The Meaning of Leviticus 20:25 Explained

Leviticus 20:25

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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: 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Leviticus 20:25 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 20

1  Of him who gives his seed to Moloch
4  Of him who favors such an one
6  Of going to wizards
7  Of sanctification
9  Of him who curses his parents
11  Of incest
13  Of sodomy
15  Of bestiality
18  Of uncleanness
22  Obedience is required with holiness
27  Wizards must be put to death

What do the individual words in Leviticus 20:25 mean?

Therefore You shall distinguish between animals clean and unclean and between birds unclean and clean and not you shall make abominable - yourselves by beast or by bird or by any kind of living thing that creeps on the ground which I have separated from you as unclean
וְהִבְדַּלְתֶּ֞ם בֵּֽין־ הַבְּהֵמָ֤ה הַטְּהֹרָה֙ לַטְּמֵאָ֔ה וּבֵין־ הָע֥וֹף הַטָּמֵ֖א לַטָּהֹ֑ר וְלֹֽא־ תְשַׁקְּצ֨וּ אֶת־ נַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶ֜ם בַּבְּהֵמָ֣ה וּבָע֗וֹף וּבְכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּרְמֹ֣שׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־ הִבְדַּ֥לְתִּי לָכֶ֖ם לְטַמֵּֽא

וְהִבְדַּלְתֶּ֞ם  Therefore  You  shall  distinguish 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: בָּדַל  
Sense: to divide, separate.
בֵּֽין־  between 
Parse: Preposition
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.
הַבְּהֵמָ֤ה  animals 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּהֵמָה  
Sense: beast, cattle, animal.
הַטְּהֹרָה֙  clean 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: טָהֹור  
Sense: pure, clean.
לַטְּמֵאָ֔ה  and  unclean 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: טָמֵא  
Sense: unclean, impure.
וּבֵין־  and  between 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.
הָע֥וֹף  birds 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹוף  
Sense: flying creatures, fowl, insects, birds.
הַטָּמֵ֖א  unclean 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָמֵא  
Sense: unclean, impure.
לַטָּהֹ֑ר  and  clean 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָהֹור  
Sense: pure, clean.
וְלֹֽא־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תְשַׁקְּצ֨וּ  you  shall  make  abominable 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שָׁקַץ  
Sense: (Piel) to detest, make abominable, count filthy, make detestable.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
נַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶ֜ם  yourselves 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
בַּבְּהֵמָ֣ה  by  beast 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּהֵמָה  
Sense: beast, cattle, animal.
וּבָע֗וֹף  or  by  bird 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹוף  
Sense: flying creatures, fowl, insects, birds.
וּבְכֹל֙  or  by  any  kind  of  living  thing 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
תִּרְמֹ֣שׂ  creeps  on 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: רָמַשׂ  
Sense: to creep, move lightly, move about, walk on all fours.
הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה  the  ground 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.
הִבְדַּ֥לְתִּי  I  have  separated 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: בָּדַל  
Sense: to divide, separate.
לָכֶ֖ם  from  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
לְטַמֵּֽא  as  unclean 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.