The Meaning of Leviticus 11:8 Explained

Leviticus 11:8

KJV: Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.

YLT: Of their flesh ye do not eat, and against their carcase ye do not come -- unclean they are to you.

Darby: Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch: they shall be unclean unto you.

ASV: Of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcasses ye shall not touch; they are unclean unto you.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Of their flesh  shall ye not eat,  and their carcase  shall ye not touch;  they [are] unclean  to you. 

What does Leviticus 11:8 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 11:8 mean?

Their flesh not you shall eat and their carcasses you shall touch [are] unclean they to you
מִבְּשָׂרָם֙ לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֔לוּ וּבְנִבְלָתָ֖ם תִגָּ֑עוּ טְמֵאִ֥ים הֵ֖ם לָכֶֽם

מִבְּשָׂרָם֙  Their  flesh 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
תֹאכֵ֔לוּ  you  shall  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וּבְנִבְלָתָ֖ם  and  their  carcasses 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: נְבֵלָה  
Sense: carcass, corpse.
תִגָּ֑עוּ  you  shall  touch 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: נָגַע  
Sense: to touch, reach, strike.
טְמֵאִ֥ים  [are]  unclean 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: טָמֵא  
Sense: unclean, impure.
לָכֶֽם  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural