Leviticus 11 39

Leviticus 11:39 kjv

And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcass thereof shall be unclean until the even.

Leviticus 11:39 nkjv

'And if any animal which you may eat dies, he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until evening.

Leviticus 11:39 niv

"?'If an animal that you are allowed to eat dies, anyone who touches its carcass will be unclean till evening.

Leviticus 11:39 esv

"And if any animal which you may eat dies, whoever touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening,

Leviticus 11:39 nlt

"If an animal you are permitted to eat dies and you touch its carcass, you will be defiled until evening.

Leviticus 11 verses

Leviticus 11 39 Meaning

Leviticus 11:39 establishes a regulation regarding ritual impurity in ancient Israel. It states that if a "clean" animal (one permissible for consumption) dies naturally or is found dead, anyone who touches its carcass will become ceremonially unclean. This state of defilement is temporary, lasting "until evening," and would necessitate ritual bathing or waiting for purification. This law underscores the sacredness of life and the boundary between life and death, reinforcing God's call for Israel to maintain ritual purity.

Leviticus 11 39 Context

Leviticus 11 details God's dietary laws and purity regulations for Israel, distinguishing between "clean" and "unclean" animals, both for consumption and contact. This chapter is part of the larger section (Leviticus 11-15) dealing with ritual purity and impurity, defining various sources of defilement and the corresponding procedures for purification. The immediate context of verse 39 falls within the broader category of impurity caused by contact with dead creatures (verses 24-40). These laws were foundational to Israel's identity as a holy nation, separate from surrounding peoples. They served to inculcate a sense of God's holiness, the sanctity of life, and the pervasive nature of death and corruption, pointing toward the need for ultimate purification and atonement.

Leviticus 11 39 Word analysis

• And if any animal dies: (וְכִֽי־יָמוּת מִן־הַבְּהֵמָה - və-chi-yamut min-hab-bəhemâh)

  • "And if": Connects this rule to previous defilement regulations.
  • "any animal": The Hebrew bəhemâh generally refers to domesticated animals or larger land animals. Here, it refers to clean animals fit for food, contrasting with the inherently unclean animals previously mentioned (Lev 11:7-8).
  • "dies": (yamut) Implies a natural death or an un-slaughtered death (e.g., torn by beasts). This is distinct from an animal properly slaughtered for food, which does not convey defilement. This emphasizes the association of death itself with defilement in a holy God's presence.

• of which you may eat: (אֲשֶׁר־הִיא לָכֶם לְאָכְלָה - asher-hi lakem lə'okhəlâ)

  • "of which": Refers to a "clean" animal, approved for consumption (e.g., cattle, sheep, goats).
  • "you may eat": This specific qualifier is crucial. It highlights that the impurity isn't inherent in the animal's species (as with "unclean" animals), but rather in its state of death. Even a permissible food source becomes a source of ritual impurity upon its death outside of proper slaughter.

• he who touches it: (הַנֹּגֵעַ בְּנִבְלָתָהּ - han-nogea' bə-nivlətāh)

  • "he who touches": (han-nogea') Indicates physical contact, whether intentional or accidental. This defilement is easily incurred.
  • "it": Refers to the carcass (nivlətāh). Nevelah (carcass) consistently refers to a dead body, whether animal or human, especially one that has died naturally or by violence rather than being ritually slaughtered. The carcass represents decay and death, a strong symbolic opposite to God's life-giving holiness.

• shall be unclean until evening: (יִטְמָא עַד־הָעָרֶב - yiṭmā' 'ad-hā'ārev)

  • "shall be unclean": (yiṭmā') From the root ṭame', meaning "to be unclean, defiled." This indicates a state of ritual impurity, rendering the person unfit to participate in sacred acts or enter the tabernacle. It's a separation from the community's access to God's presence.
  • "until evening": ('ad-hā'ārev) This is a standard and common period for minor defilements (Lev 11:24, 25, 27; Lev 15:5-11, etc.). The new day (biblically, beginning at evening) symbolizes a renewal and a fresh start. This temporary nature of the impurity also implies that ritual bathing was often required to hasten the cleansing, ensuring purification by evening's end.

• Word-Group Analysis:

  • "any animal dies... you may eat": This pairing emphasizes that the source of impurity is not the species but the process of death, associating natural decay and cessation of life with impurity, even for "clean" things. It teaches reverence for life and the polluting power of death in God's eyes.
  • "touches it... unclean until evening": This phrase defines the specific action leading to a specific duration of defilement. It highlights the pervasive nature of impurity from death and the immediate ritual consequence. It underscores that proximity to death separates one from God's presence, demanding a period of separation and purification.

Leviticus 11 39 Bonus section

The concept of ritual defilement from touching a carcass can be understood as an "object lesson" in the gravity of death. Death, a consequence of sin (Rom 5:12), is antithetical to God's life-giving nature. By declaring objects and persons touching death as impure, God taught Israel about the polluting effect of sin on their entire being and environment, making them acutely aware of their need for a covering and cleansing that they themselves could not provide. This pointed forward to the ultimate and final cleansing found only in Christ's death and resurrection, where the "defilement" of sin is removed permanently. It emphasizes a divine aversion to corruption and separation from ultimate life.

Leviticus 11 39 Commentary

Leviticus 11:39 illustrates the pervasive nature of impurity in ancient Israel's religious system, even concerning "clean" animals. The law highlights that defilement wasn't solely tied to inherently "unclean" species or morally objectionable acts, but also to the reality of death itself. The natural death of a clean animal, though a food source if properly slaughtered, conveyed ritual impurity upon contact. This teaching served multiple purposes: it constantly reminded Israel of the distinction between the sacred and profane, reinforcing God's holiness against the pervasive reality of death and decay.

Furthermore, it underscored the value of life—life came from God, and its end (death) represented an abnormal state in His perfect creation, demanding recognition and ritual separation. The temporary nature of this impurity, "until evening," along with the implied necessity for cleansing rituals (such as washing clothes and body, though not explicitly stated in this single verse, is understood from parallel laws), demonstrated God's provision for restoration and return to community participation.

Ultimately, these laws of ritual purity, including those concerning the dead, functioned as types and shadows. They taught Israel about the separating power of sin and death, their inability to truly cleanse themselves, and pointed towards a future, ultimate purification. The New Covenant reveals that ceremonial uncleanness is fulfilled and transcended by Christ. He conquered death and defilement by willingly touching the defiled and cleansing them, culminating in His own death and resurrection. Through His finished work, believers are made spiritually clean (Heb 9:13-14), and the physical acts of impurity cease to be sources of spiritual defilement (Mk 7:15, Rom 14:14), as true purity now emanates from the heart purified by faith in Him.