carcass and the transmission of impurity. This applied to accidental as well as intentional contact.
  • "them" (bahem): Referring to the carcasses of these specific unclean animals. It's the carcass, not the live animal, that causes impurity through touch.
• will be unclean (יִטְמָא - yitma):
  • "unclean" (yitma): A verb form indicating that the person becomes unclean. This ritual state of impurity would then necessitate specific purification rituals (like washing clothes and being unclean until evening, as described elsewhere in Lev 11). This immediate transmission of uncleanness underscores the severity and pervasiveness of the defilement associated with these animals.

Words-group analysis:

• "Every animal that has divided hooves, but does not chew the cud": This phrase functions as a precise biological and theological definition of a specific type of unclean land animal. It combines anatomical (cloven hoof) and physiological (non-ruminant) characteristics, establishing objective criteria for categorizing creatures according to divine law. The conjunction "but" creates an explicit disqualifying condition.
• "is unclean for you. Whoever touches them will be unclean": This establishes both the status of the animal (unclean) and the consequence of interaction with its carcass (rendering a person unclean). It defines boundaries for consumption, contact, and participation in the holy community, serving as a pedagogical tool to teach Israel about the nature of holiness and defilement, and their call to be a distinctive, consecrated people before God.

Leviticus 11 26 Bonus section

The dietary laws in Leviticus are often seen as multi-faceted:

• Symbolic/Didactic: They teach Israel about holiness, distinguishing between clean and unclean, emphasizing a theological truth that holiness requires separation from defilement. The very act of discerning "clean" from "unclean" animals daily reinforced God's moral order and Israel's consecrated status.
• Distinctiveness: Prohibiting common foods like pork, which was consumed by surrounding cultures (e.g., Egyptians, Canaanites), reinforced Israel's unique identity as a set-apart nation, distinct from their pagan neighbors. This was a form of "cultural firewall."
• Typological: Many scholars view these laws as pointing forward to spiritual realities in the New Covenant, where the focus shifts from external ritual purity to internal moral and spiritual purity. The laws illustrated the pervasive nature of defilement and the need for purification, which is fully realized in Christ's atonement.
• The pig's peculiar nature: The pig is an apt symbol for uncleanness from a biblical perspective because it appears to possess one quality of a clean animal (cloven hoof) but lacks another (cud-chewing), making it a kind of "mixed" or "incomplete" category, symbolizing incongruity that is often associated with ritual uncleanness in the Old Testament. Its widespread consumption among Gentiles further underscored its forbidden status for the Israelites.

Leviticus 11 26 Commentary

Leviticus 11:26 forms a foundational part of the broader purity laws given to Israel, emphasizing that specific biological criteria dictate an animal's ritual status as "clean" or "unclean." This verse pinpoints animals like the pig, which superficially possesses one "clean" characteristic (divided hoof) but lacks the other (chewing cud). The primary theological function of this law was not mere hygiene but divine separation, illustrating that God's people must embody holiness in their daily lives, including what they consume and touch. Contact with an unclean carcass rendered a person temporarily impure, signaling that defilement from the world compromises one's fitness for God's presence and holy worship. These laws served as a constant reminder of Israel's distinct identity and their ongoing need for purification to maintain communion with a holy God. Ultimately, in the New Testament, these ritual distinctions are transcended and fulfilled in Christ, emphasizing an internal, spiritual purity over external dietary and contact regulations (Mk 7:19; Acts 10). Yet, the underlying principle of seeking separation from spiritual defilement remains (2 Cor 6:17).