Leviticus 11:6 kjv
And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
Leviticus 11:6 nkjv
the hare, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you;
Leviticus 11:6 niv
The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.
Leviticus 11:6 esv
And the hare, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you.
Leviticus 11:6 nlt
The hare chews the cud but does not have split hooves, so it is unclean.
Leviticus 11 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 11:1-8 | ...spoken to Moses and Aaron... distinction between clean and unclean... | Context for dietary laws and purity rules. |
| Lev 11:3 | Any animal that has a divided hoof and chews the cud... | Defines clean land animals. |
| Dt 14:7 | But among those that chew the cud or have the hoof divided, you shall not eat these: ...the hare... | Reiteration of the specific prohibition. |
| Lev 11:44-45 | For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy... | Underlying purpose of the dietary laws: holiness. |
| Dt 14:2-3 | For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you... You shall not eat any abominable thing. | Emphasizes Israel's unique holy identity. |
| Ezek 4:14 | Ah, Lord God! Behold, I have never defiled myself... | Commitment to the dietary laws of purity. |
| Isa 66:17 | "Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, who eat pig's flesh and abominable things and mice, shall come to an end together, declares the Lord." | Prophetic warning against eating forbidden things. |
| Act 10:11-15 | "And saw the sky opened and a vessel descending... rise, Peter; kill and eat."... "What God has made clean, do not call common." | Abolition of ceremonial food laws in the NT. |
| Mk 7:18-19 | "Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach...?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.) | Jesus teaches that outward food does not defile. |
| Col 2:16-17 | "Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink... These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ." | Dietary laws as shadows fulfilled in Christ. |
| 1 Tim 4:3-5 | ...commanding abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe... For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected... | Emphasizes Christian freedom and gratitude for food. |
| Rom 14:14 | "I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean." | Focus on conscience and spiritual principles over mere food. |
| Heb 9:10 | (referring to tabernacle rituals and food/drink regulations) ...applying only to things of the body until the time of reformation. | Temporary nature of the Mosaic ceremonial laws. |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | "...but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" | Command for spiritual holiness in the New Covenant. |
| 2 Cor 6:17 | "Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will receive you." | Principle of separation for holiness applies spiritually. |
| Phil 3:19 | "...their god is their stomach..." | Warning against making food/appetites ultimate. |
| Rom 12:1-2 | "...present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God... Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed..." | Application of holiness to lifestyle choices in NT. |
| Eph 5:3 | "...But sexual immorality and all impurity... must not even be named among you..." | Shift from ritual impurity to moral impurity in NT. |
| Tit 1:15 | "To the pure, all things are pure, but to defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure..." | Spiritual state determines true purity. |
| Dt 14:8 | "...and the pig... its flesh you shall not eat, and its carcass you shall not touch." | Another explicitly forbidden animal with reasons. |
Leviticus 11 verses
Leviticus 11 6 Meaning
Leviticus 11:6 defines the hare as an unclean animal, forbidden for consumption by the Israelites. This classification is based on two observable characteristics: while it appears to "chew the cud" through re-ingestion of food, it fails to meet the second criterion for clean land animals by not having a truly divided hoof. Its impurity status means it separates the people of God from uncleanliness.
Leviticus 11 6 Context
Leviticus chapter 11 details God's comprehensive dietary laws given to Israel, outlining clean and unclean animals for consumption. This chapter falls within the larger section of Leviticus (chapters 11-15) which defines sources of ritual impurity and the requirements for purification. The immediate context of verse 6 is the explanation of specific land animals forbidden due to failing the criteria of having both a truly divided hoof and chewing the cud. Historically and culturally, these laws served to set Israel apart from surrounding nations who consumed various animals considered anathema by Yahweh. These distinctions reinforced their unique identity as a holy people belonging exclusively to the Lord, establishing clear boundaries that visibly represented their consecrated status. They taught obedience, dependence, and an awareness of purity in all aspects of life, symbolizing a deeper spiritual separation from sin and worldly defilement.
Leviticus 11 6 Word analysis
- And the hare: In Hebrew,
וְאֶת־ הָאַרְנֶבֶת(wə'eṯ-hā'arnevet).הָאַרְנֶבֶת(hā'arnevet) specifically means "the hare" or "the rabbit". The hare is thus directly named and identified for prohibition. - because it chews the cud: Hebrew
מַעֲלַת גֵרָה הִוא(ma'alat gērāh hī').מַעֲלַת גֵרָה(ma'alat gērāh) literally means "one that brings up the cud," describing the physiological process of rumination seen in animals like cattle or sheep.- This is an observation based on ancient visible behavior. Hares are lagomorphs, not ruminants. They engage in coprophagy (re-ingestion of soft fecal pellets, called cecotropes), which from a superficial human observation of chewing and re-chewing might have appeared similar to rumination. The law functions on observable signs for ease of application.
- but divides not the hoof: Hebrew
וּפַרְסָהּ לֹא הִפְרִיסָה(ūfarsāh lō' hiprîsāh).וּפַרְסָהּ(ūfarsāh) means "and its hoof."לֹא הִפְרִיסָה(lō' hiprîsāh) means "it does not divide/part."- This is the second and definitive characteristic for land animals to be clean. The hoof must be completely cleft, separating into two distinct parts. The hare's foot, though soft and having claws, does not meet this criterion of a fully cloven hoof, unlike clean animals such as oxen.
- it is unclean to you: Hebrew
טְמֵאָה הִוא לָכֶם(ṭəme'āh hī' lāk̲em).טְמֵאָה(ṭəme'āh) means "unclean," referring to ritual impurity that would render a person unfit for sacred activities or participation in the holy community.לָכֶם(lāk̲em) means "to you," directly addressing the Israelites as the recipients of this law.- This declaration immediately conveys the status and consequence: such an animal is forbidden and renders those who touch its carcass or consume its flesh ritually impure. This reinforced the call to be distinct and holy.
Words-group analysis
- "chews the cud but divides not the hoof": This phrase succinctly captures the dual criteria for a clean land animal. Both conditions (rumination and cloven hoof) must be met for an animal to be deemed clean. The hare meets what appears to be the first criterion but fails the second, rendering it unclean. This highlights the precise and unwavering nature of God's commands. It demonstrates that meeting one condition is insufficient; adherence to the full instruction is required for purity. This visible criteria also served as a simple, unmistakable identifier for the common Israelite.
Leviticus 11 6 Bonus section
The dietary laws in Leviticus served as a visible hedge around Israel, making them physically distinct from other nations. This constant interaction with these laws (daily meals) instilled a deep sense of their special relationship with God. The very act of discerning between clean and unclean was a daily reminder of their call to holiness. Furthermore, the selection of animals could carry symbolic weight in ancient cultures; some prohibited animals were likely totemic or worshipped by surrounding peoples, thus further distinguishing Israel's singular devotion to Yahweh. The "unclean" animals were often scavengers, predatory, or possessed features deemed aberrant or outside God's perfect design for consumption, symbolizing an order that the holy people were to reflect in their own lives.
Leviticus 11 6 Commentary
Leviticus 11:6 serves as a specific illustration within God's broader set of dietary laws. Its prohibition against eating the hare reinforces the binary system of "clean" and "unclean" animals. This was not merely about hygiene, but primarily about establishing Israel's unique identity as a holy nation set apart for God (Lev 11:44-45). The laws served as tangible reminders of God's distinctness and the people's required separation from the world. The hare, like the camel and the rock badger mentioned previously, fails to meet both defining characteristics for a clean land animal (chewing the cud and a cloven hoof), hence its classification as unclean. While the "chews the cud" observation regarding the hare may differ from modern scientific classifications, it was based on the observable characteristics visible to the ancient Israelite, emphasizing obedience to God's observable commands. In the New Testament, these specific dietary prohibitions are abolished (Mk 7:19; Act 10:9-16), fulfilled in Christ who broke down such ritual distinctions. However, the underlying spiritual principles of holiness, separation from sin, and seeking purity in walk and conduct (1 Pet 1:16; 2 Cor 6:17) remain timeless and eternally relevant for believers.