Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 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:
46. creepeth ] swarmeth.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
This [is] the law of the beasts,…. Clean and unclean, what were to be eaten, and what not,
and of the fowl; Le 11:2 the unclean ones, which are particularly mentioned that they might be avoided, all others excepting them being allowed, Le 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, Le 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, Le 11:29 together with such creeping things that fly, excepting those that had legs above their feet to leap with, Le 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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
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.)
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(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.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Final Summary ( Lev 11:46-47 ).
This could well be a colophon to a tablet depicting what was contained on it. It outlines what the chapter has been all about.
Lev 11:46-47
“This is the law of the beast, and of the bird, and of every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth, to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the living thing that may be eaten and the living thing that may not be eaten.”
The questions it dealt with were His people’s attitude towards His creation. They are to distinguish between what can rightly be eaten, and what should not be eaten, what is positive and what is negative, what is desirable and what is not desirable, what is tainting and what is not tainting, what is honouring to God before men, and what is not honouring to God, between cleanliness and uncleanliness, between life and death.
The final message that it leaves with us is the question as to what should be our attitude to life? Each of us is called to choose the way we walk and what shall be important to us, and whether we will avoid what is sinful and degrading, or not. We each have to choose our road, just as the Israelites did in the light of this teaching. We are called upon to keep to our proper sphere.
To quote loosely the words of the poet,
“To every man appeareth, a high way, and a way.
And the high souls choose the high way and the low souls choose the low,
And in between on the misty flats the rest move to and fro,
And every man decideth, which way his soul will go.”
That is the message of holiness, and lesser holiness, and unholiness, of clean and unclean, and abominable. The question is this. On what will we set our aim? Are we to set our minds on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, recognising that we and all our sin are dead, and our lives are hid with Christ in God (Col 3:1-3). Are we to recognise that it is not we who live, but Christ Who lives in us (Gal 2:20). That is our proper sphere. Or will we join the creeping things in the dirt and dust, letting them into our lives and revealing ourselves as simply like them in all our ways? Or will we just wander in the middle so that no one really knows which we are. The clean or the unclean. The choice is ours.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Lev 11:46-47. 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 of the law of liberty! (Col 2:20-23.) Let them thankfully enjoy this liberty, procured to them by Jesus Christ, without being seduced to those doctrines, which commanded them to abstain from meals, created by God to be received with thanksgiving of them who believe and know the truth! 1Ti 4:3 but so as never to abuse this liberty to the desiring of dainties, agreeable to the emphatical expression of the wise man; (Pro 23:3.) not giving themselves up to luxury, gluttony, and feasting, which are the ruin of individuals, and the destruction of states.
REFLECTIONS.The great result of all the above injunctions, we evidently see, is “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” God designs in all his ordinances to sanctify his people for himself; and he, who had separated them by bringing them forth from Egypt, might well enjoin them thus to separate themselves from the heathen around them. Note; 1. They who are God’s people desire conformity to him in holiness. 2. For this end they carefully observe all his institutions, that, in the means of grace, they may grow in grace. 3. We need be thankful that all these ceremonies are abolished, and that now nothing is unclean of itself. When their forbidden meat comes on our tables, it should excite fresh gratitude. 4. Let us beware only of making that unholy, by intemperance or forgetfulness of God, which in itself is good, when sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
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.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
This is the law of the beasts, &c. A recapitulation of the four classes. See structure of verses 1-23 in the Leviticus book comments. There it was land, water, flying, and swarming. Here it is land animals, flying, water animals, and swarming. Compare the summary of the sacrificial law, Lev 7:37, Lev 7:38.
beasts. Hebrew, plural of behemah. See note on Lev 11:27.
creature = soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
This: The distinction of clean and unclean animals – see note on Lev 11:2 existed even before the flood, though it probably then only related to sacrifices; but at this time we find there were very particular laws enacted respecting the diet of the people, and the ceremonial uncleanness contracted by touching the carcases of unclean animals. The reasons for the enactment of these laws seem to be:
1. As a test of obedience, and to teach the Israelites habits of self-denial, and the government of their appetites.
2. To keep them distinct from other nations, and consequently from their idolatrous usages, by throwing hindrances in the way of their social intercourse; for these distinctions were applicable both to persons and things. The Canaanites not only ate the animals prohibited by Moses, which we usually eat, but others also, among which dogs were one. Besides, many of those declared unclean were sacred among the heathen, and sacrificed to their gods.
3. Because those prohibited were innutritive and unwholesome; as the swine, the flesh of which being strong and difficult to digest, affords a very gross aliment, and produces, especially in hot climates, cutaneous, scrophulous, and scorbutic disorders, as the itch, leprosy, etc. Lev 7:37, Lev 14:54, Lev 15:32, Eze 43:12
Reciprocal: Num 5:29 – the law Num 30:16 – General Num 36:13 – the commandments
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
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 Gods 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.