Focused Passage

Leviticus 11:41-47

Clean and Unclean Creatures: Holiness in Daily Life

The LORD instructs Moses and Aaron concerning clean and unclean land animals, water creatures, birds, flying insects, swarming creatures, carcass contamination, household impurity, and the theological purpose of these distinctions: Israel must be holy because the LORD is holy.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

41 Every creature that moves along the ground is detestable; it must not be eaten.

42 Do not eat any creature that moves along the ground, whether it crawls on its belly or walks on four or more feet; for such creatures are detestable.

43 Do not defile yourselves by any crawling creature; do not become unclean or defiled by them.

44 For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any creature that crawls along the ground.

45 For I am the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt so that I would be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.

46 This is the law regarding animals, birds, all living creatures that move in the water, and all creatures that crawl along the ground.

47 You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between animals that may be eaten and those that may not.’”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 41

Original words

Every וְכָל־ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct creature הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ H8318 Article | Noun - masculine singular that moves הַשֹּׁרֵ֣ץ H8317 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular along עַל־ H5921 Preposition the ground הָאָ֑רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular is detestable שֶׁ֥קֶץ H8263 Noun - masculine singular it ה֖וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular must not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle be eaten יֵאָכֵֽל׃ H398 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 42

Original words

Do not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle eat תֹאכְל֖וּם H398 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | third person masculine plural any creature הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ H8318 Article | Noun - masculine singular that moves הַשֹּׁרֵ֣ץ H8317 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular along עַל־ H5921 Preposition the ground הָאָ֑רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular whether כֹּל֩ H3605 Noun - masculine singular it crawls הוֹלֵ֨ךְ H1980 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular on עַל־ H5921 Preposition its belly גָּח֜וֹן H1512 Noun - masculine singular or וְכֹ֣ל׀ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular walks הוֹלֵ֣ךְ H1980 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular on עַל־ H5921 Preposition four אַרְבַּ֗ע H702 Number - feminine singular or עַ֚ד H5704 Preposition . . . כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct more מַרְבֵּ֣ה H7235 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular construct feet רַגְלַ֔יִם H7272 Noun - fd . . . לְכָל־ H3605 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct for כִּי־ H3588 Conjunction such [creatures] הֵֽם׃ H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural are detestable שֶׁ֥קֶץ H8263 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 43

Original words

Do not אַל־ H408 Adverb defile תְּשַׁקְּצוּ֙ H8262 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker yourselves נַפְשֹׁ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם H5315 Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine plural by any בְּכָל־ H3605 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct crawling creature הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ H8318 Article | Noun - masculine singular . . . הַשֹּׁרֵ֑ץ H8317 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular do not וְלֹ֤א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle become unclean תִֽטַּמְּאוּ֙ H2930 Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine plural or defiled וְנִטְמֵתֶ֖ם H2930 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural by them בָּֽם׃ Preposition | third person masculine plural
Verse 44

Original words

For כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction I אֲנִ֣י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular am the LORD יְהוָה֮ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֒ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural consecrate yourselves, therefore וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם֙ H6942 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural and be וִהְיִיתֶ֣ם H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural holy קְדֹשִׁ֔ים H6918 Adjective - masculine plural because כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction I אָ֑נִי H589 Pronoun - first person common singular am holy קָד֖וֹשׁ H6918 Adjective - masculine singular You must not וְלֹ֤א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle defile תְטַמְּאוּ֙ H2930 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker yourselves נַפְשֹׁ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם H5315 Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine plural by any בְּכָל־ H3605 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct creature הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ H8318 Article | Noun - masculine singular that crawls הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ H7430 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular along עַל־ H5921 Preposition the ground הָאָֽרֶץ׃ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • Here and in verse 45; cited in 1 Peter 1:16
Verse 45

Original words

For כִּ֣י׀ H3588 Conjunction I אֲנִ֣י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular am the LORD יְהוָ֗ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular who brought you up הַֽמַּעֲלֶ֤ה H5927 Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular - אֶתְכֶם֙ H853 Direct object marker | second person masculine plural out of the land מֵאֶ֣רֶץ H776 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct of Egypt מִצְרַ֔יִם H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular so that I would be לִהְיֹ֥ת H1961 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct your לָכֶ֖ם Preposition | second person masculine plural God לֵאלֹהִ֑ים H430 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural therefore be וִהְיִיתֶ֣ם H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural holy קְדֹשִׁ֔ים H6918 Adjective - masculine plural because כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction I אָֽנִי׃ H589 Pronoun - first person common singular am holy קָד֖וֹשׁ H6918 Adjective - masculine singular
Verse 46

Original words

This זֹ֣את H2063 Pronoun - feminine singular is the law תּוֹרַ֤ת H8451 Noun - feminine singular construct regarding animals הַבְּהֵמָה֙ H929 Article | Noun - feminine singular birds וְהָע֔וֹף H5775 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular all וְכֹל֙ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct living הַֽחַיָּ֔ה H2416 Article | Adjective - feminine singular creatures נֶ֣פֶשׁ H5315 Noun - feminine singular that move הָרֹמֶ֖שֶׂת H7430 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular in the water בַּמָּ֑יִם H4325 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural and all וּלְכָל־ H3605 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct creatures נֶ֖פֶשׁ H5315 Noun - feminine singular that crawl הַשֹּׁרֶ֥צֶת H8317 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular along עַל־ H5921 Preposition the ground הָאָֽרֶץ׃ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 47

Original words

You must distinguish לְהַבְדִּ֕יל H914 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct between בֵּ֥ין H996 Preposition the unclean הַטָּמֵ֖א H2931 Article | Adjective - masculine singular and the clean הַטָּהֹ֑ר H2889 Article | Adjective - masculine singular . . . וּבֵ֤ין H996 Conjunctive waw | Preposition between וּבֵ֣ין H996 Conjunctive waw | Preposition animals הַֽחַיָּה֙ H2416 Article | Noun - feminine singular that may be eaten הַֽנֶּאֱכֶ֔לֶת H398 Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine singular . . . וּבֵין֙ H996 Conjunctive waw | Preposition and those הַֽחַיָּ֔ה H2416 Article | Noun - feminine singular that אֲשֶׁ֖ר H834 Pronoun - relative may not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle - תֵאָכֵֽל׃פ H398 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.