Leviticus 11:5

"“‘Nevertheless these you shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those who part the hoof: the camel, because it chews the cud but doesn’t have a parted hoof, is unclean to you."

Key Reflection

Leviticus 11:5 emphasizes the dietary laws set by God for the Israelites, distinguishing between clean and unclean animals based on specific physical characteristics. The camel, despite chewing the cud (a characteristic that makes it ritually clean), is declared unclean due to its lack of a completely divided hoof. This distinction highlights the meticulous nature of these laws, emphasizing both physiological features and their symbolic importance in maintaining ritual purity within the community.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

The coney -The Old English name for a rabbit. The animal meant is the Hyrax Syriacus. It bears some resemblance to the guinea-pig or the marmot, and in its general appearance and habitsProverbs 30:26;Psalms 104:18, it might easily be taken for a rodent. But Cuvier discovered that it is, in its anatomy, a true pachyderm, allied to the rhinoceros and the tapir, inferior to them as it is in size. He cheweth the cud -The Hyrax has the same habit as the hare, the rabbit, the guinea-pig, and some other rodents, of moving its jaws when it is at rest as if it were masticating.

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