Leviticus 11 - Introduction
_OF CLEAN AND UNCLEAN BEASTS, FISHES, BIRDS, AND REPTILES._ _Before Christ 1490._... [ Continue Reading ]
_OF CLEAN AND UNCLEAN BEASTS, FISHES, BIRDS, AND REPTILES._ _Before Christ 1490._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES—SAYING— The use of wine having been forbidden the priests, that they might be able, at all times, to distinguish between clean and unclean, ch. Leviticus 10:10 a more particular account of such distinctions is given in the following Chapter s. In this chapter the sacred... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE ARE THE BEASTS WHICH YE SHALL EAT— It is extraordinary, that any objections should have been raised against the Jewish law and its divine Author, from that careful distinction made in it between meats clean and unclean; since this distinction is evidently founded on nature and reason, and, mos... [ Continue Reading ]
WHATSOEVER PARTETH THE HOOF, &C.— It is very evident, that a _parted_ and _cloven_ hoof are the same; and accordingly, upon refering to the original, we find no such distinction as that made in ours, and in several other translations; and which seems to have come originally from the LXX. The Hebrew,... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE SHALL YE NOT EAT OF THEM THAT CHEW THE CUD, &C.— Some few creatures (which were deficient in one or other of the marks above given, either not _having,_ or not _dividing_ the hoof, or not _chewing the cud;_ see Houbigant's note) are excepted in these following verses from those allowed by the... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CONEY— Heb. שׁפן _shapan;_ some kind of animal, so called from _hiding itself by burrowing_ in the ground: a _rabbit,_ or rather _a large kind of mouse,_ according to Bochart, who maintains this latter interpretation by the following reasons; 1st, Because the _rabbit_ does not _ruminate_ as the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE HARE, BECAUSE HE CHEWETH THE CUD— _Because,_ in this and the former verse, should be read _though,_ as it is in the verse following. The original word ארנבת _arne-beth,_ from ארן _aren, to crop,_ and ניב _nib, the produce of the ground,_ is properly rendered a _hare;_ these animals being rem... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SWINE— The aversion of the Jews to this animal, is universally known; it is generally considered as an emblem of impurity, but was most probably forbidden chiefly on account of its tendency to breed the leprosy: hence the Jews had a proverb, that of ten measures of leprosy which descended in... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THAT HAVE NOT FINS NOR SCALES— These, according to Dr. James, are what medicinal writers call _pisces molles,_ the soft kind of fish: and, as all kinds of fish are very subject to alkaline putrefaction, so those without scales incline sooner and more to putrefaction, than those furnished with sc... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE ARE THEY WHICH YE SHALL HAVE IN ABOMINATION AMONG THE FOWLS— All rapacious birds, and such as live upon prey, are forbidden: and we read of no nations that have ever used them as food; for which, doubtless, the God of nature never designed them: accordingly Dr. James observes, that all these f... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CUCKOW— The _didapper,_ or _seamew._ Bochart after the LXX and Vulgate.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LITTLE OWL— The _bittern._ Bochart and Le Clerc.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SWAN— It is very difficult to determine the true meaning of the word תנשׁמת _tinshamet,_ here rendered _swan,_ as in the 30th verse it is applied to _reptiles,_ and rendered _mole._ Parkhurst, thinking that it is derived from נשׁם _neshem,_ to _breathe,_ says, that it here signifies a specie... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAPWING— The word rendered _lapwing,_ says Parkhurst, דוכיפת _dukipat,_ is the _upupa_ or _houp,_ a most unclean and filthy bird. So the LXX εποψ, and the Vulgate _upupa._ See Bochart, vol. 3: p. 343-9. _Note:_ God's people must not be rapacious, nor allow themselves in any deeds of impurity or... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL FOWLS THAT CREEP, GOING UPON ALL FOUR— Or, _All flying things that creep,_ &c. Houbigant renders it, _every winged reptile._ Dr. Shaw observes, that " ףּהעו שׁרצ _sheretz ha-oph,_ which we render _fowls that creep,_ may be more properly translated _breeding fowls,_ or _fowls that multiply,_ from... [ Continue Reading ]
WHATSOEVER GOETH UPON HIS PAWS— In the Hebrew, _whatsoever goeth upon his hands;_ by which is meant _feet_ in some measure resembling _hands,_ so far at least as being divided into distinct parts; such as are those of apes, bears, lions, dogs, cats, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE ALSO SHALL BE UNCLEAN UNTO YOU AMONG THE CREEPING THINGS, &C.— Dr. Shaw well observes, that this expression, _creeping things that creep,_ or _which bring forth abundantly upon the earth,_ (see Genesis 1.) being descriptive of reptiles, with what propriety can we place among them the _weasel,_... [ Continue Reading ]
RANGES FOR POTS— The scarcity of fewel occasions a particular management among the Eastern people, of which Rauwolff gives us the following account: "They make in their tents or houses a hole about a foot and a half deep, wherein they put their _earthen pipkins_ or _pots,_ with the meat in them, clo... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF ANY WATER BE PUT UPON THE SEED, &C.— Bishop Kidder is of opinion that the meaning is, if water be put upon it, to prepare it for food; and so it is distinguished from _seed to be sown,_ Leviticus 11:37.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND EVERY CREEPING THING, THAT CREEPETH UPON THE EARTH, &C.— All creeping things, the reptile tribe in general, are here forbidden; in opposition to the Phrygians, as Le Clerc thinks, who frequently ate a kind of worm, found in the bark of trees or in rotten wood: but the prohibition seems rather to... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL THEREFORE SANCTIFY YOURSELVES— Here the moral reason of this separation between clean and unclean meats is given; it was to remind the Israelites of the internal purity required from them, in consequence of their separation to the service of a holy God. So the apostle: _as he who hath calle... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I AM THE LORD THAT BRINGETH, &C.— "After the signal deliverance wherewith I have favoured you, by drawing you from the slavery under which you groaned in Egypt, I have every title to your obedience; and you would be the most ungrateful of human creatures should you either wilfully or negligently... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS THE LAW OF THE BEASTS, &C.— These two last verses are a kind of recapitulation of the laws contained in the whole chapter, respecting the distinction of animals into _clean_ and _unclean._ Let Christians bless their God, that all these distinctions are now put an end to, by the publication o... [ Continue Reading ]