Leviticus 11:26

Lev 11:26 [The carcases] of every beast which divideth the hoof, and [is] not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, [are] unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean.

Ver. 26. Not cloven footed.] See on Lev 11:5.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Lev 11:26. The carcasses of every beast, &c., are unclean — They were prohibited from touching their dead bodies, but not their bodies when alive: for they used camels, horses, asses, &c., for necessary service, Lev 11:31.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

CONCERNING LARGER ANIMALS, Lev_11:26-28.

This section contains a prohibition of all quadrupeds not dividing the hoof and chewing the cud, together with the penalty for touching their carcasses. It is a summary of Lev_11:1-8, with the prohibition of whatsoever goeth upon his paws.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Or, hath not his foot cloven in two.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

every beast . . . not cloven-footed--The prohibited animals under this description include not only the beasts which have a single hoof, as horses and asses, but those also which divided the foot into paws, as lions, tigers, &c.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(26) The carcases of every beast.—The construction of this text constituted one of the differences between the Pharisees and the Sadducees during the second Temple. According to the Pharisees, or the National Church in the time of Christ, the phrase “that toucheth them” in the last part of this verse refers to “the carcases” of the unclean animals spoken of in the preceding verse. It was only when an unclean animal was dead, whether death was owing to natural causes, design, or accident, that contact with its body defiled (see Lev_11:8; Lev_11:31); but when alive, unclean animals were freely used. Hence camels, asses, horses, &c, were employed in daily life, though unclean (1Ch_12:40; Zec_14:15; Mat_21:2; Luk_13:15, &c.). The Authorised Version rightly expresses this sense by inserting “the carcases” in italics at the beginning of the verse, thus showing that “them” in the latter part of the verse refers to the bodies of unclean animals when dead. Indeed some MSS. have actually “that toucheth their carcases,” instead of “that toucheth them.” The Sadducees, however, took the expression “them” to refer to the living unclean animals, and hence maintained that touching the body of any animal described in this dietary list as unclean defiled. The difference which this interpretation of the text produced in the domestic life and social intercourse of the Jews can hardly be described, since, according to the doctrine of the Sadducees, it was exceedingly difficult to remain undefiled as soon as one of them stepped outside their dwellings.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The carcasses of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not cloven footed,.... As the camel:

nor cheweth the cud; though it may divide the hoof, as the swine; and on the other hand, such as may chew the cud, and yet not dividing the hoof, as the coney and hare; for the Scripture here, as Aben Ezra observes again, uses a short and concise way of speaking: these

are unclean unto you; to be reckoned by them such, and neither to be eaten nor touched:

everyone that toucheth them shall be unclean; until the evening; and obliged to washing, though not expressed: this is not to be understood of touching them while alive, as some Sadducees or Karaites understand it, according to Aben Ezra; for camels, horses, mules, &c. might be, and were rode upon, and so touched; but of them when dead, or their carcases, as is rightly supplied in the beginning of the verse; and the Jewish writers (c) understand this of the flesh of the carcass only, not of the bones, horns, and hoofs, which, they say, do not defile, only the flesh: this is repeated from Lev 11:8.

(c) Misn. Edaiot, c. 6. sect. 3. & Maimon. & Bartenora in ib.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

It. When dead. It was lawful to ride on a camel, but not to eat its flesh.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The word carcasses is easily to be understood out of Lev 11:24,25, where it is expressed.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Vers. 26-47. Unclean, creeping, and dead things.

It is evident, from the concluding verses of this chapter (see verses 43, 44), that these laws were designed to teach the nature of the holiness of God. It therefore follows, unless that holiness consist in not eating the flesh or touching the carcasses of certain creatures, which it would be absurd to suppose, these creatures must in their habits represent evils which men should abominate, and clean creatures, on the contrary, virtues which they should cultivate. Let us therefore seek the spiritual lessons from

I THE UNCLEAN CHEEPING THINGS THAT CREEP. These are opposed to creeping things that leap, some of which are clean (see verses 21, 22). Their steady attachment to the earth, never rising above it, represents an inveterate worldliness which a holy people must hold in abhorrence. Samples are given under the following groupings (see verse 42), viz.:

1. Those that have no feet, "Whatsoever goeth upon the belly.

(1) Serpents, snakes, vipers, and worms of all kinds are included under this description. The serpent has given its name to Satan ever since he enshrined himself in a creature of that kind. (see Gen_3:1 2Co_11:3 Rev_12:9 Rev_20:2) And wicked men are the "children of the devil," and so are described as the "seed of the serpent," and a "generation of vipers". (Gen_3:15 Mat_3:7)

(2) Serpents are abominable for their unclean habits, lurking in the dust or mire, and eating their meat from the dust. (Gen_3:14 Isa_65:25 Mic_7:17) Worms are bred in corruption and feast upon carrion. (Exo_16:20 Job_7:5 Job_19:24 Act_12:23) What a picture of those who wallow in sin! Serpents are double-tongued, (Psa_140:3) teaching us to abhor deception. They nourish poison, which is deadly, (Num_21:9) teaching us to detest malignity. (see Isa_41:24, margin; Rom_3:13) The worm of the damned dieth not. (Isa_66:24 Mar_9:44)

2. Those that have four feet, "Whatsoever goeth upon all four.

(1) The weasel and the ferret are remarkable for their stealthy sliding motion in closing upon their prey. They teach us that slyness and treachery arc an aggravation of violence, which should be held in abomination. The" mouse" (verse 29) is to be taken as the representative of everything of the mus kind; but it is difficult to say what animal is meant by the word (jzy) rendered" tortoise." By some it is thought to be the crocodile; by others the toad. Its name indicates some habit of swelling, and may teach us to abominate all impudence, ostentation, and vanity.

(2) The animal called "chameleon" (verse 30) is by some thought to be the mongoose, a creature which eats snakes, rats, mice, and other vermin; while Bochart concludes that the chameleon is intended by the word we translate "mole." Creatures of the lizard kind, excepting the aquatic sort, such as the crocodile, live on flies. God makes some unclean creatures useful in exterminating others; so he deals amongst wicked nations, punishing them by one another in their turn.

3. Those that have more feet.

(1) Under this description we have centipedes, caterpillars, perhaps, and innumerable creatures, with legs more in number than four. Amongst these there is scope for naturalists to describe qualities all which will convey moral lessons.

(2) The one thing we mark in creatures that "multiply feet," as the Hebrew expresses it, is the slowness yet steadiness and stillness of their progress. The stealthy, insinuating false teachers who troubled the early Churches, and who have their representatives ha modern times, are compared to these creeping things. (see 2Ti_3:6 Jud_1:4)

II THE LAWS OF CONTAMINATION. These are ranged under two heads:

1. The polluting of persons.

(1) This is done by their touching the carcass of an unclean creature. Whatsoever is unfit for food must not be touched. (see Gen_3:3) Whom we cannot commune with we must avoid.

(2) It may be done by their touching the carcass of a creature originally clean that has died of itself. Because in this case it could not be a type of Christ, who died voluntarily, for he had no sin of his own to doom him to die. All intercourse of Christians should be in Christ, who is our life.

2. The polluting of things.

(1) Vessels of any sort are rendered unclean by contact with the carcass of an unclean thing. These represent human beings in the capacity of servants, whether to God or man. (Rom_9:21 2Ti_2:20, 2Ti_2:21) Some being polluted are to be broken, to show that sin leads to destruction. (Rom_9:22) Others may be purified by water, to show that sin may be removed by the sanctifying grace of the Spirit of God. There is a happy time coming. (see Zec_14:20, Zec_14:21)

(2) Clean meat may become polluted by contact with anything unclean. This law teaches that "evil communications corrupt good manners.

(3) If an unclean thing fall into a fountain or well in which there is plenty of water, it does not render the water unclean (verse 36). The living water is an emblem of the Holy Spirit, who cannot be rendered unholy by anything that sinners may do. For a like reason, perhaps, seed that is to be sown, which is a figure of Christ, cannot be rendered impure (verse 37). But if water be put upon the seed for any other purpose, the figure is changed and the case is altered (verse 38). J.A.M.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Yahweh continues telling Moses and Aaron which animals the people are to consider unclean.

Every animal ... is unclean to you

These animals that God declared to be unfit for the people to eat are spoken of as if they were physically dirty. (See: Metaphor)

split hoof

This means a hoof that is split into two parts instead of being one whole. See how you translated these in Leviticus 11:3.

chew the cud

This means an animal that brings its food up from its stomach and chews it again. See how you translated these in Leviticus 11:3.

Everyone who touches them will be unclean

A person who is unacceptable for God's purposes because he has touched one of these animals is spoken of as if he were physically unclean. (See: Metaphor)

paws

animal feet with claws

until the evening

"until sunset"

translationWords

hoof

clean

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

מפרסת פרסה ושסע איננה שסעת WHICH DIVIDETH THE HOOF AND IS NOT CLOVEN FOOTED, such as the camel, the hoof of which is split on top but is attached below (see Rashi on v. 3); here it tells you that the carcass of an unclean animal causes uncleanness and in the paragraph which is at the end of this section (vv. 39–40) it sets forth the law concerning the carcass of a clean animal.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.