The Meaning of Leviticus 11:44 Explained

Leviticus 11:44

KJV: For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

YLT: For I am Jehovah your God, and ye have sanctified yourselves, and ye have been holy, for I am holy; and ye do not defile your persons with any teeming thing which is creeping on the earth;

Darby: For I am Jehovah your God; and ye shall hallow yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy; and ye shall not make yourselves unclean through any manner of crawling thing which creepeth on the earth.

ASV: For I am Jehovah your God: sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that moveth upon the earth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For I [am] the LORD  your God:  ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves,  and ye shall be holy;  for I [am] holy:  neither shall ye defile  yourselves  with any manner of creeping thing  that creepeth  upon the earth. 

What does Leviticus 11:44 Mean?

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 11:44 mean?

For I [am] Yahweh your God Therefore You shall consecrate yourselves and you shall be holy [am] holy I And neither shall you defile - yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth
כִּ֣י אֲנִ֣י יְהוָה֮ אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֒ וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם֙ וִהְיִיתֶ֣ם קְדֹשִׁ֔ים קָד֖וֹשׁ אָ֑נִי וְלֹ֤א תְטַמְּאוּ֙ אֶת־ נַפְשֹׁ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם בְּכָל־ הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־ הָאָֽרֶץ

יְהוָה֮  [am]  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֒  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם֙  Therefore  You  shall  consecrate  yourselves 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: קָדַשׁ  
Sense: to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate.
וִהְיִיתֶ֣ם  and  you  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
קְדֹשִׁ֔ים  holy 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: קָדֹושׁ  
Sense: sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart.
קָד֖וֹשׁ  [am]  holy 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָדֹושׁ  
Sense: sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart.
וְלֹ֤א  And  neither 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תְטַמְּאוּ֙  shall  you  defile 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.
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.
נַפְשֹׁ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם  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.
בְּכָל־  with  any 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ  creeping  thing 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁרֶץ  
Sense: teeming or swarming things, creepers, swarmers.
הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ  that  creeps 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָמַשׂ  
Sense: to creep, move lightly, move about, walk on all fours.
הָאָֽרֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.