Leviticus 11:10
in Leviticus 11But the following among all the teeming life and creatures in the water are detestable to you: everything in the seas or streams that does not have fins and scales.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of all the living creatures that are in the waters, they are an abomination unto you,
KJV
And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:
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This verse in Leviticus 11
Commentary
5 notes on this verseHence again, fish that do not have fins are forbidden from being eaten by the faithful people. For fish that have scale-fins are also accustomed to leap above the waters. What therefore is figured by finned fish except elect souls? These alone indeed pass into the body of the heavenly Church, who, supported by the fins of virtues, know how to leap through heavenly desire, so that they may reach toward things above through contemplation, although they fall back again into themselves from mortal flesh.
This site's exposition
These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters
on Leviticus 11:9-12
Water creatures get the shortest rule in the chapter and no names at all, only fins and scales. The wording also changes here. Land beasts were called unclean, while the creatures of the water are called an abomination, four times in three verses. The chapter makes that difference in grade and gives no ground for it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And all that have not fins nor scales in the seas, and in the rivers,....
The ancients accounted fish the most delicate food (so far were they from allowing it on fasting-days, or making it an instance of mortification to eat fish); therefore God did not lay much restraint upon his people in them; for he is a Master that allows his servants not only for necessity but for delight.
Thus God's spiritual Israel, as they are dignified above others by the gospel-covenant of adoption and friendship, so they must be mortified more than others by the gospel-commands of self-denial and bearing the cross.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
“This includes [in the category of forbidden food] yavchushin which have been filtered [through water]. Yavchushin are insects called mousclions. In our Rashi: moucherons. — A native of France, Rashi explained many Scriptural and Talmudic terms in the French language of his times.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכֹל֩ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אֵֽין־ | ʾein- | not | H369 → | 789 times |
| ל֜וֹ | lo | [belong] to <the> it | ||
| סְנַפִּ֣יר | senapir | fin | H5579 → | 5 times |
| וְקַשְׂקֶ֗שֶׂת | vekaskeset | and scale | H7193 → | 8 times |
| בַּיַּמִּים֙ | baiyamim | in the seas | H3220 → | |
| וּבַנְּחָלִ֔ים | uvanechalim | and in the wadis | H5158 → | 141 times |
| מִכֹּל֙ | mikol | from every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שֶׁ֣רֶץ | sheretz | <the> swarming thing of | H8318 → | 15 times |
| הַמַּ֔יִם | hamayim | the waters | H4325 → | 581 times |
| וּמִכֹּ֛ל | umikol | and of every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| נֶ֥פֶשׁ | nefesh | creature | H5315 → | 754 times |
| הַחַיָּ֖ה | hachaiyah | <the> living | H2416 → | 498 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בַּמָּ֑יִם | bamayim | [is] in the waters | H4325 → | 581 times |
| שֶׁ֥קֶץ | sheketz | [are] detestable thing[s] | H8263 → | 11 times |
| הֵ֖ם | hem | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| לָכֶֽם׃ | lakhem | to <the> you |
וְכֹל֩and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אֵֽין־not
ʾein-H369 →789 times
ל֜וֹ[belong] to <the> it
lo
סְנַפִּ֣ירfin
senapirH5579 →5 times
וְקַשְׂקֶ֗שֶׂתand scale
vekaskesetH7193 →8 times
בַּיַּמִּים֙in the seas
baiyamimH3220 →
וּבַנְּחָלִ֔יםand in the wadis
uvanechalimH5158 →141 times
מִכֹּל֙from every
mikolH3605 →5413 times
שֶׁ֣רֶץ<the> swarming thing of
sheretzH8318 →15 times
הַמַּ֔יִםthe waters
hamayimH4325 →581 times
וּמִכֹּ֛לand of every
umikolH3605 →5413 times
נֶ֥פֶשׁcreature
nefeshH5315 →754 times
הַחַיָּ֖ה<the> living
hachaiyahH2416 →498 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בַּמָּ֑יִם[is] in the waters
bamayimH4325 →581 times
שֶׁ֥קֶץ[are] detestable thing[s]
sheketzH8263 →11 times
הֵ֖םthey
hemH1992 →553 times
לָכֶֽם׃to <the> you
lakhem
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 13:20He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 15:33–34
Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
- Proverbs 15:31
He who listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise.
- Proverbs 9:6
Leave your folly behind, and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.”
- 2 Corinthians 6:14–18
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
- Psalms 119:63
I am a friend to all who fear You, and to those who keep Your precepts.
- 1 Corinthians 15:33–34
Through
Proverbs 29:27An unjust man is detestable to the righteous, and one whose way is upright is detestable to the wicked.
it leads to
- 1 John 3:13
So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.
- 1 John 3:13
Through
Deuteronomy 14:3You must not eat any detestable thing.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 4:14
“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have not eaten anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts. No unclean meat has ever entered my…
- Ezekiel 4:14
Through
Leviticus 7:18If any of the meat from his peace offering is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted. It will not be credited to the one who presented it; it shall be…
it leads to
- Leviticus 19:7–8
If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is tainted and will not be accepted.
- Leviticus 19:7–8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Leviticus
This page draws on Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 31; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.