Leviticus 11:28Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What constitutes impurity? It is transgression, malice, greed, and deception. “Wash yourselves,” declares the prophet, “cleanse yourselves; put away your wicked deeds from my presence” (Isaiah 1:16). “Create in me a pure heart, O God” (Ps. 50:12). “Depart, depart, go out from there; do not touch what is unclean” (Is. 52:11). The purifications of the Old Testament served as symbols of genuine cleansing.

Cyril. In another interpretation, the law views an individual who comes into contact with wild animals or other unclean creatures as unclean. It states: ‘Of all four-footed animals, those that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcass will be unclean until evening; anyone who handles their carcass must wash his garments and will remain unclean until evening: they are unclean for you. This is what is deemed unclean among the creatures that crawl on the earth: the mole, the mouse, the lizard and its varieties, the anaca, the chameleon, the leetaa, the hometa, and the tinshamet; these are unclean from among all creeping things: whoever touches them when dead will be unclean until evening.