Leviticus 11

Leviticus 11:1

UNto Moses and Aaron] The Civill and Ecclesiasticall Governours, are both to have a care that the Ordinances of God be observed. See Ezekiel 44:23. & Numbers 9:6.

Leviticus 11:2

These are the beasts] This difference of cleane and uncleane beasts was revealed to the Fathers from the beginning. See Annot. on Genesis 7:2.

Leviticus 11:3

parteth the hoofe] He noteth foure sorts of beasts; some chew the cud, and some have onely the foote cleft; others neither chew the cud, nor have the hoofe cleft; the fourth both cheweth the cud, and hath the hoofe divided; of which last sort onely, they were to take their food of flesh.

Leviticus 11:4

divideth not the hoofe] The dividing of the hoofe is to be understood of a dividing into two parts, as in the hoofe of a Cow, or a Sheepe; not a subdividing into many parts, as in the case of a Cony: see vers. 26. & Deuteronomy 14:6.

Leviticus 11:5

Cony] The Originall word Shapha, is a generall name of fearefull creatures, which runne away and hide themselves in holes from the light and societie of man; most take it for a Cony, which hath its hiding place in the rocks, Proverbs 30:26. Psalms 104:18. but some take it for a creature in Palestine about as big as an Hedge-hogge, but made partly like a Mouse, partly like a Beare, that hides it selfe in holes as Conies doe.

Leviticus 11:8

not touch] This prohibition requires a great estrangement from all pollution, which is morally to be observed at all times, Esa. 52. 11. though under the Gospel such Ceremonies be abolished, Col. 2. 20. 21.

Leviticus 11:9

sinnes and scales] Finnes and scales in fishes, answer to wings and feathers in birds; so they are more in motion and action, and are therefore wholesomer then Eeles and Lampreys, which having neither, lie lazily in the mud.

Leviticus 11:10

that move] As little fish ingendered of the slime.

living thing] As they which come of generation.

Leviticus 11:13

Ossifrage] Some take the Ossifrage to be a Griffin, which is a bird of an Eagles kind, but bigger then an ordinary Eagle, and is very strong and ravenous, having a very crooked beake and talons, whereby it is able to take up the lesser sort of living creatures, and by dashing them downe to breake their bones; for which cause it is called an Ossifrage, which signifieth a bone-breaker: and not onely so, but, as some report, some of the Eagles kind are found so great and strong, that they can carry a whole Oxe or horse at once to their neast, to feed their young; yea and take up an Elephant into the aire, and when they have killed him, by letting him fall to the earth, they devoure him.

Ospray] Some take the Ospray for the same thing with the Ossifrage; as if it were a changing of the word Osbreake into Ospray. The name of it in Greeke, signifieth a Sea-Eagle, which is a bird of great bignesse, and of sharpe sight, whereby discerning the pry in the water, he suddenly striketh at it and seiseth on it, Plin. lib. 10. ch. 3.

Leviticus 11:16

Owle] The word is rendered by some, an Ostrich, which is a great bird of so heavy a body, that her wings will not beare her up in the ayre, and so they serve not for flying, though for flight or running fast on foote; the Hebrew is Daughter of the Owle: whereby the mother is not permitted to be eaten, but the rather prohibited; because the old is not so easily digested as the young.

the Night-bauke] That is, the Night-raven, which seeth to take his prey in the night: these Night-birds might be the rather forbidden, to mind Gods people to avoid deeds of darknesse, and to walke as children of light, Ephesians 5:11.

Leviticus 11:17

Cormorant] A bird which by diving into the water (as the name in Latine signifieth) taketh fishes; the Vulgar Translation renders the Originall word Shalach by the word This, which signifieth an Egyptian bird somewhat high with stiffe legges, and a long bill, which doth good service in that Countrey by killing the Serpents brought out of Lybia with Southerne windes, against which the Egyptians make their prayers unto Ibis for preservation from them, Plin. lib. 10. chap. 28.

Leviticus 11:18

Gier-Eagle] Though it may not be for food to the body, it may be of use for instruction to the minde; for according to the Originall, the name Rahham, signifieth tender love of the damme to the young.

Leviticus 11:19

Storke] The nature of the Storke (as the name Hhafidhah importeth) is, on the contrary, to be kinde to its damme, and it is noted to build high, Psalms 104:17. and to feed low on fishes, snakes, and frogges; for which cause it may be the rather rejected as unfit for food.

Leviticus 11:20

All fowles that creepe] As fowles they should flye; but creeping basely on the ground, they may note the ambiguous, and earthly-minded disposition of worldly men.

upon all foure] Some things that flye have foure feete; some have more, as hornets, bees, flies; and those that have more feet then two, have no fewer then foure; and those that have more then two are excluded from use of meat (as uncleane), when they who have foure are mentioned in the prohibition of meats. See vers. 42.

Leviticus 11:22

Locust] The Locust is of divers kinds, and of them the Grashopper is one, so that some for Grashopper read Locust; one sort of them is called Ophiomachus, of making warre with Serpents, whereof Aristotle maketh mention, de hist. Animal. 50: 9. 100: 6. and though to us the Locust or Grashopper be loathsome as for meate, yet in themselves, and to all they are not so, but serve for food to some people; as in India there be Locusts of three foot long, whereof the Natives use the legges being dried for sauce, Plin. lib. 11. ch. 29, &c. the Ethiopians, and Parthians, and some other people use them for meat, Aristot. hist. Animal. lib. 6. ch. 30. and with some, powdered Locusts is their onely food, Plin. lib. 6. ch. 30. And so doe many eat frogs and snailes, forbidden vers. 30. which afford so much good nourishment (being boyled in milke) as serves to repaire the decay of the body, made by a Cough and Consumption: and in some places Pismires are used for dainties, the different custome of Nations becoming a kind of law, for the different use of the creatures for mans sustenance; howsoever, though whatsoever God forbiddeth be not in it selfe unfit for meate; as we see by our use of the Swine, the Swan, and other creatures; yet nothing that God allowed was unwholesome to those to whom it was allowed. Besides, in divers Countries the kinds of creatures are so diverse, as that which is very good in some places, is scarce tolerable in others.

Beetle] The Originall word Hhargol, is not found in any other place.

Leviticus 11:23

which have foure feet] That is, if they had all foure equall; but if the hinder feet were longer, whereby they might leape, they were cleane as is expressed, vers. 21.

Leviticus 11:24

untill the even] Not alwaies; and this limitation might mind the people of a state of religion where these Ceremonies should cease.

Leviticus 11:25

beareth] That is, out of the Campe, or out of the way, as being offensive to passengers.

Leviticus 11:26

not cloven footed] See Annot. on vers. 5.

Leviticus 11:27

pawes] Or, hands. That is, whose fore-feete are in use like hands, as in an Ape, or Beare.

Leviticus 11:29

after his kind] For the creatures were to ingender, and increase according to their owne kinde; and not by mixture with other kinds, Leviticus 19:19.

Leviticus 11:30

Camelion] A Camelion is a creature like unto a Lyzard, or Newt, in which two things are very strange; the one that he seemeth to live onely on the Aire; which makes him for the most part to gape, and put his head upward to draw it in; the other, that it taketh what colour is next him by resemblance, unlesse it be red, or white. Arist. hist. Animal. lib. 2. ch. 11. Plin. hist. lib. 8. 100: 33.

Leviticus 11:31

uncleane] Not onely to eate, but to touch their dead bodies; vers. 32. 40. and this uncleannesse, as long as it lasted, was a cause of prohibition to enter into the Sanctuary, and to partake of the sacrifices.

Leviticus 11:32

or skinne] Skins are used sometimes for bottles, sometimes for bagges, and those serve either for moist, or drie things.

uncleane] This was onely a Ceremoniall uncleannesse, not a Morall; and therefore Christians are not defiled by such meanes; yet while the touching of them was forbidden by God, though in it selfe it did not defile the man in his body; much lesse in his soule, the disobedience even in such a small matter brought a guilt upon the soule, which did defile it, while the prohibition was in force.

untill the even] And at even the uncleannesse expireth, or vanisheth of it selfe.

Leviticus 11:33

ye shall breake it] Why washing should not serve the turne for cleansing in earthen vessels as well as others, no naturall reason can be rendered: if by earthen vessels we understand reprobates, as some doe, the breaking of them may signifie their destruction, as Psalms 2:9. Jeremiah 9:11. as the washing of the other, and sparing them, may note the cleansing of other sinners by eares of contrition.

Leviticus 11:34

such water] That is, uncleane water, coming from an uncleane vessell or place.

Leviticus 11:36

that which toucheth] So much water of the fountaine as toucheth the carkasse and no more shall be uncleane; and though an uncleane thing fell into a fountaine, or cisterne, yet it is held by many not to be polluted, because of the necessary use of water upon all occasions.

Leviticus 11:37

sowing seed] Because being sowne man had nothing to doe with it for food, untill it was dead and quickened againe, John 12:24. 1 Corinthians 15:36. and so none uncleanenesse could be imputed unto it, that was not taken from it before it came to the use of meat.

Leviticus 11:38

but if any water] That is, by steeping the seed, not for sowing (as before) but for the use of meat, as Wheat is used for meat without grinding or baking; for that which is wet is more apt to take or retaine any defilement that fals upon it, then that which is dry; in which case it was not to be eaten, but to be given to beasts.

Leviticus 11:39

if any beast of which ye may eate, die] By inward sicknesse, or outward violence, as of strangling; (so that the bloud were not let out of the veines) or of tearing by beasts; such a beast became ceremonially uncleane, and might neither be eaten, nor touched; yet with exception of the fat, in such a case; whereof see Annot. on Chap. 7. ver. 24.

Leviticus 11:40

he that catcth] That is, ignorantly, or of urgent necessitie; for if he did it knowingly and with his will, his contempt was to be answered with the punishment of death, Numbers 15:30.

Leviticus 11:43

defiled thereby] Either by eating or touching them.

Leviticus 11:44

sanctifie your selves] That is, you shall by application of these ceremoniall ordinances to your souls, inure your selves to a carefulnesse in your conversation, that you be not polluted with the societie of sinners, who are morally uncleane, as the beasts are uncleane ceremonially; and as by touching them there was contracted a ceremoniall uncleannesse, so may a man become morally defiled by familiaritie with the wicked: this was the spirituall use of this carnall commandement, for meat in it selfe was nothing to the sanctitie or sinne of the soule, Mark 7:15. Romans 14:14. 1 Corinthians 8:8.

Leviticus 11:45

For I am holy] I hate all manner of uncleannesse; especially, the Idolatry of the Gentiles, which they commit upon the creatures, even those which are most base, as such as creepe or crawle upon the earth, and my holinesse must be to you a patterne for your imitation and practise.