‘These also shall be unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth: the mole, the mouse, and the large lizard after its kind;
Parallel translations
- WEB “‘These are they which are unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard,
- KJV These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind,
- BSB The following creatures that move along the ground are unclean for you: the mole, the mouse, any kind of great lizard,
- NASB ‘Now these are to you the unclean among the swarming things which swarm on the earth: the mole, the mouse, and the great lizard in its kinds,
- NLT “Of the small animals that scurry along the ground, these are unclean for you: the mole rat, the rat, large lizards of all kinds,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God lists certain small crawling creatures as unclean for Israel. The point is that Israel's whole life, even its diet, was set apart to God.
Overview
Continuing the dietary laws, the LORD names common swarming creatures—weasel, rat, and various lizards—as ritually unclean. These distinctions trained Israel to live as a holy, set-apart people in every detail. The categories of clean and unclean foreshadowed the deeper distinction between holiness and defilement that finds its resolution in Christ, who later declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Lev 11:41–42“‘Every creeping thing that creeps on the earth is an abomination. It shall not be eaten.
- Ps 10:3For the wicked boasts of his heart’s cravings. He blesses the greedy, and condemns Yahweh.
- Heb 13:5Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.”
- Phil 3:19whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.
- Eph 4:14that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;
- Hag 2:6For this is what Yahweh of Armies says: ‘Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land;
- John 6:26Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled.
- Isa 66:17“Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go to the gardens, behind one in the middle, eating pig’s meat, abominable things, and the mouse, they shall come to an end together,” says Yahweh.
- 2 Tim 3:2–5For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
- Ps 17:13–14Arise, Yahweh, confront him. Cast him down. Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword;
- John 6:66At this, many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
- Luke 12:15He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”
- Col 3:5Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;
- Luke 16:14The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed at him.
- Lev 11:20–21“‘All flying insects that walk on all fours are an abomination to you.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 11:29 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.