Leviticus 20:25 · Bible study
Leviticus 20:25 Commentary: Separated to God
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore how distinguishing clean from unclean animals taught Israel to live as God's holy, separated people and what that means for Christians today.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Israel must distinguish clean from unclean animals as a practical expression of their separation from other nations and their calling to be holy as God is holy.
- Key words: “separate” (badal), the same verb used of God’s action in v.24; “abominable” (shaqats), to make detestable, often associated with pagan practices; “souls” (nephesh), the whole self.
- Main debate: Whether the dietary laws remain binding on Christians. Some see them as abolished in Christ (Acts 10, Mark 7), while others view them as still meaningful as a sign of covenant identity or health principles.
- Theological theme: Holiness as separation, both God’s act of setting apart a people and the people’s active response in everyday choices.
- Best use: Teaching on identity, obedience, and the relationship between Old Testament law and New Testament freedom.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.
WEB World English Bible 2000
“‘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.
KJV King James Version 1769
Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Ye shall therefore make a distinction between the clean beast and the unclean, and between the unclean fowl and the clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by bird, or by anything wherewith the ground teemeth, which I have separated from you as unclean.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`And ye have made separation between the pure beasts and the unclean, and between the unclean fowl and the pure, and ye do not make yourselves abominable by beast or by fowl, or by anything which creepeth on the ground which I have separated to you for unclean;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And ye shall make a separation between the clean beast and the unclean, and between the unclean fowl and the clean, and ye shall not make yourselves an abomination by beast, or by fowl, or by anything that creepeth on the ground which I have separated for you, declaring [it] as unclean.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Therefore do you also separate the clean beast from the unclean, and the clean fowl from the unclean. Defile not your souls with beasts, or birds, or any things that move on the earth, and which I have shewn you to be unclean:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Por tanto, vosotros haréis diferencia entre animal limpio é inmundo, y entre ave inmunda y limpia: y no ensuciéis vuestras personas en los animales, ni en las aves, ni en ninguna cosa que va arrastrando por la tierra, las cuales os he apartado por inmundas.
Portanto, vós fareis diferença entre animal limpo e impuro, e entre ave impura e limpa: e não torneis abomináveis vossas pessoas nos animais, nem nas aves, nem em nenhuma coisa que vai arrastando pela terra, as quais vos separei por impuras.
Vous observerez la distinction entre les animaux purs et impurs, entre les oiseaux purs et impurs, afin de ne pas rendre vos personnes abominables par des animaux, par des oiseaux, par tous les reptiles de la terre, que je vous ai appris à distinguer comme impurs.
daß ihr auch absondern sollt das reine Vieh vom unreinen und unreine Vögel von den reinen, und eure Seelen nicht verunreinigt am Vieh, an Vögeln und an allem, was auf Erden kriecht, das ich euch abgesondert habe, daß es euch unrein sei.
Daarom zult gij onderscheid maken tussen reine en onreine beesten, en tussen het onreine en reine gevogelte; en gij zult uw zielen niet verfoeilijk maken aan de beesten en aan het gevogelte, en aan al wat op den aardbodem kruipt, hetwelk Ik voor u afgezonderd heb, opdat gij het onrein houdt.
Farete dunque distinzione fra gli animali puri e quelli impuri, fra gli uccelli impuri e quelli puri, e non renderete le vostre persone abominevoli, mangiando animali, uccelli, o cosa alcuna strisciante sulla terra, e che io v’ho fatto distinguere come impuri.
A tak wy rozeznawajcie między bydlęciem czystem i nieczystem, i między ptakiem nieczystym i czystym, a nie plugawcie dusz waszych bydłem i ptastwem i wszystkiem, co się czołga po ziemi, którem wam odłączył za nieczyste.
Отличайте скот чистый от нечистого и птицу чистую от нечистой и не оскверняйте душ ваших скотом и птицею и всем пресмыкающимся по земле, что отличил Я, как нечистое.
所以，你們要把潔淨 和 不潔淨 的禽 獸 分別出來；不可因我 給你們 分為 不潔淨的 禽 獸，或是 滋生 在地上的活物，使 自己 成為可憎惡的。
So then, make division between the clean beast and the unclean, and between the clean bird and the unclean: do not make yourselves disgusting by any beast or bird or anything which goes flat on the earth, which has been marked by me as unclean for you.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Leviticus 20:25
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions see Leviticus 20:25 as the practical outworking of Israel's calling as a holy nation. The command to distinguish between clean and unclean animals is directly tied to the declaration in verse 24 that God “has separated you from the peoples.” Calvin stresses that “the distinction between meats is propounded to them in order that they may study purity.” Barnes notes this distinction was “one great typical mark of ‘the kingdom of priests, the holy nation.’” Gill and Keil & Delitzsch agree: by using one kind of animal for food and abstaining from another, Israel visibly set themselves apart from surrounding nations. The verb hivdaltem (“you will separate”) mirrors God's own action: He separated Israel, so they must separate the clean from the unclean. The goal is not mere ritual but holiness, being set apart for God.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Ceremonial law fulfilled in Christ: Acts 10:15 ('What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean'), Mark 7:19 ('Thus He declared all foods clean'), and the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:28-29) release believers from dietary restrictions.
- Ongoing covenant sign for Israel: Some interpreters (e.g., within Judaism or Hebrew Roots movements) see the command as perpetual for ethnic Israel, and some extend it to all believers as a sign of covenant faithfulness.
- Moral and symbolic interpretation: The laws are read as pointing to the distinction between holy and profane in one's life; the food itself is secondary to the principle of avoiding defilement through sin.
What is clear: God called Israel to be holy and set apart, and the dietary laws were a concrete way to live out that calling in everyday life.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose of dietary laws | All traditions agree the laws were given to mark Israel as a holy people distinct from other nations. | Some emphasize a permanent ethical principle of separation from sin; others see the specific food restrictions as temporary, fulfilled in Christ. |
| Continued applicability for Christians | Most Christians agree that the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament are not binding in the same way under the New Covenant. | Some Christian groups (e.g., Hebrew Roots, Seventh-day Adventists) maintain some form of dietary distinction; most Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox traditions view Acts 10 and Mark 7 as setting aside the clean/unclean food laws. |
| Relationship to holiness | All agree that holiness remains the goal: being set apart for God. | The debate centers on whether external markers (like diet) are necessary to express that holiness, or whether internal transformation is sufficient. |
| Meaning of 'abominable' | The term indicates something detestable to God, often linked to idolatry and pagan practices. | Some argue the abomination is purely ritual; others see it as moral, and thus the command points to a deeper aversion to sin itself. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Leviticus 20 forms the climax of the holiness code that began in chapter 18. The surrounding verses give the reason for these commands: the land itself is holy, and the nations that previously inhabited it were expelled because of their abominable practices (v.23). Israel is warned not to follow those customs, lest the land “vomit you out” (v.22).
In this context, the command about clean and unclean animals (Lev 20:25) is not an isolated dietary rule. It ties back to the detailed lists in Leviticus 11, which governed what animals could be eaten and how contact with dead bodies defiled. The Hebrew phrase kol asher tirmos ha'adamah (“anything with which the ground teems”) refers to creeping things, vermin, insects, reptiles, that were considered unclean. The reference, as Barnes clarifies, is to dead animals, not live ones; contact with a carcass was a major source of ritual defilement.
The repeated word “separate” (badal) is the key. God separated Israel from the nations (v.24); therefore Israel must separate clean from unclean in daily life. This boundary-marking function was especially crucial as Israel was about to enter a land filled with foreign religious practices. Eating was not merely personal, it was a public statement of covenant identity. As Calvin puts it, “religion is rescued from all admixtures of superstition” when these distinctions are observed.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew text of Leviticus 20:25 is well preserved. The main textual note concerns the word “living” in the phrase “any manner of living thing that creepeth” (KJV). The Hebrew lacks a word for “living”; it reads simply “anything that creeps on the ground.” As Lange’s commentary observes, the reference is to the dead bodies of these animals, not to the creatures when alive. The Bibles used in this study (WEB, BSB, etc.) differ in whether they add “living.” The underlying Hebrew is stable, with no significant variant across ancient manuscripts.
Reception History
In early Judaism, the dietary laws were a defining boundary marker. The Septuagint translation of Leviticus 20:25 uses the same language of separation, reinforcing Jewish identity in the Hellenistic world. The New Testament records debates among early Christians about whether Gentile believers must keep kosher; Acts 10 and the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) concluded that the food laws are not required for salvation. Church fathers like Augustine saw the clean/unclean distinctions as allegories for moral purity, while Calvin and later Reformed commentators read them as a temporary pedagogical tool to teach Israel separation. In modern times, some movements (e.g., Messianic Judaism, Hebrew Roots) have revived aspects of kosher observance as a spiritual discipline, while most Christian traditions view the laws as fulfilled and no longer binding.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God separates His people. Just as God set Israel apart from the nations (Lev 20:24), He calls believers to be distinct from the world. Holiness begins with God’s initiative.
- Separation is practiced in daily choices. The command about clean and unclean animals required Israel to think about faithfulness at every meal. Small, repeated acts of obedience shape a holy character.
- External distinctions point to internal purity. The laws about animals taught Israel that holiness involves the whole person, body, appetite, and soul. The goal was not ritualism but a heart devoted to God.
Five-point outline
- Context: The command sits within a passage that warns against the practices of the Canaanites and reminds Israel of their special status.
- Command: “Make a distinction between the clean animal and the unclean”, a verb that God also uses of Himself (v.24).
- Consequence: Failure to obey makes one “abominable”, the same word used of the nations God abhorred.
- Reason: God is holy, and He has set Israel apart to be His own possession.
- Continuity in Christ: The New Testament shows that the heart of the law, separation from sin, remains, while the specific food laws are fulfilled (Acts 10:15; Mark 7:19).
Illustration hooks
- Family recipes: A family that keeps certain traditions at the dinner table, prayers, hospitality, avoiding certain foods, may not realize how those small habits reinforce their identity.
- Veteran’s uniform: A soldier wears a uniform not as fashion but as a sign of belonging to a unit and its standards. The dietary laws were Israel’s “uniform” in daily life.
- Neighborhood boundaries: Children learn where they can play safely when parents draw clear lines. God drew lines around clean and unclean to teach Israel where life was safe and holy.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Are Christians supposed to keep kosher today? What does Acts 10 mean for our eating?
- How do I apply the principle of “being separate from the world” without becoming isolated or judgmental?
- If the food laws don’t apply, do any Old Testament laws still bind us? How do we decide?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at the end of a section that calls Israel to holy living by avoiding the practices of the nations around them. The command to distinguish clean from unclean is not just about food, it’s about identity. As you read the passage together, notice how separation and holiness are woven together. Use these questions to guide your group’s conversation.
Discussion questions
- Read Leviticus 20:22-26. What reasons does God give for commanding Israel to make these distinctions?
- The Hebrew word for “separate” (badal) appears twice in this passage, of God separating Israel, and of Israel separating animals. What does this repetition tell you about God’s purpose?
- Why do you think God used diet as a way to teach holiness? What does that say about how He views everyday life?
- In Acts 10, Peter saw a vision of clean and unclean animals and was told, “What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean.” How does this change the meaning of Leviticus 20:25 for Christians?
- The New Testament teaches that believers are a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9). If food laws are not the boundary anymore, what are the marks of Christian identity today?
- Think of one area of daily life, what you wear, how you spend money, what you watch, where Christians are called to “make a distinction” from the world around them. How can your group support one another in that?
- How does knowing that God first separated you (v.24) change the way you approach the commands to separate from sin?
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 11:1 | Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, |
| Leviticus 11:47 | 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.’” |
| Deuteronomy 14:3 | You shall not eat any abominable thing. |
| Deuteronomy 14:21 | You shall not eat of anything that dies of itself. You may give it to the foreigner living among you who is within your gates, that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner; for you are a holy people to Yahweh your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk. |
| Acts 10:11 | He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the earth, |
| Acts 10:15 | A voice came to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean.” |
| Acts 10:28 | He said to them, “You yourselves know how it is an unlawful thing for a man who is a Jew to join himself or come to one of another nation, but God has shown me that I shouldn’t call any man unholy or unclean. |
| Ephesians 5:7 | Therefore don’t be partakers with them. |
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 does not offer his own explanation of the distinction between clean and unclean beasts in this verse. He simply directs the reader to his notes on Leviticus 11, where the topic is fully treated. The comment functions as a cross-reference, not an independent observation.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that the ground for the holiness laws is restated, with the clean/unclean distinction marking the whole holy nation. He clarifies that "creeping thing" means dead vermin, not live animals.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues the dietary laws aim at purity, not arbitrary custom. God separated Israel from other nations, so the food restrictions taught them to avoid Gentile pollutions. For Calvin, this command supplements the First Commandment, rescuing true worship from superstitious mixtures.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator points out that the command about clean and unclean food in Leviticus 20:25 originally had detailed instructions like those now found in chapter 11. The present short form presumes readers already know the full list. Verses 25-26 are best read alongside Leviticus 11:43-45, which gives the fuller teaching.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The note stresses that God himself has separated certain animals as unclean and calls his people to actively maintain that distinction. Defiling oneself by contact with these creatures violates the boundary God himself has drawn, so obedience means honoring his act of separation.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that the dietary laws were one of God's deliberate means to separate Israel from surrounding nations, protecting them from idolatry and evil practices. Eating what God had declared unclean made a person abominable in His sight, so the distinction was central to holiness and covenant identity.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch see the call to separate clean from unclean animals as a direct extension of God separating Israel from the nations. Israel must mirror God's holy distinction in their daily choices, marking their identity as a people set apart to belong wholly to Him.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees this chapter as more than an appendix to the earlier laws. He argues it introduces a new governing idea: the holy land itself must be kept holy, and the punishments protect the land from being defiled to the point where it would vomit out its inhabitants, just as it did the Canaanites.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry zeroes in on the death penalty for those consulting familiar spirits, calling it a covenant with death and an agreement with hell. He sees this law as a necessary protection: allowing such people to live would insult God and tempt the ignorant. The surrounding repetition of earlier commands, he notes, was needed for a forgetful people.