Leviticus 20:25
in Leviticus 20You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Ye shall therefore make a distinction between the clean beast and the unclean, and between the unclean fowl and the clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by bird, or by anything wherewith the ground teemeth, which I have separated from you as unclean.
KJV
Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.
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This verse in Leviticus 20
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals
on Leviticus 20:25-26
The clean and unclean list of chapter 11 returns here with a stated purpose, which is separation. The one reason Leviticus gives closes verse 26: "I have set you apart from the nations to be My own".
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean,....
This is holiness, to discern between things that differ, not to live at large, as if we might say and do any thing, but to speak and act with caution.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Between clean beasts and unclean - See the notes on Leviticus 11 (note).
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהִבְדַּלְתֶּ֞ם | vehivdaltem | and you will separate | H914 → | 42 times |
| בֵּֽין־ | bein- | between | H996 → | 407 times |
| הַבְּהֵמָ֤ה | habehemah | the animal[s] | H929 → | 190 times |
| הַטְּהֹרָה֙ | hatehorah | <the> pure | H2889 → | 94 times |
| לַטְּמֵאָ֔ה | latemeah | and <the> unclean | H2931 → | 88 times |
| וּבֵין־ | uvein- | and between | H996 → | 407 times |
| הָע֥וֹף | haof | the bird[s] | H5775 → | 71 times |
| הַטָּמֵ֖א | hatame' | <the> unclean | H2931 → | 88 times |
| לַטָּהֹ֑ר | latahor | and <the> pure | H2889 → | 94 times |
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תְשַׁקְּצ֨וּ | teshaketzu | you will make detestable | H8262 → | 7 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| נַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶ֜ם | nafshoteikhem | selves your | H5315 → | 754 times |
| בַּבְּהֵמָ֣ה | babehemah | by <the> animal[s] | H929 → | 190 times |
| וּבָע֗וֹף | uvaof | and by <the> bird[s] | H5775 → | 71 times |
| וּבְכֹל֙ | uvekhol | and by all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תִּרְמֹ֣שׂ | tirmos | it creeps | H7430 → | 17 times |
| הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה | haadamah | the ground | H127 → | |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הִבְדַּ֥לְתִּי | hivdalti | I have separated | H914 → | 42 times |
| לָכֶ֖ם | lakhem | for <the> you | ||
| לְטַמֵּֽא׃ | letame' | to declare unclean | H2930 → | 162 times |
וְהִבְדַּלְתֶּ֞םand you will separate
vehivdaltemH914 →42 times
בֵּֽין־between
bein-H996 →407 times
הַבְּהֵמָ֤הthe animal[s]
habehemahH929 →190 times
הַטְּהֹרָה֙<the> pure
hatehorahH2889 →94 times
לַטְּמֵאָ֔הand <the> unclean
latemeahH2931 →88 times
וּבֵין־and between
uvein-H996 →407 times
הָע֥וֹףthe bird[s]
haofH5775 →71 times
הַטָּמֵ֖א<the> unclean
hatame'H2931 →88 times
לַטָּהֹ֑רand <the> pure
latahorH2889 →94 times
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
תְשַׁקְּצ֨וּyou will make detestable
teshaketzuH8262 →7 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
נַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶ֜םselves your
nafshoteikhemH5315 →754 times
בַּבְּהֵמָ֣הby <the> animal[s]
babehemahH929 →190 times
וּבָע֗וֹףand by <the> bird[s]
uvaofH5775 →71 times
וּבְכֹל֙and by all
uvekholH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
תִּרְמֹ֣שׂit creeps
tirmosH7430 →17 times
הָֽאֲדָמָ֔הthe ground
haadamahH127 →
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
הִבְדַּ֥לְתִּיI have separated
hivdaltiH914 →42 times
לָכֶ֖םfor <the> you
lakhem
לְטַמֵּֽא׃to declare unclean
letame'H2930 →162 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
Acts 10:28He said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure…
it leads to
- John 4:9
“You are a Jew,” said the woman. “How can You ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
- Ephesians 3:6–7
This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.
- Galatians 2:12–14
For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in the circumcision group.
- John 18:28
Then they led Jesus away from Caiaphas into the Praetorium. By now it was early morning, and the Jews did not enter the Praetorium, to avoid being defiled and unable to eat the Passover.
- John 4:27
Just then His disciples returned and were surprised that He was speaking with a woman. But no one asked Him, “What do You want from her?” or “Why are You talking with her?”
- John 4:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Leviticus

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
