Leviticus 11:18 — Word Study
WLCוְאֶת־ הַתִּנְשֶׁ֥מֶת וְאֶת־ הַקָּאָ֖ת וְאֶת־ הָרָחָֽם׃
BSAthe white owltanshemeth [swan, water-hen] the desert owlqâʼath [barn owl] the ospreyrâchâm [vulture, gier eagle]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| הַתִּנְשֶׁ֥מֶת | the barn owl | Particle, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| הַקָּאָ֖ת | the desert owl | Particle, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| הָרָחָֽם׃ | the Egyptian vulture | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, |
| KJV | And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle, |
| ASV | and the horned owl, and the pelican, and the vulture, |
| YLT | and the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle, |
| WEB | the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, |
| BBE | And the water-hen and the pelican and the vulture; |
Where they part company is in the specific names of the birds, particularly תִּנְשֶׁ֥מֶת — see How Translations Differ.
The verse is structured as a list of noun phrases, each identifying a type of unclean bird.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Leviticus 11:18
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Dietary Laws of Leviticusgenerated
Leviticus 11:18 details specific birds that are deemed unclean for consumption, as part of the broader dietary laws given to the Israelites. This verse is situated in a section that outlines various animals, birds, and insects that are permissible or forbidden for the people to eat, emphasizing the importance of ritual purity in their community.
Cross References
The Key Word — תִּנְשֶׁ֥מֶת, tin'shemetgenerated
The word תִּנְשֶׁ֥מֶת (tin'shemet) refers to a type of unclean bird, often translated as 'barn owl' or 'swan'. Its exact identification is uncertain, but it is linked to creatures that are considered unclean according to the Torah.
This word is a feminine singular noun, indicating a specific kind of bird. Its usage in this context highlights the categorization of animals that the Israelites were instructed to avoid.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main structure of the verse consists of a series of noun phrases that list the unclean birds. The finite verb is implied in the context of the dietary laws, which govern what is permissible to eat.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the specific birds being listed, with the conjunction וְאֶת־ (ve'et) serving as a marker to introduce each item in the enumeration.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates תִּנְשֶׁ֥מֶת as πορφυρίωνα, which suggests a specific identification of the bird that may differ from the Hebrew understanding. This choice indicates a possible narrowing of meaning in the Greek tradition.
The other birds listed are translated similarly, maintaining the classification of these creatures as unclean, which aligns with the intent of the original Hebrew text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Leviticus 11:18 names three birds that are considered unclean: the white owl, the desert owl, and the Egyptian vulture. These birds are part of the dietary laws that the Israelites were instructed to follow.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
An unclean bird is one that the Israelites were prohibited from eating, as outlined in the dietary laws.
These birds are singled out as part of God's instructions to Israel regarding what is permissible for consumption.
The dietary laws were specifically given to the Israelites and are not typically observed by Christians today.
Following these laws was a matter of obedience to God and maintaining ritual purity within the community.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn about God's standards for purity from these dietary laws?
- How do these laws reflect the cultural and religious practices of ancient Israel?
- In what ways can we apply the principles of obedience found in these laws to our lives today?
- What does the classification of clean and unclean animals teach us about God's holiness?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Leviticus 11:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd the swan,.... This is a bird well known to us, but it is a question whether it is intended by the word here used; for though it is so rendered in the Vulgate Latin, it is differently rendered by
Read John Gill on Leviticus 11 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, These are they ... abomination among the fowls.
Read Robert Jamieson on Leviticus 11 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsLeviticus 11:18 And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,Ver. 18. And the swan.] Whose white feathers, but black skin under them, might serve to set forth the hatefulness of hypocrisy.
Read John Trapp on Leviticus 11 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(18) And the swan.—The word here translated “swan,” which, besides the parallel list in Deut., also occurs in Leviticus 11:30, among the names of the lizards, denotes, according to tradition, another variety of the owl. Whatever difficulty there may be about the true import of the word, it is certainly not the swan. It has, however, also been translated “ibis,” “bat,” “purple water-hen,” “heron,” “pelican,” and “goose.” And the pelican.—The pelican is one of the largest and most voracious of the web-footed birds. It fills its capacious pouch with fish almost to suffocation, which it disgorges either for its own future consumption, or for the nourishment of its young, by pressing the under…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Leviticus 11 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 18. The swan] תנשמת tinshemeth. The Septuagint translate the word by πορφυριωνα, the porphyrion, purple or scarlet bird. Could we depend on this translation, we might suppose the flamingo or some such bird to be intended. Some suppose the goose to be meant, but this is by no means likely, as it cannot be classed either among ravenous or unclean fowls. Bochart thinks the owl is meant. The pelican] קאת kaath. As קאת kaah signifies to vomit up, the name is supposed to be descriptive of the pelican, who receives its food into the pouch under its lower jaw, and, by pressing it on its breast with its bill, throws it up for the nourishment of its young. Hence the fable which represents the…
Read AdamClarke on Leviticus 11 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges18. the horned owl] (swan A.V. and R.V. mg.) another kind of owl. The Heb. root (also used in Leviticus 11:30 for the chameleon [mole A.V.]) suggests a bird that makes a snorting sound, or breathes hard. The LXX. trans. πορφυρίων. Tristram (Nat. Hist. of the Bible, p. 249) and Driver (Deut. in loc.) ‘the water hen.’ the pelican] In the lists and Psalms 102:6 [Hebrews 7] (‘a pelican of the wilderness’); Isaiah 34:11; Zephaniah 2:14 (cormorant A. V.) it is used of a bird inhabiting desolate places. the vulture] (the gier-eagle A.V.) It is distinguished by zoologists as vultur percnopterus. The cormorant follows in Deut. at the close of Lev 14:17.
Read Cambridge on Leviticus 11 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible18. The swan — Hebrew tinshemeth. It is found only in the two catalogues. The Samaritan version sustains the Seventy in rendering it πορφυριων, Vulgate, porphyrio ibis, the purple water-hen.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Leviticus 11 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey,
the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey,
the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey,
the white owl, the scops owl, the osprey,
Tyndale line
And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,
and the horned owl, and the pelican, and the vulture,
and the horned owl, and the pelican, and the vulture;
And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier-eagle,
Also the redshanke and the pelicane, and the swanne:
Strictly literal
and the swan, and the pelican, and the carrion vulture,
and the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,
and the waterhen, and the pelican, and the Egyptian vulture,
And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier-eagle,
the white owl and the barn owl, the osprey,
From the Latin
And the swan, and the bittern, and the porphyrion,
Simplified
barn owl, desert owl, Egyptian vulture,
And the water-hen and the pelican and the vulture;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text lists the same birds, while the Samaritan Pentateuch differs slightly by using the word רחמה instead of רָחָם for the vulture. The Dead Sea Scrolls also reflect a similar structure but include some editorial restorations.
וְאֶת־ הַתִּנְשֶׁ֥מֶת וְאֶת־ הַקָּאָ֖ת וְאֶת־ הָרָחָֽם׃
3 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ואת התנשׁמת ואת הקאת ואת הרחמה
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: רחמה (vulture)
[ואת] [התנשמת] [ואת] הקאת ואת [הרחם]
2 words on the leather — 4 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Leviticus 11:18
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
תִּנְשֶׁ֫מֶת (tanshemeth) refers to an unclean animal, specifically a bird and a lizard, with possible identifications including the ibis, water-hen, and chameleon. The exact meaning remains uncertain, as it may also refer to an extinct species. The term is derived from a root meaning 'hard breather' and reflects the characteristics of these creatures.
תִּנְשֶׁ֫מֶת n.f. an animal
unclean bird, the ibis, water-hen
unclean, lizard, or chameleon
base
H8580 תִּנְשֶׁ֫מֶת an animal . unclean bird, the ibis, water-hen
. unclean, lizard, or chameleon
8580 tanshemeth tan-sheh'-meth
from 5395; properly, a hard breather, i.e. the name of two
unclean creatures, a lizard and a bird (both perhaps from
changing color through their irascibility), probably the
tree-toad and the water-hen:--mole, swan.
see HEBREW for 05395
תִּנְשֶׁ֫מֶת (tan.she.met) — chameleon.
1) an unclean animal of some kind
1a) an unclean bird
1a1) perhaps the ibis, water-hen, species of owl, barn owl
1b) an unclean lizard
1b1) perhaps the chameleon
1c) perhaps an extinct lizard or bird, exact meaning unknown
Art | N-fs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absoluteHTd/Ncfsa
oul (bath ha-ya`anah; Latin Ulula): The name of every nocturnal bird of prey of the Natural Order Striges. These birds range from the great horned owl of 2 feet in length, through many subdivisions to the little screech-owl of 5 inches. All are characterized by very large heads, many have ear tufts, all have large eyes surrounded by a disk of tiny, stiff, radiating feathers. The remainder of the plumage has no aftershaft. So these birds make the softest flight of any creature traveling on wing. A volume could be written on the eye of the owl, perhaps its most wonderful feature being in the power of the bird to enlarge the iris if it wishes more distinct vision. There is material for another on the prominent and peculiar auditory parts. With almost all owls the feet are so arranged that two toes can be turned forward and two back, thus reinforcing the grip of the bird by an extra toe and…
Owl
(1.) Heb. bath-haya’anah, “daughter of greediness” or of “shouting.” In the list of unclean birds (Lev. 11:16; Deut. 14:15); also mentioned in Job 30:29; Isa. 13:21; 34:13; 43:20; Jer. 50:39; Micah 1:8. In all these passages the Revised Version translates “ostrich” (q.v.), which is the correct rendering.
(2.) Heb. yanshuph, rendered “great owl” in Lev. 11:17; Deut. 14:16, and “owl” in Isa.…
A number of species of the owl are mentioned in the Bible, (Leviticus 11:17; 14:16; Isaiah 14:23; 34:15; Zephaniah 2:14) and in several other places the same Hebrew word is used where it is translated ostrich. (Job 30:29; Jeremiah 50:39) Some of these species were common in Palestine, and, as is well known, were often found inhabiting ruins. (Isaiah 34:11,13-15)
A night bird of prey, unfit for food. Several species are found in Palestine, and are mentioned in the Bible; as in Le 11:17 De 14:16 Isa 14:23 34:15 Zep 2:14. One of the words, however, translated "owl," probably means "OSTRICH," (which see;) and another, Le 11:17 De 14:16 Isa 34:11, the ibis or night heron.
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
קָאַת (qa'ath) refers to a bird, commonly identified as a pelican, though some sources suggest it may also refer to a cormorant or an extinct bird. The term is considered ceremonially unclean, with its precise meaning remaining uncertain.
קָאַת, קָאָת n.[f.] a bird, usu. pelican
base
H6893 קָאַת, קָאָת a bird, usu. pelican
6893 qa'ath kaw-ath'
from 6958; probably the pelican (from vomiting):--cormorant.
see HEBREW for 06958
קָאַת (qa.at) — pelican.
1) a ceremonially unclean bird
1a) perhaps pelican or cormorant
1b) perhaps an extinct bird, exact meaning unknown
Art | N-fs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absoluteHTd/Ncfsa
oul (bath ha-ya`anah; Latin Ulula): The name of every nocturnal bird of prey of the Natural Order Striges. These birds range from the great horned owl of 2 feet in length, through many subdivisions to the little screech-owl of 5 inches. All are characterized by very large heads, many have ear tufts, all have large eyes surrounded by a disk of tiny, stiff, radiating feathers. The remainder of the plumage has no aftershaft. So these birds make the softest flight of any creature traveling on wing. A volume could be written on the eye of the owl, perhaps its most wonderful feature being in the power of the bird to enlarge the iris if it wishes more distinct vision. There is material for another on the prominent and peculiar auditory parts. With almost all owls the feet are so arranged that two toes can be turned forward and two back, thus reinforcing the grip of the bird by an extra toe and…
Owl
(1.) Heb. bath-haya’anah, “daughter of greediness” or of “shouting.” In the list of unclean birds (Lev. 11:16; Deut. 14:15); also mentioned in Job 30:29; Isa. 13:21; 34:13; 43:20; Jer. 50:39; Micah 1:8. In all these passages the Revised Version translates “ostrich” (q.v.), which is the correct rendering.
(2.) Heb. yanshuph, rendered “great owl” in Lev. 11:17; Deut. 14:16, and “owl” in Isa.…
A number of species of the owl are mentioned in the Bible, (Leviticus 11:17; 14:16; Isaiah 14:23; 34:15; Zephaniah 2:14) and in several other places the same Hebrew word is used where it is translated ostrich. (Job 30:29; Jeremiah 50:39) Some of these species were common in Palestine, and, as is well known, were often found inhabiting ruins. (Isaiah 34:11,13-15)
A night bird of prey, unfit for food. Several species are found in Palestine, and are mentioned in the Bible; as in Le 11:17 De 14:16 Isa 14:23 34:15 Zep 2:14. One of the words, however, translated "owl," probably means "OSTRICH," (which see;) and another, Le 11:17 De 14:16 Isa 34:11, the ibis or night heron.
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
רָחָם (racham) refers to a type of vulture, specifically a carrion-vulture, with some sources suggesting it may be an extinct species. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to be tender,' possibly indicating a nurturing behavior towards its young.
רָחָם n.[m.] carrion-vulture
base
H7360 רָחָם carrion-vulture
7360 racham raw-khawm'
or (feminine) rachamah {raw-khaw-maw'}; from 7355; a kind of
vulture (supposed to be tender towards its young):--gier-
eagle.
see HEBREW for 07355
רָחָם (ra.cham) — carrion.
1) carrion vulture
1a) perhaps an extinct bird, exact meaning unknown
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
vul'-tur (da'ah; Septuagint gups, and iktinos; Latin Vulturidae): Any member of a family of large birds that subsist wholly or in part on carrion. The largest vulture of Palestine was the Lammer-geier. This bird waited until smaller vultures, eagles and hawks stripped a carcass to the bone, then carried the skeleton aloft and dashed it on the rocks until the marrow could be secured. This was a favorite delicacy. This bird was fond of tortoise also, and is said to have dropped the one that struck the bald head of Aeschylus, which the bird mistook for a stone, so causing the death of the poet. Several smaller species, including "Pharaoh's chickens," flocked all over Palestine. These were protected by a death penalty for their value as scavengers in cities. They fed on carcasses of animals that killed each other, ate putrid fish under the nests of pelican and cormorant, followed caravans…
Vulture
(1.) Heb. da’ah (Lev. 11:14). In the parallel passage (Deut. 14:13) the Hebrew word used is ra’ah, rendered “glede;” LXX., “gups;” Vulg., “milvus.” A species of ravenous bird, distinguished for its rapid flight. “When used without the epithet ‘red,’ the name is commonly confined to the black kite. The habits of the bird bear out the allusion in Isa. 34:15, for it is, excepting during the winter three months, so numerous everywhere in Palestine as to be almost gregarious.” (See EAGLE.)
(2.) In Job 28:7 the Heb. ‘ayyah is thus rendered. The word denotes a clamorous and a keen-sighted bird of prey. In
The rendering in the Authorized Version of the Hebrew daah, dayyah , and also in (Job 28:7) of ayyah . There seems no doubt that the Authorized Versions translation is incorrect, and that the original words refer to some of the smaller species of raptorial birds, as kites or buzzards. [KITE] But the Hebrew word nesher , invariably rendered "eagle" in the Authorized Version, is probably the vulture. [EAGLE]
A large bird of prey, belonging to the genus hawks, and including a great many species. It is pronounced unclean by Moses, Le 11:14 De 14:13. See BIRDS. The vulture has a naked or downy head, a bare neck and long wings, and is disgusting to every sense, especially to the smell. It is a carrion bird, though not exclusively, and has extraordinary powers of vision. Scarcely can an exhausted camel fall on it route and die, before numbers of these filthy scavengers show themselves in the distance, hastening to the spot, Job 28:7.