And the pig, for though it has a divided hoof, and so it shows a split hoof, it does not chew cud; it is unclean to you.
Parallel translations
- WEB The pig, because he has a split hoof, and is cloven-footed, but doesn’t chew the cud, he is unclean to you.
- KJV And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.
- BSB And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.
- NKJV and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.
- NLT The pig has evenly split hooves but does not chew the cud, so it is unclean.
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
The pig is unclean because it has split hooves but does not chew the cud. The pig becomes a notable emblem of uncleanness in Israel.
Overview
The pig meets one criterion but not the other, so it is forbidden, and it later became a vivid symbol of defilement (cf. Isaiah 65:4; Luke 15:15-16). The law set a firm boundary between Israel and surrounding peoples. In the New Testament such food distinctions are declared fulfilled in Christ (Mark 7:19; Acts 10:9-15), opening table fellowship to all nations.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- 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.
- Isa 65:4who sit among the graves, and spend nights in secret places; who eat pig’s meat, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
- Deut 14:8The pig, because it has a split hoof but doesn’t chew the cud, is unclean to you. You shall not eat their meat, and you shall not touch their carcasses.
- Isa 66:3He who kills an ox is as he who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, as he who breaks a dog’s neck; he who offers an offering, as he who offers pig’s blood; he who burns frankincense, as he who blesses an idol. Yes, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations:
- Matt 7:6“Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
- Luke 8:33The demons came out of the man, and entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned.
- Luke 15:15He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
- 2 Pet 2:18–22For, uttering great swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error;
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 11:7 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.