_AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES AND TO AARON, SAYING UNTO THEM,_ 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 fo... [ Continue Reading ]
_SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, SAYING, THESE ARE THE BEASTS WHICH YE SHALL EAT AMONG ALL THE BEASTS THAT ARE ON THE EARTH._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_WHATSOEVER PARTETH THE HOOF, AND IS CLOVENFOOTED, AND CHEWETH THE CUD, AMONG THE BEASTS, THAT SHALL YE EAT._ Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and cheweth the cud. Ruminating animals, by the special structure of their stomachs, digest their food more fully than others. It is found... [ Continue Reading ]
_OF THEIR FLESH SHALL YE NOT EAT, AND THEIR CARCASE SHALL YE NOT TOUCH; THEY ARE UNCLEAN TO YOU._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_THESE SHALL YE EAT OF ALL THAT ARE IN THE WATERS: WHATSOEVER HATH FINS AND SCALES IN THE WATERS, IN THE SEAS, AND IN THE RIVERS, THEM SHALL YE EAT._ These shall ye eat ... whatsoever hath fins and scales. 'The fins and scales are the means by which the excrescences of fish are carried off, the sam... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND ALL THAT HAVE NOT FINS AND SCALES IN THE SEAS, AND IN THE RIVERS, OF ALL THAT MOVE IN THE WATERS, AND OF ANY LIVING THING WHICH IS IN THE WATERS, THEY SHALL BE AN ABOMINATION UNTO YOU:_ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_WHATSOEVER HATH NO FINS NOR SCALES IN THE WATERS, THAT SHALL BE AN ABOMINATION UNTO YOU._ Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales ... Fins are pectoral, ventral, dorsal, anal, and caudal. True fish have all, or at least some, of these. They are instruments of locomotion. But pectoral fins are also in s... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THESE ARE THEY WHICH YE SHALL HAVE IN ABOMINATION AMONG THE FOWLS; THEY SHALL NOT BE EATEN, THEY ARE AN ABOMINATION: THE EAGLE, AND THE OSSIFRAGE, AND THE OSPRAY,_ These are they ... abomination among the fowls. All birds of prey are particularly ranked in the class unclean-all those which fee... [ Continue Reading ]
_ALL FOWLS THAT CREEP, GOING UPON ALL FOUR, SHALL BE AN ABOMINATION UNTO YOU._ All fowls that creep ... By "fowls" here are to be understood all creatures with wings; and by "going upon all four," not a restriction to animals which have exactly four feet, because many "creeping things" have more th... [ Continue Reading ]
_YET THESE MAY YE EAT OF EVERY FLYING CREEPING THING THAT GOETH UPON ALL FOUR, WHICH HAVE LEGS ABOVE THEIR FEET, TO LEAP WITHAL UPON THE EARTH;_ YET THESE MAY YE EAT ... THAT GOETH UPON ALL FOUR. The locusts, like all insects, have six feet; but the sacred historian notices the different direction o... [ Continue Reading ]
_EVEN THESE OF THEM YE MAY EAT; THE LOCUST AFTER HIS KIND, AND THE BALD LOCUST AFTER HIS KIND, AND THE BEETLE AFTER HIS KIND, AND THE GRASSHOPPER AFTER HIS KIND._ Locust after his kind - х_ HAA'ARBEH_ (H697) - the common word for locust, and rendered by the Septuagint, _ AKRIS_ (G200) (Exodus 10:4;... [ Continue Reading ]
_BUT ALL OTHER FLYING CREEPING THINGS, WHICH HAVE FOUR FEET, SHALL BE AN ABOMINATION UNTO YOU._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ Every beast ... not cloven-footed. The prohibited animals under this description include not only the beasts which have a single... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND WHATSOEVER GOETH UPON HIS PAWS, AMONG ALL MANNER OF BEASTS THAT GO ON ALL FOUR, THOSE ARE UNCLEAN UNTO YOU: WHOSO TOUCHETH THEIR CARCASE SHALL BE UNCLEAN UNTIL THE EVEN._ Whoso toucheth their carcass shall be unclean until the even. The continued enjoyment of their national privileges by the I... [ Continue Reading ]
_THESE ALSO SHALL BE UNCLEAN UNTO YOU AMONG THE CREEPING THINGS THAT CREEP UPON THE EARTH; THE WEASEL, AND THE MOUSE, AND THE TORTOISE AFTER HIS KIND,_ These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth. The list comprises small quadrupeds as well as reptiles p... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE FERRET, AND THE CHAMELEON, AND THE LIZARD, AND THE SNAIL, AND THE MOLE._ The ferret, х_ HAA'ANAAQAAH_ (H604)]. Gesenius pronounces this to be 'a reptile, probably of the lizard genus, having its name from the moaning cry uttered by some species of lizards.' [The Septuagint renders it mugal... [ Continue Reading ]
_THESE ARE UNCLEAN TO YOU AMONG ALL THAT CREEP: WHOSOEVER DOTH TOUCH THEM, WHEN THEY BE DEAD, SHALL BE UNCLEAN UNTIL THE EVEN._ THESE ARE UNCLEAN TO YOU AMONG ALL THAT CREEP. The interdict against using the reptiles included in the preceding list implies that they were generally eaten by the adjoini... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND UPON WHATSOEVER ANY OF THEM, WHEN THEY ARE DEAD, DOTH FALL, IT SHALL BE UNCLEAN; WHETHER IT BE ANY VESSEL OF WOOD, OR RAIMENT, OR SKIN, OR SACK, WHATSOEVER VESSEL IT BE, WHEREIN ANY WORK IS DONE, IT MUST BE PUT INTO WATER, AND IT SHALL BE UNCLEAN UNTIL THE EVEN; SO IT SHALL BE CLEANSED._ Upon... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND EVERY EARTHEN VESSEL, WHEREINTO ANY OF THEM FALLETH, WHATSOEVER IS IN IT SHALL BE UNCLEAN; AND YE SHALL BREAK IT._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND EVERY THING WHEREUPON ANY PART OF THEIR CARCASE FALLETH SHALL BE UNCLEAN; WHETHER IT BE OVEN, OR RANGES FOR POTS, THEY SHALL BE BROKEN DOWN: FOR THEY ARE UNCLEAN, AND SHALL BE UNCLEAN UNTO YOU._ Whether it be oven (see the notes at Leviticus 2:4; Genesis 18:6) х_ TANUWR_ (H8574); Septuagint, _... [ Continue Reading ]
_NEVERTHELESS A FOUNTAIN OR PIT, WHEREIN THERE IS PLENTY OF WATER, SHALL BE CLEAN: BUT THAT WHICH TOUCHETH THEIR CARCASE SHALL BE UNCLEAN._ Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean. The reason of this exception is obvious-namely, that the influx of fresh wate... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND IF ANY PART OF THEIR CARCASE FALL UPON ANY SOWING SEED WHICH IS TO BE SOWN, IT SHALL BE CLEAN._ If any part of their carcass fall upon any sowing seed ... it shall be clean - because the impurity of the contact would be absorbed by the earth. But the case was very different if the seed had bee... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND IF ANY BEAST, OF WHICH YE MAY EAT, DIE; HE THAT TOUCHETH THE CARCASE THEREOF SHALL BE UNCLEAN UNTIL THE EVEN._ If any beast of which ye may eat die. Every edible animal was to be prepared for food by being slaughtered-so that the flesh might be entirely emptied of the blood. But should such an... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND EVERY CREEPING THING THAT CREEPETH UPON THE EARTH SHALL BE AN ABOMINATION; IT SHALL NOT BE EATEN._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four. The first points to worms... [ Continue Reading ]
_YE SHALL NOT MAKE YOURSELVES ABOMINABLE WITH ANY CREEPING THING THAT CREEPETH, NEITHER SHALL YE MAKE YOURSELVES UNCLEAN WITH THEM, THAT YE SHOULD BE DEFILED THEREBY._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE UNCLEAN AND THE CLEAN, AND BETWEEN THE BEAST THAT MAY BE EATEN AND THE BEAST THAT MAY NOT BE EATEN._ Make a difference between the unclean and the clean - i:e., between animals used and not used for food. It is probable that the laws contained in this chapter were... [ Continue Reading ]