The Meaning of Leviticus 11:21 Explained

Leviticus 11:21

KJV: Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;

YLT: Only -- this ye do eat of any teeming thing which is flying, which is going on four, which hath legs above its feet, to move with them on the earth;

Darby: Yet these shall ye eat of every winged crawling thing that goeth upon all four: those which have legs above their feet with which to leap upon the earth.

ASV: Yet these may ye eat of all winged creeping things that go upon all fours, which have legs above their feet, wherewith to leap upon the earth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Yet these may ye eat  of every flying  creeping  thing that goeth  upon [all] four,  which have legs  above  their feet,  to leap  withal  upon the earth; 

What does Leviticus 11:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 11:1-23 - 41-47, The Distinction Between Clean And Unclean
There were good and sufficient reasons for excluding certain animals from Israel's dietary. Devout medical men insist that this is the finest sanitary code in existence, and that many of the diseases of modern life would disappear if it were universally adopted. God made these distinctions matters of religion, that the well-being of His people might be doubly assured. These restrictions were also imposed to erect strong barriers between the chosen people and the heathen. So long as they obeyed, it was clearly impossible to participate in the heathen festivals, where many of these animals were partaken of.
We are not now bound by these enactments. Our Lord made all meats clean, Mark 7:19, r.v. Peter was bidden to kill and eat all manner of creeping things, and his protest was overborne by the assurance that God had cleansed all. See Acts 10:11-16. Religion consists not in outward rites, but in the inward temper. See Hebrews 9:10. Note that touching was forbidden, because the least contact with evil hurts the soul. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 11

1  What animals may be eaten
4  and what may not be eaten
9  What fishes
13  What fowls
29  The creeping things which are unclean

What do the individual words in Leviticus 11:21 mean?

Yet - this you may eat of every creature flying insect that creeps on [all] four [legs] those which - not have jointed legs above their feet to leap with which the earth
אַ֤ךְ אֶת־ זֶה֙ תֹּֽאכְל֔וּ מִכֹּל֙ שֶׁ֣רֶץ הָע֔וֹף הַהֹלֵ֖ךְ עַל־ אַרְבַּ֑ע אֲשֶׁר־ [לא] (ל֤וֹ) כְרָעַ֙יִם֙ מִמַּ֣עַל לְרַגְלָ֔יו לְנַתֵּ֥ר בָּהֵ֖ן הָאָֽרֶץ

אַ֤ךְ  Yet 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַךְ  
Sense: indeed, surely (emphatic).
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.
זֶה֙  this 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
תֹּֽאכְל֔וּ  you  may  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
מִכֹּל֙  of  every 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
שֶׁ֣רֶץ  creature 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֶׁרֶץ  
Sense: teeming or swarming things, creepers, swarmers.
הָע֔וֹף  flying  insect 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹוף  
Sense: flying creatures, fowl, insects, birds.
הַהֹלֵ֖ךְ  that  creeps 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אַרְבַּ֑ע  [all]  four  [legs] 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
אֲשֶׁר־  those  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
[לא]  - 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
כְרָעַ֙יִם֙  have  jointed  legs 
Parse: Noun, fd
Root: כֶּרַע  
Sense: leg.
מִמַּ֣עַל  above 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: מַעַל 
Sense: higher part, upper part adv.
לְרַגְלָ֔יו  their  feet 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
לְנַתֵּ֥ר  to  leap 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: נָתַר 
Sense: to start up, tremble, shake, spring up.
בָּהֵ֖ן  with  which 
Parse: Preposition-b, Pronoun, third person feminine plural
Root: ־הֶן 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
הָאָֽרֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.

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