Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 11:32
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.
32. The case of one of these small animals creeping into a pan or bag or garment, and being found dead, seems to be contemplated. In such a case the vessel is unclean for the rest of the day and ( Lev 11:33) if earthen must be broken, cp. Lev 6:28.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 32. Any vessel of wood] Such as the wooden bowls still in use among the Arabs. Or raiment, or skin – any trunks or baskets covered with skins, another part of the furniture of an Arab tent; the goat-skins, in which they churn their milk, may be also intended. Or sack – any hair-cloth used for the purpose of transporting goods from place to place.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And upon whatsoever [any] of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean,…. Any of the above eight creeping things, that is, of their flesh, for as for their bones, nails, nerves, and skin, as before observed, being separated from them and dry, they do not defile:
whether [it be] any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack; every wooden vessel, as the Targum of Jonathan; and all sorts of clothes, of woollen, linen, or silk, and all sorts of skins, excepting skins of sea beasts; for these, according to the Jews t, received no pollution; and also sacks or sackcloth, made of goats’ hair, and the like:
whatsoever vessel [it be], wherein any work is done; any tool or instrument made use of by any artificer in his trade, or any vessel wrought by him:
it must be put into water; dipped into it, even into forty seahs of water, according to the Targum of Jonathan; and which is to be understood, not of any working tool, or finished vessel only, but of any vessel of wood, raiment, skin, or sack, before mentioned:
it shall be unclean until the even; even though put into water and washed:
so it shall be cleansed; in the above manner, by being put or dipped into water; or “afterwards”, as the Septuagint, when it has been dipped and the even is come, and not before.
t Bartenora in Misn. Celaim, c. 17. sect. 13.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(32) And upon whatsoever any of them.Better, and upon whatsoever aught of them, that is, not only if the whole carcase fell upon any of the specified vessels were the vessels in question defiled, but if a portion of the carcase came in contact with the utensils it made them unclean. (See Lev. 11:25.) According to the law which obtained during the second Temple it was only when the portion of the carcase of an unclean animal had flesh on it that it defiled, but not otherwise. Hence the skins, hair, bones, horns, hoofs, sinews, &c. of all unclean creatures were exempted. These were made into different domestic utensils and implements. The use thus made of the parts in question also constituted one of the differences between the Pharisees and the Sadducees in the time of Christ. The Sadducees regarded every portion of every unclean animal in whatever state as defiling, and hence prohibited its being made up into any vessel.
Vessel of wood.That is, vessels made of bulrushes (Isa. 18:2), reeds, wicker, shells of nuts, barks of trees, or of anything which grew out of the earth like wood.
Or raiment.That is, any garment made of a woven material, such as wool, flax, hemp, or anything which grows on the dry land. Hence cloth made of a material which grows in the sea was not defiled, according to the canons which obtained during the second Temple.
Or skin.This also, according to the same authorities, only applied to the skins of land animals; skins of aquatic creatures received no defilement.
Or sack.From the parallel passage in Num. 31:20, we see that by this expression here is meant garments made of stuffs of goats hair, in contradistinction to the textures of which the garments were made, denoted by the expression beged, raiment. (See also Isa. 20:2.) Skins which were not made into garments or vessels, or which exhibited unfinished vessels, received no pollution.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
32. Vessel must be put into water This explains the baptism of cups, and pots, and brazen vessels, (Mar 7:4,) and “divers washings” mentioned in Heb 9:10, as characteristic of the Jews.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Containers Contaminated By Dead Animals Or Creeping Things Must Be Washed Or Destroyed ( Lev 11:32-33 ).
Lev 11:32-33
“And on whatever any of them, when they are dead, falls, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatever vessel it may be, with which any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even. Then shall it be clean. And every earthen vessel, into which any of them falls, whatever is in it shall be unclean, and you shall break it.”
Contact with dead rodents and reptiles rendered containers ‘unclean’. They have left their proper use. They must therefore be ‘put in water’ or destroyed. This was especially important for earthen vessels, which must be destroyed because by their nature they could absorb things that were harmful. Whatever our view it is clear that such uncleanness was seen as having a harmful effect realistically and not just religiously, although the overall idea is undoubtedly that God’s people must separate themselves from all that is unclean, from all that comes short of God’s perfection, for it is then short of the best.
We may learn from this the necessity for cleanliness, and the necessity for properly scouring pots and pans, especially when they have been in contact with vermin. Cleanliness prevent disease. And we can also learn to avoid things that are unseemly.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Lev 11:32 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.
Ver. 32. It shall be unclean. ] With a ceremonial uncleanness only, and not moral: howbeit, the disobedience, even in such a small matter, brought a guilt upon the soul, which did defile, while the prohibition was in force; as one well observeth.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
it must be put into water: Lev 6:28, Lev 15:12, Tit 2:14, Tit 3:5
Reciprocal: Lev 6:27 – wash Lev 15:5 – General Num 19:15 – General Num 31:23 – ye shall make
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
11:32 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 {i} 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.
(i) As a bottle or bag.