Leviticus 11:43 · Bible study
Leviticus 11:43 Commentary: Dietary Laws as a Call to Holiness
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Leviticus 11:43 prohibits defilement from creeping things, linking dietary obedience to God's call for Israel to be holy as He is holy.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Israel must not defile themselves by eating or touching swarming land animals, because God is holy and calls His people to holiness.
- Key words: “make yourselves abominable” (shaqats, Piel reflexive), a deliberate act; “creeping thing” (shĕrets), any swarming creature; “Holiness” as the goal.
- Main debate: Whether the dietary laws were purely ceremonial (abolished in Christ) or contain enduring principles of separation.
- Theological theme: Holiness is not just ritual but daily obedience rooted in God’s identity as Redeemer.
- Best use: Preaching or teaching on the purpose of the Old Testament law, the nature of holiness, and how small acts of obedience form a holy people.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Do not defile yourselves by any crawling creature; do not become unclean or defiled by them.
WEB World English Bible 2000
You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps. You shall not make yourselves unclean with them, that you should be defiled by them.
KJV King James Version 1769
Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
ye do not make yourselves abominable with any teeming thing which is teeming, nor do ye make yourselves unclean with them, so that ye have been unclean thereby.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Ye shall not make yourselves abominable through any crawling thing which crawleth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Do not defile your souls, nor touch aught thereof, lest you be unclean,
Translations in other languages (10 available)
No ensuciéis vuestras personas con ningún reptil que anda arrastrando, ni os contaminéis con ellos, ni seáis inmundos por ellos.
Não torneis abomináveis vossas pessoas com nenhum réptil que anda arrastando, nem vos contamineis com eles, nem sejais impuros por eles.
Ne rendez point vos personnes abominables par tous ces reptiles qui rampent; ne vous rendez point impurs par eux, ne vous souillez point par eux.
Macht eure Seelen nicht zum Scheusal und verunreinigt euch nicht an ihnen, daß ihr euch besudelt.
Maakt uw zielen niet verfoeilijk aan enig kruipend gedierte, dat kruipt; en verontreinigt u niet daaraan, dat gij daaraan verontreinigd zoudt worden.
Non rendete le vostre persone abominevoli mediante alcuno di questi animali che strisciano; e non vi rendete impuri per loro mezzo, in guisa da rimaner così contaminati.
Nie plugawcie dusz waszych wszelkim płazem, który się czołga po ziemi, i nie mażcie się niemi, byście nie byli splugawieni przez nie;
не оскверняйте душ ваших каким-либо животным пресмыкающимся и не делайте себя чрез них нечистыми, чтоб быть чрез них нечистыми,
你們不可 因甚麼 爬 物 使 自己 成為可憎的，也不可 因這些 使自己不潔淨，以致染了污穢。
You are not to make yourselves disgusting with anything which goes about flat on the earth; you may not make yourselves unclean with them, in such a way that you are not holy to me.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Leviticus 11:43
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse is not about health or hygiene, but about the spiritual formation of Israel as a holy people. Calvin stresses that God “does not invite them to take care of their health” but to avoid defiling themselves, with the goal of sanctification because “I am holy.” Matthew Henry adds that the law taught Israel to “put a difference between good and evil” and to obey God even in everyday things like eating. Keil and Delitzsch note that the law is enforced by an appeal to Israel’s calling as a holy nation, redeemed from Egypt. The prohibition is a tool, not an end; as Calvin puts it, holiness is only “connected instrumentally with the distinction of meats.” The shared conviction is clear: God used these rules to form in His people a life of holy distinction, mirroring His own character.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse explicitly prohibits defiling oneself through contact with creeping things, and the surrounding context (vv.44–45) grounds the prohibition in God’s holiness and Israel’s identity as His redeemed people.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose of dietary laws | All traditions see the laws as given to teach Israel holiness and distinguish them from other nations. | Some emphasize a spiritual, symbolic reading (e.g., Calvin, Matthew Henry), while others maintain the laws were binding until Christ fulfilled them. |
| Clean/unclean distinctions | The clean/unclean categories served to create a boundary between Israel and pagan cultures. | Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants agree the ceremonial laws are fulfilled in Christ; however, some groups (e.g., Messianic Jews) retain food distinctions as part of covenantal identity. |
| Application for Christians | The call to holiness remains central; all believers are to be holy as God is holy. | Calvin and the Reformed tradition see the principle of separation as moral, as opposed to ritual. Others read the passage as fully context-specific to ancient Israel. |
| Holiness and separation | Holiness involves being set apart for God in all of life, not just religious ceremonies. | Some interpret ‘separation’ as physical withdrawal from culture; others as spiritual distinctiveness within culture. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Leviticus 11 sits within the Holiness Code (chapters 11, 15), a section that instructed Israel on how to live as a people set apart for God. The laws about “creeping things” (shĕrets) covered land animals that swarm, insects, small reptiles, rodents, many of which were associated with impurity and death in the ancient Near East. By prohibiting these animals from the diet, God created a tangible boundary between Israel and the surrounding nations. The creeping things were not necessarily dangerous to eat, but their prohibition reinforced the community’s identity: Israel was to be distinct in every aspect of life, including the table.
The basis for this distinctiveness is the Exodus. Verse 44 follows immediately: “For I am Yahweh your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy.” The same God who rescued them from Egypt now claims them as His own. Holiness, in this context, means being wholly devoted to God and separated from what He has designated as unclean. The dietary laws thus served a pedagogical and political purpose, they taught dependence on God’s word and visibly marked Israel as His people in a world where food was an everyday marker of identity.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources mention no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, with the key variant being the insertion of “two” before “hoof” in Leviticus 11:3 (noted by Lange), but that does not affect v.43.
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, this verse became part of the detailed laws of kashrut, regulating daily life as an act of holiness. Christian interpreters from the early church onward read the passage as typological: the clean and unclean animals prefigured moral and spiritual distinctions. In the Reformation, Calvin and Matthew Henry emphasized the spiritual purpose behind the ritual. Calvin argued that the law taught Israel to “sanctify themselves” rather than merely follow external rules. Later commentators such as Keil and Delitzsch placed the verse within the broader narrative of Israel’s calling. Across traditions, the verse has been used to teach that holiness touches every area of life, including what we eat.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- Do not defile yourselves (v.43a). God prohibits making the soul “abominable” through contact with the unclean. The prohibition is not passive; the verb is reflexive, they must not make themselves abominable.
- Sanctify yourselves (v.44a). The negative command is paired with a positive call: “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy.” Obedience to the dietary law was a step toward holiness.
- For I am holy (v.44b). The ultimate reason is God’s own character. Holiness flows from relationship with the Holy One who redeemed them.
Five-Point Outline
- The prohibition: not to make oneself abominable (v.43)
- The underlying command: sanctify yourselves (v.44a)
- The standard: “for I am holy” (v.44b)
- The motivation: “I am Yahweh who brought you up out of Egypt” (v.45)
- The goal: to make a distinction (v.47)
Illustration Hooks
- A family who gives up certain foods for Lent or a season of fasting: the small sacrifice trains the soul toward a larger devotion.
- A teenager choosing a media diet: what we consume daily shapes our inner life more than we realize. Small choices teach the discipline of holiness.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Why does God care about what we eat? Isn’t it just about health?
- Does this law apply to Christians today, and if not, what does it teach us?
- How can I make everyday choices, like what I watch or eat, part of my walk with God?
Leading a Discussion
Leviticus 11:43 appears to be a simple food rule, but it opens a window into God’s purpose for His people. This discussion will help your group see how a seemingly small command points to the grand call to holiness.
Discussion Questions
- Read the verse aloud. What words or phrases catch your attention first?
- The Hebrew verb shaqats appears in the reflexive form “make yourselves abominable.” Why do you think God uses such strong language about food?
- How does verse 44 (“be holy, for I am holy”) change the way you understand the dietary command?
- In what ways might the principle of “distinction” (v.47) apply to your own life today, even if the specific food laws no longer bind Christians?
- Calvin said the law taught Israel to “consecrate themselves to God.” What small, daily habits could help a person consecrate themselves to God?
- How can we help each other see obedience in ordinary things as a form of worship?
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)
| Leviticus 11:41 | “‘Every creeping thing that creeps on the earth is an abomination. It shall not be eaten. |
| Leviticus 11:42 | 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. |
| Leviticus 20:25 | “‘You shall therefore make a distinction between the clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean fowl and the clean. You shall not make yourselves abominable by animal, or by bird, or by anything with which the ground teems, which I have separated from you as unclean for you. |
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
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists the dietary command is not about physical health but about avoiding spiritual defilement. The goal is holiness, not mere ritual: external observances are only instruments to consecrate oneself to God. He faults those who stop at the outward act without pursuing the inward reality it was meant to teach.
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 Notes emphasize a threefold prohibition against defiling oneself with creeping things, repeating the warning to drive home its seriousness. God's command is absolute: His people must not touch, handle, or come near anything that makes them unclean.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws a careful distinction between two kinds of defilement from creeping things: eating them makes a person abominable to God, while merely touching or carrying them brings ceremonial uncleanness. Both are forbidden, but the first is a direct breach of God's command, the second a matter of contact.
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.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry reads these dietary laws not as mere food rules but as God's training in holiness itself. The point was to teach Israel to tell good from evil in every ordinary action, to obey God in eating and drinking, and to stand distinct from the nations around them.