Leviticus 11:42

Leviticus 11:42 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.
• New International Version (NIV)You are not to eat any creature that moves along the ground, whether it moves on its belly or walks on all fours or on many feet; it is unclean.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, any swarming thing that swarms on the ground, you shall not eat, for they are detestable.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Whatever crawls on its belly, whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet among all creeping things that creep on the earth—these you shall not eat, for they are an abomination.

Context of Leviticus 11:42

40Those who eat any of its dead body must wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening. Those who carry its dead body away will wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening. 41“Any creature that swarms on the ground is disgusting and must not be eaten. Don’t eat any creature with many legs that goes on its belly or on the ground like a four-legged animal, or any creature that swarms on the ground. Consider them disgusting. 43Don’t become disgusting by eating anything that swarms on the ground. Never allow yourselves to become unclean because of them. 44“Here is the reason: I am the Lord your God. You must live holy lives. Be holy because I am holy. Never become unclean by touching anything that swarms or crawls on the ground.

Leviticus 11:42 word by word

כֹּל֩ הוֹלֵ֨ךְ עַל־גָּח֜וֹן וְכֹ֣ל׀ הוֹלֵ֣ךְ עַל־אַרְבַּ֗ע עַ֚ד כָּל־מַרְבֵּ֣ה רַגְלַ֔יִם לְכָל־הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הַשֹּׁרֵ֣ץ עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ לֹ֥א תֹאכְל֖וּם כִּי־שֶׁ֥קֶץ הֵֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Whatsoever goethהָלַךְhâlak · to go: walkH1980
• upon the bellyגָּחוֹןgâchôn · bellyH1512
• fourאַרְבַּע'arba‛ 'arbâ‛âh · fourH702
• or whatsoever hath moreרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
• feetרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
• among all creeping thingsשֶׁ֫רֶץsherets · swarmH8318
• that creepשָׁרַץshârats · to swarmH8317
• upon the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
• them ye shall not eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• an abominationשֶׁ֫קֶץsheqets · detestationH8263

Cross-references for Leviticus 11:42

• Genesis 3:14So the Lord God said to the snake, “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all the wild or domestic animals. You will crawl on your belly. You will be the lowest of animals as long as you live.
• Isaiah 65:25Wolves and lambs will feed together, lions will eat straw like oxen, and dust will be food for snakes. “They will not hurt or destroy anyone anywhere on my holy mountain,” says the Lord.
• Micah 7:17They will lick dust like snakes, like animals that crawl on the ground. They will come out of their hiding places trembling. They will turn away from your presence in fear, O Lord our God. They will be afraid of you.
• Matthew 3:7But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to be baptized, he said to them, “You poisonous snakes! Who showed you how to flee from God’s coming anger?
• Matthew 23:23“How horrible it will be for you, experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You give ⌞God⌟ one-tenth of your mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the most important things in Moses’ Teachings. You should have done these things without neglecting the others.
• John 8:44You come from your father, the devil, and you desire to do what your father wants you to do. The devil was a murderer from the beginning. He has never been truthful. He doesn’t know what the truth is. Whenever he tells a lie, he’s doing what comes naturally to him. He’s a liar and the father of lies.
• 2 Corinthians 11:3However, I’m afraid that as the snake deceived Eve by its tricks, so your minds may somehow be lured away from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

Commentaries on Leviticus 11:42

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 42Whatsoever goeth upon the belly - In the word גהון gahon, the vau holem, in most Hebrew Bibles, is much larger than the other letters; and a Masoretic note is added in the margin, which states that this is the middle letter of the law; and consequently this verse is the middle verse of the Pentateuch. Whatsoever hath more feet - Than four; that is, all many-footed reptiles, as well as those which go upon the belly having no feet, such as serpents; besides…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 42Whatsoever goeth upon the belly - i. e. all footless reptiles, and mollusks, snakes of all kinds, snails, slugs, and worms. “Whatsoever goeth upon all four;” i. e. “creeping things,” or vermin; such as the weasel, the mouse or the lizard. Whatsoever hath more feet; i. e. all insects, except the locust family (Leviticus 11:22 note), myriapods, spiders, and caterpillars.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-47These chapters explain the rules about purity. Mixing different types of animals was forbidden (see Deuteronomy 22:9–11). This is because it opposed God's natural order. Creatures like fish without fins and scales, meat-eating animals, crawling insects, and animals without split hooves were considered "abnormal." They crossed the boundaries between "normal" types and were not suitable for food or offerings (see also Deuteronomy 14:1–21). The dietary laws…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-471-2. the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron--These laws, being addressed to both the civil and ecclesiastical rulers in Israel, may serve to indicate the twofold view that is to be taken of them. Undoubtedly the first and strongest reason for instituting a distinction among meats was to discourage the Israelites from spreading into other countries, and from general intercourse with the world--to prevent them acquiring familiarity with the inhabitants of…Read the comment

Topics related to Leviticus 11:42

• Creeping Things
• Food
• Sanitation

In the dictionaries

• Animal
• Clean
• Drink
• Food
• Paw
• Unclean
• Abomination
• Atonement, Day of
• Belly
• Ezekiel

Commentaries on Leviticus 11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings