Leviticus 11:19 — Word Study
WLCוְאֵת֙ הַחֲסִידָ֔ה הָאֲנָפָ֖ה לְמִינָ֑הּ וְאֶת־ הַדּוּכִיפַ֖ת וְאֶת־ הָעֲטַלֵּֽף׃
BSAthe storkchăçîydâh any kindmîyn of heronʼănâphâh [possibly a heron, considered impure] the hoopoedûwkîyphath [or lapwing, an unclean bird] andʼêth the batʻăṭallêph [a small flying mammal, considered unclean]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאֵת֙ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| הַחֲסִידָ֔ה | the stork | Particle, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| הָאֲנָפָ֖ה | the heron | Particle, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| לְמִינָ֑הּ | to kind its | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| הַדּוּכִיפַ֖ת | the hoopoe | Particle, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| הָעֲטַלֵּֽף׃ | the bat | 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 stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat. |
| KJV | And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat. |
| ASV | and the stork, the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat. |
| YLT | and the stork, the heron after its kind, and the lapwing, and the bat. |
| WEB | the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat. |
| BBE | The stork and the heron, and birds of that sort, and the hoopoe and the bat. |
All translations agree on the identification of the stork, heron, hoopoe, and bat as unclean animals.
The verse consists of a single main clause listing the unclean animals.
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 11:19
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 Unclean Birdsgenerated
Leviticus 11:19 lists specific birds and a mammal that are deemed unclean and not fit for consumption. This section serves to instruct the Israelites on dietary laws, emphasizing the importance of holiness in their daily lives. The mention of these creatures reflects the broader theme of purity and separation from what is deemed impure in the community.
Cross References
The Key Word — חֲסִידָה, ha.cha.si.Dahgenerated
The word חֲסִידָה (cha.siy.dah) refers specifically to the stork, a bird recognized for its nurturing behavior towards its young. This term is feminine and is derived from a root that signifies kindness or maternal care, highlighting the stork's notable loyalty.
In the context of Leviticus, the stork is classified as unclean, which is significant in the dietary laws presented to the Israelites. The juxtaposition of its nurturing qualities against its designation as unclean invites reflection on the complexities of purity laws.
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 clause of the verse presents a list of unclean creatures, structured around the finite verb that governs the entire sentence. The order of the nouns emphasizes the specific types of birds and the bat, leading with the stork.
The Hebrew construction allows for the inclusion of several nouns in a coordinated manner, highlighting each as part of the dietary laws. The use of the conjunction וְ (ve) connects these creatures, making it clear they are all included in the same category.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the word for stork is rendered as γλαῦκα which indicates a specific interpretation of the Hebrew term. This translation reflects a narrowing of the term's application, focusing on a particular type of bird.
The Greek word for hoopoe, ἔποπα, suggests a similar understanding of the creature, though the exact identification remains uncertain. The choice of words in the Septuagint may reflect cultural or regional understandings of these animals.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Leviticus 11:19 lists the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat as unclean animals that should not be eaten. This instruction is part of the laws given to the Israelites about what is considered pure and impure.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
These animals are classified as unclean based on the dietary laws given to the Israelites, which outline specific creatures that are not fit for consumption.
The stork is often noted for its maternal care, symbolizing devotion, but in this context, it is marked as unclean.
Yes, similar classifications of clean and unclean animals can be found in other parts of the Torah, such as in Deuteronomy.
The term 'kind' refers to the species or type of each bird, emphasizing the specific classifications that were important in the dietary laws.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn about the importance of dietary laws in the context of holiness?
- How does the classification of these creatures reflect the values of the community?
- In what ways do the characteristics of the stork challenge our understanding of purity?
- How can we apply the principles of separation and purity in our own lives today?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Leviticus 11:19 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd the stork,..... A bird of passage, Jeremiah 8:7 it has its name from kindness, which it exercises both to its dam, and to its young.
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 11:19 And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.Ver. 19. And the stork.] Which builds high, but feeds low on fishes, frogs, and snakes; and so might be the rather rejected as unfit for food. And the lapwing.] Which is worthily made a hieroglyphic of infelicity; because it hath as a coronet upon the head, and yet feeds upon the worst of excrements. It is pity that the saints, that are brought up in scarlet, should embrace the dunghill; that any one that is washed in Christ’ s blood, should bedabble his robe in the stinking puddle of the world. And the bat.] Cast away either thy wings or thy teeth, saith one to a neuter, and loathing this batlike nature…
Read John Trapp on Leviticus 11 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(19) And the stork.—Besides the parallel passage, Deuteronomy 14:18, the word (chasidah) here rendered “stork” also occurs in Job 39:13; Psalms 104:17; Jeremiah 8:7; Zechariah 5:9, and is so translated, except Job 39:13, where the Authorised Version has “wing” in the text and “stork” in the margin. Its name literally denotes in Hebrew “the pious,” “the kind,” and is so called because the ancients regarded it as a type of maternal and filial affection and tenderness. The mother has been known to prefer perishing with its offspring in the flames rather than desert them when its attempts to rescue them from a fire had failed. The white stork is one of the largest land birds. Its black and…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Leviticus 11 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 19. The stork] חסידה chasidah, from חסד chasad, which signifies to be abundant in kindness, or exuberant in acts of beneficence; hence applied to the stork, because of its affection to its young, and its kindness in tending and feeding its parents when old; facts attested by the best informed and most judicious of the Greek and Latin natural historians. See Bochart, Scheuchzer, and Parkhurst, under the word חסד chasad. It is remarkable for destroying and eating serpents, and on this account might be reckoned by Moses among unclean birds. The heron] אנפה anaphah. This word has been variously understood: some have rendered it the kite, others the woodcock, others the curlew, some the…
Read AdamClarke on Leviticus 11 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges19. the stork] In the two lists, and Psalms 104:17 (‘the fir trees are her house’); Jeremiah 8:7 (‘knoweth her appointed times,’ i.e. of migration), Zechariah 5:9†. The Heb. word means ‘pious’ or ‘merciful’ (referring to her tenderness towards her young). In the difficult passage, Job 39:13, either the stork is mentioned, or there is a play upon words with reference to her name, and a contrast between her and the ostrich seems indicated. See R.V. mg. and A.V. mg. the heron] Many kinds of heron are found both in Egypt and Palestine. The ibis R.V. mg. was a sacred bird to the Egyptians, and one variety of heron found in great numbers round Lake Huleh is called the white ibis. the hoopoe]…
Read Cambridge on Leviticus 11 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible19. The stork — Its Hebrew name, chasidah, signifies kindness, of which it has been in all ages the type.
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 stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.
the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.
the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.
the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.
Tyndale line
And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.
and the stork, the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.
and the stork, the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.
And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.
The storke also, the heron after his kinde, and the lapwing, and the backe:
Strictly literal
and the stork; the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.
and the stork, the heron after its kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.
and the stork, the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.
And the stork, the heron after his kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.
the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and also the bat.
From the Latin
The heron, and the charadrion according to its kind, the houp also, and the bat.
Simplified
storks and any kind of heron, hoopoe, and bats.
The stork and the heron, and birds of that sort, and the hoopoe and the bat.
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 is supported by the Septuagint in part, while the Samaritan Pentateuch presents a variation with the word for hoopoe as דגיפת, differing from the Masoretic Text's דּוּכִיפַת. The Dead Sea Scrolls partially align with the Masoretic Text but include a supplied word for the hoopoe.
וְאֵת֙ הַחֲסִידָ֔ה הָאֲנָפָ֖ה לְמִינָ֑הּ וְאֶת־ הַדּוּכִיפַ֖ת וְאֶת־ הָעֲטַלֵּֽף׃
4 of the 8 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 החסידה והאנפה למינה ואת הדגיפת ואת העטלף
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: דגיפת (hoopoe)
[ואת] [החסידה] [האנפה] [למינ׳ה] [ואת] [הדוכיפת] ואת [העטלף]
1 word on the leather — 7 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 11:19
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)
Conj | DirObjM — Conjunction · particleHC/To
חֲסִידָה (chaciydah) refers to a stork, noted for its kindness and affection towards its young. It is a feminine form derived from the root word for a kind or maternal bird. The entries consistently highlight its association with nurturing behavior.
חֲסִידָה n.f. stork (so called as kind and affectionate to its young)
base
H2624 חֲסִידָה stork (so called as kind and affectionate to its young)
2624 chaciydah khas-ee-daw'
feminine of 2623; the kind (maternal) bird, i.e. a stork:--X
feather, stork.
see HEBREW for 02623
חֲסִידָה (cha.si.dah) — stork.
stork
Art | N-fs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absoluteHTd/Ncfsa
stork (chacidhah; variously rendered in the Septuagint: Le 11:19, erodios; De 14:18, pelekan; Job 39:13, hasida (transliteration of Hebrew); Zec 5:9, (epops; Latin Ciconia alba): A large wading bird of the family Ardeidae, related to crane, ibis, heron and bittern. The stork on wing is a bird of exquisite beauty. The primary, secondary and a few of the tertiary wing feathers are black, the remainder, also the head, neck, and back and under parts white, the bill and legs red. When a perching white bird suddenly unfolds these wonderful wings, having at times a sweep of 7 ft., and sails away, it makes a very imposing picture. Zechariah in a vision saw a woman having the wings…
Stork
Heb. hasidah, meaning “kindness,” indicating thus the character of the bird, which is noted for its affection for its young. It is in the list of birds forbidden to be eaten by the Levitical law (Lev. 11:19; Deut. 14:18). It is like the crane, but larger in size. Two species are found in Palestine, the white, which are dispersed in pairs over the whole country; and the black, which live in marshy places and in great flocks. They migrate to Palestine periodically (about the 22nd of March). Jeremiah alludes to this (Jer. 8:7). At the appointed time they return with unerring sagacity to their old haunts, and re-occupy their old nests. “There is a well-authenticated account of the devotion of a stork which, at the burning of…
(Heb. chasidah), a large bird of passage of the heron family. The of the largest and most conspicuous of land birds, standing nearly four feet high, the jet black of its wings and its bright red beak and legs contrasting finely with the pure white of its plumage. (Zechariah 6:9) In the neighborhood of man it devours readily all kinds of offal and garbage. For this reason, doubtless it is placed in the list of unclean birds by the Mosaic law. (Leviticus 11:19; 14:18) The range of the white stork extends over the whole of Europe, except the British isles, where it is now a rare visitant, and over northern Africa and Asia as far at least as Burmah. The black stork (Ciconia nigra , Linn.), though less abundant in places, is scarcely less widely distributed, but has a more easterly…
Its Hebrew name signifies kindness or mercy, and its Greek name natural affection, probably because of the tenderness which it is said to manifest towards its parents-never, as is reported, forsaking them, but feeding and defending them in their decrepitude. In modern times, parent storks are known to have perished in the effort to rescue their young from flames; and it has been a popular, but perhaps ill-founded opinion, that in their migratory flights, the leader of the flock when fatigued is partially supported by others as he falls into the rear. In Jer 8:7, allusion is made to the unerring instinct of the stork as a bird of passage, and perhaps to its lofty flight: "the stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times." Moses places it among unclean birds, Le 11:19
אֲנָפָה (anaphah) refers to an unclean bird, possibly a heron or parrot, noted for its irascibility. The word is derived from another term, אֲנָפָה is primarily associated with the classification of birds in the Old Testament.
אֲנָפָה n.f. an unclean bird
base
H601 אֲנָפָה an unclean bird
601 'anaphah an-aw-faw'
from 599; an unclean bird, perhaps the parrot (from its
irascibility):--heron.
see HEBREW for 0599
אֲנָפָה (a.na.phah) — heron.
1) an unclean bird
1a) perhaps an heron
Art | N-fs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absoluteHTd/Ncfsa
her'-un ('anaphah; charadrios; Latin Ardea cinerea): Herons are mentioned only in the abomination lists of Le 11:19 (margin "ibis") and De 14:18. They are near relatives of crane, stork, ibis and bittern. These birds, blue, white or brown, swarmed in Europe and wintered around Merom, along the Jordan, at the headwaters of the Jabbok and along its marshy bed in the dry season. Herons of Southern Africa that summered in the Holy Land loved to nest on the banks of Merom, and raise their young among the bulrushes, papyrus, reeds and water grasses, although it is their usual habit to build in large trees. The white herons were small, the blue, larger, and the brown, close to the same size. The blue were 3 1/2 ft. in length, and had a 5-ft. sweep. The beak, neck and legs constituted…
Heron
(Lev. 11:19; Deut. 14:18), ranked among the unclean birds. The Hebrew name is ’anaphah, and indicates that the bird so named is remarkable for its angry disposition. “The herons are wading-birds, peculiarly irritable, remarkable for their voracity, frequenting marshes and oozy rivers, and spread over the regions of the East.” The Ardea russeta, or little golden egret, is the commonest species in Asia.
(Leviticus 11:19; 14:18) a common large, wading, unclean bird. Nearly all of the species known in English ornithology are found in the vicinity of Palestine. Canon Cook and others think the bird intended is the plover (Charadrius aedicnemus), a greedy, thick kneed, high-flying migratory bird, very common in the East, on the banks of rivers and shores of lakes. --ED.
מִין (miyn) means 'kind' or 'species,' primarily referring to types or categories, often in relation to animals. It is derived from a root meaning to portion out. The term is consistently used across lexicons without significant disagreement.
[מִין] n.[m.] kind, species
base
H4327 מִין kind, species
4327 miyn meen
from an unused root meaning to portion out; a sort, i.e.
species:--kind. Compare 4480.
see HEBREW for 04480
מִין (min) — kind.
kind, sometimes a species (usually of animals)
Prep | N-ms | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncmsc/Sp3fs
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
דּוּכִיפַת (duwkiyphath) refers to an unclean bird, likely the hoopoe or possibly the grouse. The entries suggest uncertainty about its exact identification, but they consistently highlight its status as an unclean bird.
דּוּכִיפַת n.f. an unclean bird, perh. hoopoe
base
H1744 דּוּכִיפַת an unclean bird, perh. hoopoe
1744 duwkiyphath doo-kee-fath'
of uncertain derivation; the hoopoe or else the
grouse:--lapwing.
דּוּכִיפַת (du.khi.phat) — hoopoe.
unclean bird (probably hoopoe)
Art | N-fs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absoluteHTd/Ncfsa
hoo'-po; -poo (dukhiphath; epops; Latin Upupa epops): One of the peculiar and famous birds of Palestine, having a curved bill and beautiful plumage. It is about the size of a thrush. Its back is a rich cinnamon color, its head golden buff with a crest of feathers of gold, banded with white and tipped with black, that gradually lengthen as they cover the head until, when folded, they lie in lines of black and white, and, when erect, each feather shows its exquisite marking. Its wings and tail are black banded with white and buff. It nests in holes and hollow trees. All ornithologists agree that it is a "nasty, filthy bird" in its feeding and breeding habits. The nest, being paid no attention by the elders, soon becomes soiled and evil smelling. The bird is mentioned only in the lists of abomination (Le 11:19; and
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
The Hebrew word עֲטַלֵּף (*'atalleph*) means 'bat.' Its derivation is uncertain, and it is consistently defined across lexicons as referring to the animal. There are no significant disagreements among the entries.
עֲטַלֵּף n.[m.] bat
base
H5847 עֲטַלֵּף bat
5847 `atalleph at-al-lafe'
of uncertain derivation; a bat:--bat.
עֲטַלֵּף (a.tal.leph) — bat.
bat
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
(`aTaleph; Le 11:19; De 14:18; Isa 2:20): Bats are the most widely distributed of mammals, reaching even the oceanic islands, and modern science has revealed the existence of an astonishing number of species, nearly twenty being recorded from Palestine. These include both fruit-eating and insect-eating bats, the latter being the smaller. It has not always been realized that they are mammals, and so it is not surprising that they should be mentioned at the end of the list of unclean birds in Le 11:19 and De 14:18. It may, however, be significant that they are at the end of the list and not in the middle of it. The…
Bat
The Hebrew word (atalleph’) so rendered (Lev. 11:19; Deut. 14:18) implies “flying in the dark.” The bat is reckoned among the birds in the list of unclean animals. To cast idols to the “moles and to the bats” means to carry them into dark caverns or desolate places to which these animals resort (Isa. 2:20), i.e., to consign them to desolation or ruin.
(Leviticus 11:19; 14:18) Many travellers have noticed the immense numbers of bats that are found in caverns in the East, and Mr. Layard said that on the occasion of a visit to a cavern these noisome beasts compelled him to retreat.