Leviticus 11:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The legislation reads: “And the Lord spoke unto Moses and Aaron, saying unto them, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the animals which ye may eat of all the cattle upon the earth: every cattle that hath bifurcated hoofs, and hath a deep cut in its hoofs, and cheweth the cud, ye shall eat: but these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, and have bifurcated hoofs: The camel, because he cheweth the cud, but his hoofs are not bifurcated, he is unclean unto you; and the gopher, because he cheweth the cud, but his hoofs are not bifurcated, he is unclean unto you; and the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but his hoofs are not bifurcated, he is unclean unto you; And the swine, because its hoofs are bifurcated and its hoofs have a deep cut in them, but it does not chew the cud, it is unclean for you; you shall not eat their meat, nor touch their dead bodies; they are unclean for you” (Lev. 11:1-8). Furthermore, Christ clearly articulates, “what comes out of the mouth defiles a man” (Matt. 15:11). It is also noted in the account given to the apostle Peter when a sheet descending from heaven displayed all types of quadrupeds and birds: “Arise, Peter, kill and eat”; yet the disciple, still wary of the law’s prohibition, replied, “No, Lord, I have never eaten anything profane or unclean.” Then a voice responded to him, saying, “What God has cleansed, you shall not regard as unclean” (Acts 10:11-15, cf. Ezekiel 4:14). The apostle Paul similarly states, “Food does not bring us near to God” (1 Cor. 8:8). Thus, it is evident that the law does not inherently classify any creation as unclean, affirming that “To the clean all things are clean” (Titus 1:15). In a reasonable manner, by relating the natural traits of animals to human behavior, it serves a beneficial purpose. This truth can further be illustrated by the clear pronouncements we are to reject those things universally condemned, such as the camel and the chirogril, the night-crow and the lilik, the halavotis and the migali (Leviticus 11:4-5:17:30), alongside even more repugnant creatures. Is not the intent of the Lawgiver evident in this, my friend? Palladius. It is perfectly clear. Cyril. Therefore, it is essential to draw a parallel between the inherent traits of certain non-verbal animals and behavioral qualities, since each one symbolically reflects the characteristics found in humanity, and we often associate those who display great passion and bravery with boars or lions, while those who exhibit gentleness and meekness are likened to sheep and doves, sometimes even earning the title of Silence, drawing from the characteristics that resonate most evidently. Palladius. Indeed, that is true.

Moreover, the Lord warned the apostles, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15), and He denounced the Jews as “serpents” and “offspring of vipers” (Matthew 23:33). The Apostle Paul cautioned, “Beware of dogs!” (Philippians 3:2), and forewarned the elders of Ephesus that after his departure, fierce wolves would approach, not sparing the flock (Acts 20:29). The prophets also referred to certain individuals as “horses in heat” (Jeremiah 5:8) and described others as “snakes and a brood of vipers lurking” (Isaiah 30:6). Additionally, the Lord illustrated, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind” (Matthew 13:47) and noted, “Wherever the corpse is, there the eagles will be gathered together” (Matthew 24:28). Thus, our interpretation aligns with the intent of Divine Scripture. The insight we gain from this contrasts with the benefit that the Jews derive from the same passage. By categorizing the animals of the land, the birds, and aquatic creatures into clean and unclean, Moses does not imply that any of them should be regarded as God. Indeed, who with a sound mind would declare the unclean, which is detested, or that which is offered to the true God and consumed by the offerer, to be God?