Leviticus 11:46

Lev 11:46 This [is] the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:

Ver. 46. This is the law of the beasts.] Grounded upon right reason, however it may seem otherwise, as is also every other law of God.

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 11:46. This is the law of the beasts, &c.–It was to them a statute as long as that dispensation lasted, but under the gospel we find it expressly repealed, by a voice from heaven to Peter, (Act 10:15,) as it had before been virtually set aside by the death of Christ, with other ordinances that perished in the using, Touch not, taste not, handle not, (Col 2:21-22,) and now we are sure that meat commends us not to God, (1Co 8:8,) and that nothing is unclean of itself, Rom 14:14. Nor doth that defile a man which goes into his mouth, but that which comes out from the heart, Mat 15:11. Let us therefore, 1st, Give thanks to God that we are not under this yoke, but that to us every creature of God is allowed as good, and nothing to be refused. 2d, Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and take heed of those doctrines which command to abstain from meats, and so would revive Moses again, 1Ti 4:3; 1Ti 4:3 d, Be strictly and conscientiously temperate in the use of the good creatures God has allowed us. If God’s law has given us liberty, let us lay restraints upon ourselves, and never feed ourselves without fear, lest our table be a snare. Set a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite, and be not desirous of dainties or varieties, Pro 23:2-3. Nature is content with a little, grace with less, but lust with nothing.

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

Lev 11:46, Lev 11:47 contain the concluding formula to the whole of this law. If we take a survey, in closing, of the animals that are enumerated as unclean and not suitable for food, we shall find that among the larger land animals they were chiefly beasts of prey, that seize upon other living creatures and devour them in their blood; among the water animals, all snake-like fishes and slimy shell-fish; among birds, the birds of prey, which watch for the life of other animals and kill them, the marsh-birds, which live on worms, carrion, and all kinds of impurities, and such mongrel creatures as the ostrich, which lives in the desert, and the bat, which flies about in the dark; and lastly, all the smaller animals, with the exception of a few graminivorous locusts, but more especially the snake-like lizards, - partly because they called to mind the old serpent, partly because they crawled in the dust, seeking their food in mire and filth, and suggested the thought of corruption by the slimy nature of their bodies. They comprised, in fact, all such animals as exhibited more or less the darker type of sin, death, and corruption; and it was on this ethical ground alone, and not for all kinds of sanitary reasons, or even from political motives, that the nation of Israel, which was called to sanctification, was forbidden to eat them. It is true there are several animals mentioned as unclean, e.g., the ass, the camel, and others, in which we can no longer recognise this type. But we must bear in mind, that the distinction between clean animals and unclean goes back to the very earliest times (Gen 7:2-3), and that in relation to the large land animals, as well as to the fishes, the Mosaic law followed the marks laid down by tradition, which took its rise in the primeval age, whose childlike mind, acute perception, and deep intuitive insight into nature generally, discerned more truly and essentially the real nature of the animal creation than we shall ever be able to do, with thoughts and perceptions disturbed as ours are by the influences of unnatural and ungodly culture.

(Note: "In its direct and deep insight into the entire nexus of the physical, psychical, and spiritual world, into the secret correspondences of the cosmos and nomos, this sense for nature anticipated discoveries which we shall never make with our ways of thinking, but which a purified humanity, when looking back from the new earth, will fully understand, and will no longer only 'see through a glass darkly.'" - Leyrer, Herzog's Cycl.)

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

(46) This is the law of the beasts.—This is a recapitulation of the different classes of animals proscribed in the dietary laws. It will, however, be seen that in this summary they are not enumerated in the same order in which they are discussed in the chapter before us. In the dietary law the order of the four classes is as follows :—(1) the land animals, (2) the water animals, (3) the birds of the air, and (4) the swarming animals; whilst the order of the summary is:—(1) the land animals, (2) the birds of the air, (3) the water animals, and (4) the swarming animals. Exactly the same is the case in the summary of the sacrificial law. (See Lev_7:37-38.)

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

46. creepeth] swarmeth.

46, 47. Summary. It refers only to the rules about eating, and so makes no reference to Lev_11:24-30. See App. I (c).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

This is the law of the beasts,.... Clean and unclean, what were to be eaten, and what not,

and of the fowl; Lev 11:2 the unclean ones, which are particularly mentioned that they might be avoided, all others excepting them being allowed:, Lev 11:13.

and of every living creature that moveth in the waters; all sorts of fish in the sea, rivers, ponds, and pools, such as have fins and scales, these were to be eaten, but, if they had neither, were forbidden:, Lev 11:9.

and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth; eight of which are mentioned particularly, which, when dead, defiled by touching; and all others are forbidden to be eaten, Lev 11:29 together with such creeping things that fly, excepting those that had legs above their feet to leap with, Lev 11:20. This is a recapitulation of the several laws respecting them, though not in the exact order in which they are delivered in this chapter.

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

Vers. 46, 47. Clean and unclean the abolition of the law.

"This is the law" (verse 46). But "it is the law" no longer; consider

I THE FACT THAT THIS LEVITICAL LAW HAS BEEN SET ASIDE.

1. Perhaps by the word of our Lord in Mar_7:15, especially taking the translation of verse 19, "This he said, making all meats pure" (Farrar, "Life of Paul," volume 1, page 276).

2. Certainly by the heavenly voice and the apostolic conduct. (Act_10:14, Act_10:48)

3. By united apostolic agreement. (Act_15:22-29)

4. By inspired Epistles. (1Co_8:8 Rom_14:4 1Ti_4:3, 1Ti_4:4) Clearly we are not under any obligation to observe these statutes. We learn from this our immunity

II THAT SUCH PICTORIAL TEACHING IS NOT NOW NEEDED. What moral and spiritual lessons were to be conveyed by these injunctions and by the habits of thought and deed they created, have been learnt; the rudimentary lesson is no longer needed. We are supposed to understand or to be able to learn in other ways what God means by holiness, how hateful sin is in his sight, how prevalent it is, how manifold in its shapes and colours, how sedulously it is to be avoided.

III THAT GOD TRUSTS US TO ACT ARIGHT IN THIS MATTER OF BODILY NOURISH MEET. The Law treated the race as if it were in its religious childhood; the gospel as if it had attained to manhood. (Gal_4:1, Gal_4:23) Christ our Lord trusts us to act wisely and faithfully. We must honour his Divine confidence in us. We shall do so by:

1. Intelligent study of what is really wholesome and health-giving.

2. Moderation in the use of that which is "good for food.

3. Endeavour to make the body the active servant of the soul. C.

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

This is the law - It was so, as long the Mosaic dispensation lasted. But under the gospel we find it expressly repealed by a voice from heaven, Acts x, 15. Let us therefore bless God, that to us every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

Yahweh finishes telling Moses and Aaron what he permits the people to eat and what he forbids them to eat.

for which a distinction is to be made between

This can be translated in active form. AT: "for which you must distinguish between" (See: Active or Passive)

between the unclean and the clean

Animals that God declared to be unfit for the people to touch or eat are spoken of as if they were physically unclean, and those which he declared to be acceptable for the people to touch and eat are spoken of as if they were physically clean. (See: Metaphor)

that may be eaten ... that may not be eaten

This can be translated in active form. AT: "that you may eat ... that you may not eat" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

law, laws

life

creature

clean

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.