Leviticus 11:33 kjv
And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it.
Leviticus 11:33 nkjv
Any earthen vessel into which any of them falls you shall break; and whatever is in it shall be unclean:
Leviticus 11:33 niv
If one of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will be unclean, and you must break the pot.
Leviticus 11:33 esv
And if any of them falls into any earthenware vessel, all that is in it shall be unclean, and you shall break it.
Leviticus 11:33 nlt
"If such an animal falls into a clay pot, everything in the pot will be defiled, and the pot must be smashed.
Leviticus 11 33 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 6:28 | "...earthenware vessel in which it was boiled shall be broken..." | Sin offering cooked in earthenware requires breaking the pot. |
| Lev 11:32 | "...every vessel of wood, or garment, or skin, or sack... shall be put into water and shall be clean..." | Contrasts earthenware with other materials that can be cleansed by washing. |
| Num 19:15 | "And every open vessel, which has no cover tied down on it, is unclean..." | Illustrates the spread of defilement to unprotected vessels. |
| Deut 14:3 | "You shall not eat any abominable thing." | General command reinforcing the overall purity laws. |
| Isa 30:14 | "...breaking of a potter’s vessel, that is smashed so ruthlessly that among its fragments not a sherd is found..." | Imagery of broken pottery symbolizing complete destruction and judgment. |
| Jer 19:10-11 | "Then you shall break the flask... Even so will I break this people..." | Prophetic act of breaking a potter's vessel, signifying God's final judgment. |
| Lam 4:2 | "...regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter's hands!" | Metaphor of people as fragile clay vessels. |
| Hag 2:13-14 | "If one who is unclean by contact with a corpse touches any of these, will the latter become unclean? And the priests answered, 'It will become unclean.'" | Principle of transferable uncleanness applied. |
| Mark 7:15 | "There is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed from the man are what defile the man." | Jesus shifts focus from external ritual purity to internal moral defilement. |
| Acts 10:14-15 | "But Peter said, 'By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.' Again a voice came to him... 'What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.'" | New Covenant abrogation of dietary laws for foods, signaling a new era of understanding purity. |
| Rom 14:14 | "I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." | Freedom in Christ from ceremonial food restrictions. |
| 2 Cor 4:7 | "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves." | Believers as fragile "earthen vessels" containing the divine treasure of the Spirit. |
| Rom 9:21 | "Has not the potter authority over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?" | God's sovereignty likened to a potter over vessels (people). |
| 2 Tim 2:20-21 | "Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master..." | Metaphorical application: cleansing oneself from impurity to be a vessel fit for honorable use by God. |
| Heb 9:10 | "...concerned only with foods and drinks and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation." | Old Covenant rituals, including purification laws, are temporary and physical, superseded by Christ. |
| Col 2:16-17 | "Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival... These are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance is Christ." | Ceremonial laws fulfilled in Christ are a shadow pointing to Him, not ends in themselves. |
| Titus 1:15 | "To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled." | Emphasizes that true purity is a condition of the heart and mind, not merely external. |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | "...but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" | The underlying principle of God's holiness and the call for His people to be holy endures. |
| 1 Cor 6:19-20 | "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit... Therefore glorify God in your body." | The body as a "temple" or sacred "vessel" to be kept holy under the New Covenant. |
| Ps 51:7 | "Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." | A prayer for spiritual cleansing, highlighting the need for divine purification. |
| John 15:3 | "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you." | Cleansing by Christ's word and truth, offering a deeper form of purification than rituals. |
| Lev 20:26 | "Thus you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine." | The foundational reason for all purity laws: separation and dedication to a holy God. |
Leviticus 11 verses
Leviticus 11 33 Meaning
Leviticus 11:33 stipulates that if any of the dead creeping things or other unclean animals mentioned in the chapter fall into an earthenware vessel, both the vessel itself and its entire contents become ritually unclean. Because of the porous nature of earthenware, which absorbs defilement deeply, the vessel cannot be cleansed by washing but must be completely broken. This command ensures the eradication of defilement from the community and emphasizes the stringent requirements for ritual purity.
Leviticus 11 33 Context
Leviticus chapter 11 comprehensively outlines laws regarding clean and unclean animals for the Israelites, delineating permissible foods from prohibited ones. The primary aim was to teach Israel about holiness, setting them apart as a distinct people devoted to God. Verses 29-38 specifically address the defilement caused by the carcasses of particular small creeping creatures. A core principle articulated is that contact with these dead bodies renders a person or object unclean, preventing participation in sacred rituals or entry into the Tabernacle. Verse 33 highlights the unique status of earthenware vessels. Unlike objects made from wood or other materials, which could be ritually washed and become clean, earthenware was deemed so porous that it absorbed the defilement completely. Consequently, the only remedy for its defilement was its destruction, serving as an emphatic illustration of the severity of impurity in God’s presence and the radical measures sometimes required to remove it from the community. These laws, while possessing potential health benefits in an ancient world, were primarily theological, underscoring God's absolute holiness and His demand for similar holiness from His people in all aspects of life.
Leviticus 11 33 Word analysis
- And: Connects this specific regulation to the broader body of purity laws regarding carcasses in the preceding verses of the chapter.
- any earthenware vessel: (Hebrew: כְּלִי חֶרֶשׂ, k'li cheres).
- כְּלִי (k'li): "vessel, article, utensil." A general term for a container or implement.
- חֶרֶשׂ (cheres): "earthenware, pottery, clay, sherd." This specifies the material as a porous, baked clay vessel. This porosity is central to the command, as earthenware was understood to deeply absorb the defiling essence, unlike smoother, non-porous materials.
- into which any of them falls: (Hebrew: אֲשֶׁר־יִפֹּל מֵהֶם, asher-yippol mehem).
- יִפֹּל (yippol): "falls." Indicates an accidental, unintentional entry, highlighting that the state of impurity is independent of intent.
- מֵהֶם (mehem): "from them." Refers collectively to the carcasses of the specified unclean "swarming creatures" mentioned in Lev 11:29-31, such as the weasel, mouse, great lizard, gecko, etc. This details the source of the profound defilement.
- all that is in it: (Hebrew: כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־בְּתוֹכוֹ, kol asher-b'tokho). "All" emphasizes that the impurity extends beyond the vessel itself to thoroughly contaminate every single item or substance contained within it. The defilement spreads universally throughout the contents.
- shall be unclean: (Hebrew: יִטְמָא, yitma). From the root טָמֵא (tame’), meaning "to be ritually unclean, defiled, impure." This indicates a state of ritual impurity that restricts participation in sacred acts, worship, or interaction with holy things until purification is undertaken. Here, it signifies permanent impurity for the object.
- and you shall break it: (Hebrew: וְאֹתוֹ תִשְׁבְּרוּ, v'oto tishb'ru).
- תִשְׁבְּרוּ (tishb'ru): "you shall break (it)." A strong, direct command in the imperative mood, addressed to the community (plural "you"). This physical act ensures complete and irreversible destruction of the vessel, preventing any future use or risk of spreading impurity. It signifies that for earthenware, this profound contamination cannot be undone or purified.
Words-group analysis
- "any earthenware vessel... all that is in it shall be unclean": This group highlights the distinct quality of earthenware's porosity, making it exceptionally susceptible to defilement. The pervasive nature of the impurity means it infiltrates both the vessel itself and its entire contents, symbolizing a thorough saturation by ritual uncleanness, a stark contrast to other materials that can be merely rinsed.
- "into which any of them falls... and you shall break it": This phrase emphasizes the severity and irrevocability of the defilement for this type of vessel, regardless of whether the contact was intentional. The definitive command to "break it" signifies a final and drastic remedy, implying that once deeply permeated by such impurity, there is no cleansing for the item itself. It's a vivid lesson in the totality required for eradicating certain kinds of corruption or spiritual impurity, which demands complete removal.
Leviticus 11 33 Bonus section
- Holiness through Separation: This law, along with others in Leviticus, continually reinforced the concept that Israel's identity and relationship with God were predicated on their separation from the common and the profane. Every aspect of life, even household utensils, contributed to a nationwide discipline of purity that reflected God's character.
- Anticipating Ultimate Purity: The severe and seemingly unyielding nature of defilement in this context underscores humanity's inherent inability to purify itself from the pervasive taint of sin. This implicitly pointed forward to the necessity of a divine agent who could provide a complete and perfect cleansing, as perfectly accomplished through the atoning work of Jesus Christ, who purifies from within.
- Application for the Inner Life: While New Covenant believers are no longer bound by these specific ceremonial laws (Acts 10, Heb 9), the spiritual principle remains: just as the earthenware pot absorbs impurity deeply, sin can deeply permeate the human heart and mind. Radical measures, sometimes involving breaking from old habits or associations, are necessary to achieve spiritual cleanliness and become a "vessel for honor" for God's purposes (2 Tim 2:21).
Leviticus 11 33 Commentary
Leviticus 11:33 serves as a sharp illustration of the depth and permanence of ritual defilement caused by certain sources under the Old Covenant, particularly regarding porous materials. The command to break an earthenware vessel highlights that mere surface cleaning was insufficient; the defilement permeated the very fabric of the object. This rule instilled in the Israelites a profound awareness of God's absolute holiness and the pervasive nature of impurity in the presence of death and sin. Symbolically, it teaches that some forms of contamination or deeply ingrained sin are not removed by superficial acts but require a radical, complete severance. In the New Testament, while the literal requirement of breaking pots is transcended, the spiritual principle endures: genuine holiness often demands a complete "breaking" or putting away of things that are irremediably defiled by sin, aligning with Christ's call for radical obedience and a pure heart that cannot tolerate ingrained impurity.