Leviticus 11:9
in Leviticus 11Of all the creatures that live in the water, whether in the seas or in the streams, you may eat anything with fins and scales.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
These may ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, that may ye eat.
KJV
These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
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This verse in Leviticus 11
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Any fish, either from salt water or fresh, might be eaten if it had both scales and fins. but no other creature that lives in the waters. Shellfish of all kinds, whether mollusks or crustaceans, and cetaceous animals, were therefore prohibited, as well as fish which appear to have no scales, like the eel; probably because they were considered unwholesome, and (under certain circumstances) found to be so.
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
Fins and scales - Both of them; such fishes being more cleanly, and more wholesome food than others. The names of them are not particularly mentioned, partly because most of them wanted names, the fish not being brought to Adam and named by him as other creatures were; and partly because the land of Canaan had not many rivers, nor great store of fish.
These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters,....
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.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
These shall ye eat . . . whatsoever hath fins and scales--"The fins and scales are the means by which the excrescences of fish are carried off, the same as in animals by perspiration.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Whatsoever hath fins and scales - Because these, of all the fish tribe, are the most nourishing; the others which are without scales, or whose bodies are covered with a thick glutinous matter, being in general very difficult of digestion.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| זֶה֙ | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| תֹּֽאכְל֔וּ | tokhelu | you will eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| מִכֹּ֖ל | mikol | from all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בַּמָּ֑יִם | bamayim | [is] in the waters | H4325 → | 581 times |
| כֹּ֣ל | kol | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לוֹ֩ | lo | [belong] to <the> it | ||
| סְנַפִּ֨יר | senapir | fin | H5579 → | 5 times |
| וְקַשְׂקֶ֜שֶׂת | vekaskeset | and scale | H7193 → | 8 times |
| בַּמַּ֗יִם | bamayim | in the waters | H4325 → | 581 times |
| בַּיַּמִּ֛ים | baiyamim | in the seas | H3220 → | |
| וּבַנְּחָלִ֖ים | uvanechalim | and in the wadis | H5158 → | 141 times |
| אֹתָ֥ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| תֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃ | tokhelu | you will eat | H398 → | 810 times |
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
זֶה֙this
zehH2088 →1180 times
תֹּֽאכְל֔וּyou will eat
tokheluH398 →810 times
מִכֹּ֖לfrom all
mikolH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בַּמָּ֑יִם[is] in the waters
bamayimH4325 →581 times
כֹּ֣לall
kolH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁר־that
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
לוֹ֩[belong] to <the> it
lo
סְנַפִּ֨ירfin
senapirH5579 →5 times
וְקַשְׂקֶ֜שֶׂתand scale
vekaskesetH7193 →8 times
בַּמַּ֗יִםin the waters
bamayimH4325 →581 times
בַּיַּמִּ֛יםin the seas
baiyamimH3220 →
וּבַנְּחָלִ֖יםand in the wadis
uvanechalimH5158 →141 times
אֹתָ֥ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
תֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃you will eat
tokheluH398 →810 times
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
Galatians 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.
it leads to
- Galatians 6:15
For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation.
- 1 Corinthians 7:19
Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commandments is what counts.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:3
and continually recalling before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
- James 2:14–26
What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
- 1 John 3:14–20
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.
- Galatians 6:15
Through
James 2:18But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
it leads to
- James 3:13
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
- James 2:14
What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
- 1 Timothy 1:5
The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.
- James 3:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.