Leviticus 11:8

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Leviticus 11:8 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcasses ye shall not touch; they are unclean unto you.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcasses ye shall not touch; they are unclean unto you.
Leviticus 11:8 — American Standard Version

Context — Leviticus 11

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
8Of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcasses ye shall not touch; they are unclean unto you.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Of their flesh shall ye not eat, etc.] Meaning, not of swine only, but of the camel, coney, and hare: and their carcass shall ye not touch; which must not be understood of touching them in any sense; for then it would have been unlawful for a Jew to have rode upon a camel, or to take out and make use of hog’s lard in medicine; but of touching them in order to kill them, and prepare them for food, and eat them; and indeed all unnecessary touching of them is forbidden, lest it should bring them to the eating of them; though perhaps it may chiefly respect the touching of them dead: they [are] unclean to you: one and all of them; for as this was said of each of them in particular, so now of all…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Ye shall not touch - Not in order to eating, as may be gathered by comparing this with Gen 3:3. But since the fat and skins of some of the forbidden creatures were useful, for medicinal and other good purposes, and were used by good men, it is not probable that God would have them cast away. Thus God forbad the making of images, Exo 20:4, not universally, but in order to the worshipping them, as Christian interpreters agree. Leviticus 11:9”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“they are unclean: Lev 5:2; Isa 52:11; Hos 9:3; Mat 15:11, Mat 15:20; Mar 7:2, Mar 7:15, Mar 7:18; Act 10:10-15; Act 10:28, Act 15:29; Rom 14:14-17, Rom 14:21; Co1 8:8; Co2 6:17; Eph 5:7, Eph 5:11; Col 2:16, Col 2:21-23; Heb 9:10 Leviticus 11:9”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification