Leviticus 11:42 · Bible study
Leviticus 11:42 Commentary: Creeping Things as an Abomination
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does God call creeping things an abomination? This study explores the prohibition, its connection to holiness, and Israel’s calling to be set apart.
Research Summary
- Meaning: All creeping things that crawl on the earth, whether on belly, four feet, or many feet, are forbidden as an abomination, underscoring Israel’s call to holiness.
- Key words: Sheqets (detestable thing), gahon (belly), marbeh raglayim (many feet), kol (any/all).
- Main debate: Whether these laws remain binding on Christians; most traditions see them as fulfilled in Christ while the principle of holiness endures.
- Theological theme: Holiness as separation, God’s people are called to reflect His character in every area of life, including diet.
- Best use: Teaching on the purpose of Old Testament law, the call to distinctiveness, and the connection between physical and spiritual purity.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
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.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, even all creeping things that creep on the earth, them you shall not eat; for they are an abomination.
KJV King James Version 1769
Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all fours, or whatsoever hath many feet, even all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
any thing going on the belly, and any going on four, unto every multiplier of feet, to every teeming thing which is teeming on the earth--ye do not eat them, for they are an abomination;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Whatever goeth on the belly, and whatever goeth on all four, and all that have a great many feet, of every manner of crawling thing which crawleth on the earth — these ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Whatsoever goeth upon the breast on four feet, or hath many feet, or traileth on the earth, you shall not eat, because it is abominable.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Todo lo que anda sobre el pecho, y todo lo que anda sobre cuatro ó más pies, de todo reptil que anda arrastrando sobre la tierra, no lo comeréis, porque es abominación.
Tudo o que anda sobre o peito, e tudo o que anda sobre quatro ou mais patas, de todo réptil que anda arrastando sobre a terra, não o comereis, porque é abominação.
Vous ne mangerez point, parmi tous les reptiles qui rampent sur la terre, de tous ceux qui se traînent sur le ventre, ni de tous ceux qui marchent sur quatre pieds ou sur un grand nombre de pieds; car vous les aurez en abomination.
Alles, was auf dem Bauch kriecht, und alles, was auf vier oder mehr Füßen geht, unter allem, was auf Erden schleicht, sollt ihr nicht essen; denn es soll euch eine Scheu sein.
Al wat op zijn buik gaat, en al wat gaat op zijn vier voeten, of al wat vele voeten heeft, onder alle kruipend gedierte, dat op de aarde kruipt, die zult gij niet eten, want zij zijn een verfoeisel.
Di tutti gli animali che brulicano sulla terra non ne mangerete alcuno che strisci sul ventre o cammini con quattro piedi o con molti piedi, poiché sono un abominio.
Cokolwiek się czołga po brzuchu, i cokolwiek na czterech albo więcej nogach się włóczy między wszystkim płazem, który się czołga po ziemi, nie będziecie ich jeść, bo obrzydliwością są.
всего ползающего на чреве и всего ходящего на четырех ногах, и многоножных из животных пресмыкающихся по земле, не ешьте, ибо они скверны;
凡 用 肚子 行走 的和 用 四 足行走的，或是 有許多 足的，就是一切 爬 在 地上 的，你們都不可 吃，因為 是 可憎的。
Whatever goes on its stomach or on four feet or has a great number of feet, even all those going flat on the earth, may not be used for food, for they are disgusting.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Leviticus 11:42
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Leviticus 11:42 completes the dietary laws by prohibiting every category of creeping thing that moves on the earth. Adam Clarke notes that the Hebrew gahon (belly) contains the middle letter of the Pentateuch, marking this verse as a textual hinge. Barnes defines the three classes: footless reptiles (snakes, worms), four-footed vermin (weasels, mice, lizards), and many-footed insects (spiders, caterpillars). Gill adds that these were not only forbidden but called sheqets, a detestable thing, the same term used for idols. Keil and Delitzsch observe that the entire law of clean and unclean is enforced by the call to holiness in verses 44, 45: “be holy, for I am holy.” The prohibition is not merely about hygiene but about Israel’s identity as a nation separated to God.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse absolutely forbids the eating of all creeping things that move on the earth, regardless of their mode of locomotion, because they are an abomination—and this prohibition is grounded in God’s call for Israel to be holy as He is holy.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Applicability of dietary laws to Christians | The Old Testament dietary laws were given to Israel as part of the Mosaic covenant. | Some Christians (e.g., Seventh-day Adventists) continue to observe these distinctions; others (the majority of Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox traditions) hold that Christ’s fulfillment of the law makes all foods clean, while the moral call to holiness remains. |
| Identification of specific animals | Commentators agree on the broad categories: belly (snakes, worms), four feet (weasels, mice, lizards), many feet (insects, spiders). | There is some debate about which modern animals fit the Hebrew terms, e.g., whether ‘ard (mole) refers to a specific reptile or a mammal, but this does not affect the clear prohibition. |
| Rationale for the prohibition | The primary purpose is to teach Israel to be holy as God is holy. | Some commentators (e.g., Calvin) emphasize the symbolic separation from pagan cultures, while others (like some modern interpreters) note potential health reasons, but the text itself grounds the command in God’s holiness, not hygiene. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Leviticus 11 is part of the Holiness Code, a section of law designed to shape Israel as a kingdom of priests. The dietary rules drew sharp lines between clean and unclean, a distinction rooted in creation (Genesis 1: animals with certain features) and amplified at Sinai. In the ancient Near East, many neighboring cultures ate snakes, insects, and rodents for food or ritual. Gill recounts that the Greeks called serpent-eaters “Ophiophagi,” and Roman writers noted that the Troglodytes lived on snake flesh. Israel was called to be different. Prohibiting these creatures as an “abomination” (sheqets) reinforced the idea that what enters the body reflects the holiness of the people. The same word is used elsewhere for idolatrous practices (Deuteronomy 7:26). This law also carries an echo of Genesis 3:14, where the serpent is cursed to go on its belly. The creeping creatures represent not only physical uncleanness but the disorder and impurity that entered creation through sin.
The literary context places this verse as the conclusion to the section on land swarming things (vv. 41, 43). The Masoretic tradition marks the large vav in gahon (belly) as the middle letter of the Torah, drawing attention to this verse as the heart of the law. For Israel, obeying these commands was a daily act of remembering God’s holiness and their own separation from the nations.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants. A Masoretic tradition observes that the vav in gahon (belly) is written larger than other letters, marking it as the middle letter of the Pentateuch (Adam Clarke). This scribal feature highlights the verse’s centrality but does not alter the text’s meaning.
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, this verse is notable for containing the middle letter of the Torah, giving it a special place in scribal and liturgical practice. Early Christian interpreters, such as Origen and Augustine, read the dietary laws allegorically, seeing the creeping things as types of sinful thoughts or actions. The Reformation era continued this symbolic reading; Calvin applied the passage to the need for purity in all of life. In the Wesleyan tradition, Adam Clarke used the verse to stress the holiness of God’s people, while Baptist expositor John Gill emphasized the seriousness of the word “abomination.” Across traditions, the verse has been used to teach that God’s standards are not arbitrary but serve to shape a distinct people.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God draws boundaries. The three categories (belly, four feet, many feet) cover every kind of creeping thing. Nothing is left out. God defines what is clean and unclean, and Israel is to accept His classification.
- The label “abomination” is serious. The Hebrew word sheqets is used for idols. To eat these creatures is not just unhealthy; it is an act of defilement that makes one detestable before God.
- Holiness is the goal. Verses 44, 45 anchor the prohibition in God’s own character: “be holy, for I am holy.” Dietary laws were a classroom for learning what it means to belong to a holy God.
Five-point outline
- The law covers all creeping things (v. 42a).
- The command is absolute: “you shall not eat” (v. 42b).
- The reason: “they are an abomination” (v. 42c).
- The call to avoid making oneself abominable (v. 43).
- The foundation: “I am Yahweh your God … be holy, for I am holy” (vv. 44, 45).
Illustration hooks
- Food rules today. Almost everyone has foods they avoid for moral, health, or ethical reasons. This law shows that for Israel, every meal was a statement about whom they served.
- What we call disgusting. Some cultures eat insects; others find them repulsive. The “abomination” label is not about personal taste but about divine definition. That truth applies to more than food, God defines what defiles us.
- Identity markers. A uniform, a flag, a wedding ring, small things that signal belonging. For Israel, eating habits were a mark of covenant identity.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this prohibition still apply to Christians? (The New Testament teaches that all foods are clean in Christ, but the principle of holiness remains.)
- Why would God call an animal “abominable”? Doesn’t He make all things good? (The category is not about the animal’s intrinsic worth but about its symbolic and ritual role in Israel’s calling.)
- What does this teach about God’s character? (He is holy, and He calls His people to be distinct from the world, even in everyday choices.)
Leading a Discussion
This passage may feel distant from our lives. But behind these ancient food laws is a deeper question: what does it mean to be God’s holy people? As you discuss, pay attention to the reason given for the prohibition, God’s holiness, rather than getting lost in the list of creatures.
Discussion questions
- Read Leviticus 11:41, 45. What creatures are forbidden, and what three modes of movement are identified?
- The Hebrew word sheqets is translated “abomination” or “detestable.” Where else does the Old Testament use this word? (Consider Deuteronomy 7:26; 12:31.) Why does that connection matter?
- Verse 44 says, “Sanctify yourselves … be holy; for I am holy.” How does this shift the focus from the food to God himself?
- What does it mean to “make yourselves abominable” (v. 43) by eating something? In what ways do we still see a link between what we consume and our spiritual condition?
- The New Testament declares all foods clean (Mark 7:19; Acts 10:15). Does that make this passage irrelevant? Or does it still teach us something about God’s standards?
- Think of a “creeping thing” in your own life, something small that defiles or distracts from holiness. What would it mean to treat it as an “abomination” and avoid it?
- How can this passage shape your understanding of what it means to be set apart for God today?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 3:14 | Yahweh God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed above all livestock, and above every animal of the field. You shall go on your belly and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. |
| Genesis 3:15 | I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.” |
| Isaiah 65:25 | The wolf and the lamb will feed together. The lion will eat straw like the ox. Dust will be the serpent’s food. They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain,” says Yahweh. |
| Micah 7:17 | They will lick the dust like a serpent. Like crawling things of the earth, they will come trembling out of their dens. They will come with fear to Yahweh our God, and will be afraid because of you. |
| Matthew 3:7 | But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? |
| Matthew 23:23 | “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone. |
| John 8:44 | You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. |
| II Corinthians 11:3 | But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes a Masoretic feature in the Hebrew text: the letter vav in the word for belly is enlarged, marking this as the middle verse of the entire Pentateuch. He then clarifies that creatures going on the belly include serpents (no feet) and many-footed reptiles, along
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies the three categories of unclean animals based on their mode of movement. Whatsoever goes on the belly includes snakes, worms, and footless reptiles. Whatsoever goes on all four refers to small vermin like weasels and lizards. Whatsoever has more feet covers insects, spiders, and caterpillars, except the locust family.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This verse acts as a fitting conclusion to the dietary regulations, tying the rules about eating to a broader spiritual point. The commentator draws a connection to Ezekiel's vision of abominable things, suggesting the same principle of holiness applies.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Bible notes clarify that this rule forbids eating any creeping creature that moves on its belly, on four legs, or on many feet. All such animals are considered unclean and an abomination under the dietary laws given to Israel.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill clarifies that the prohibition against creatures that go on their belly specifically includes serpents, citing Jarchi. He adds historical accounts of peoples who ate serpents as delicacies. He also distinguishes "all four" from "many feet" creatures like the centipede, showing the range of forbidden creeping things.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch emphasizes that the purity laws about eating carrion or swarming creatures are not arbitrary; they enforce the deeper call for Israel to be holy because God is holy. The entire law is grounded in God's identity and His act of bringing Israel out of Egypt to be His people.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees the clean animals as those uniquely fit for both God’s table and man’s table—the same creatures used in sacrifice were the ones permitted for food, creating a shared meal between the Lord and His people. The two distinguishing marks, cloven hoof and chewing the cud, were designed to exclude all carnivorous and brutishly unclean beasts, teaching Israel symbolically through their daily diet to be a holy people set apart for God.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that these ceremonial distinctions taught Israel a constant awareness of holiness in the smallest daily matters. Every creature they touched or ate either drew them toward God or marked them as separate from impurity, making obedience a moment-by-moment practice.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that the curse caused some creatures to crawl on their bellies like worms and snakes, while others were reduced to moving on all fours like toads and certain serpents. He draws a distinction between these two forms of lowly motion.