The Laws of Clean and Unclean

Illustration of The Laws of Clean and Unclean

The dietary and purity laws of Leviticus distinguished clean animals from unclean and taught Israel to be holy as God is holy, marking them off from the surrounding nations. These regulations shaped everyday life around the reality of God's holiness. In the New Testament, Peter's rooftop vision and Jesus' teaching declared these distinctions fulfilled, opening the way for all nations to be made clean through Christ.

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Leviticus 11

Key Passages

Clean and Unclean Animals

Leviticus 11:1-8

God distinguishes clean from unclean animals, teaching Israel to be holy and set apart in every part of life.

A1nd the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. 3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat. 4 Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. 5 And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. 6 And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. 7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. 8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.

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Characters

Moses Moses was a prophet chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt during the Exodus. Throughโ€ฆ Aaron Aaron, the brother of Moses, played a pivotal role in the Exodus narrative as Moses' spokesman beforeโ€ฆ Peter Peter, originally a fisherman named Simon, was called by Jesus along the Sea of Galilee to become one ofโ€ฆ

Did You Know?

1

These laws set Israel apart visibly from surrounding nations.

2

Peter's rooftop vision declared these food distinctions fulfilled in Christ.

3

Jesus taught that what defiles a person comes from the heart, not the stomach.

4

The pig was unclean because it does not chew the cud, though it has split hooves.