Explanation: Leviticus 11 contains the laws about clean and unclean animals. (Alternate readings in parentheses are mostly from the ESV.) Animals which have a divided hoof in which the hoof is completely divided may be eaten if they also chew their cud. Unless all conditions are met the animal is unclean -- including the camel, the coney (or hyrax, rock rabbit, or rock badger), the hare, the swine. They may not eaten; and they may not be touched (1-8).
     Among creatures in the waters, those which have both fins and scales are clean. Those which do not have both are unclean and may not be eaten, nor their carcasses touched (9-12).
     Among flying things, unclean fowls include the eagle, the ossifrage (bearded vulture), the ospray (black vulture), the vulture (kite), and the kite (falcon), the raven, the owl (ostrich), the nighthawk, the cuckow (sea gull), the hawk, the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl (short-eared owl), the swan (barn owl), the pelican (tawny owl), the gier eagle (carrion vulture,), the stork, the heron, the lapwing (hoopoe), and the bat. All "fowls" (winged insects) that go on all fours are unclean, except those which have jointed legs and hop, which include the locust, the bald locust, the "beetle" (cricket), and the grasshopper (13-23).
     If someone touches the carcass of any of the previously mentioned animals, they must wash their clothes and be unclean until the evening (24-28).
     Other unclean animals include creeping things such as the weasel (mole rat), the mouse, the tortoise (great lizard), the ferret (gecko), the chameleon (monitor lizard), the lizard, the snail (sand lizard), and the mole (chameleon). If the carcass of any of these falls onto or into anything it is unclean, whether it is made of wood, fabric, or skin, or whether it is a sack or a vessel. It must be washed by water; and it shall be unclean until the evening. But earthen vessels into which such carcasses fall must be broken. If defiled water comes upon clean food or drink, the food or drink becomes unclean. However, a fountain or a pit with an abundance of water will not be unclean if a carcass drops into it. An unclean carcass does not defile seed, unless water is put on the seed (29-38).
     The carcass of clean animals is unclean; and anyone who touches it shall be unclean until the evening. If anyone eats its carcass or carries it, he shall be unclean until the evening (39-40). Anything which creeps on the ground, which goes on its belly or has four or more legs is unclean. They must not be eaten; and touching them makes the person unclean. One must not defile himself with them; rather, he must sanctify himself, as the LORD said, "You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy" (41-45).
     These laws were given to draw distinctions between clean and unclean and to show what is edible or not edible (46-47).
     [ Sermons: William Still. J Ligon Duncan III. Various. ]
     [ Illustration: The illustrations above depict an animal from each of the major groups discussed below. The eels in Image 2 are an unclean type of fish - they have neither fins nor scales. ]

     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: ⁴⁷ 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.

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