CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Leviticus 11:6 The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/leviticus/11-6.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/18/03_Lev_11_06.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Leviticus 11:6 - Clean and Unclean Animals" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/leviticus/11-6.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/leviticus/11-6.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/leviticus/">Leviticus</a> > <a href="/leviticus/11.htm">Chapter 11</a> > Verse 6</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad6.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/leviticus/11-5.htm" title="Leviticus 11:5">◄</a> Leviticus 11:6 <a href="/leviticus/11-7.htm" title="Leviticus 11:7">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/leviticus/11.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/leviticus/11.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/leviticus/11.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />The hare chews the cud but does not have split hooves, so it is unclean.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/leviticus/11.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />And the hare, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/leviticus/11.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/leviticus/11.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he <i>is</i> unclean unto you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/leviticus/11.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />the hare, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, <i>is</i> unclean to you;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/leviticus/11.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />The rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean to you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/leviticus/11.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />the rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/leviticus/11.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />the rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/leviticus/11.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />the rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/leviticus/11.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />And the hare, because it chews the cud but does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/leviticus/11.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />hares, though they chew the cud, do not have hooves—they are unclean for you;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/leviticus/11.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />the hare, though it chews the cud, does not have hooves—it is unclean for you; <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/leviticus/11.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />And the hare, because she cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, she is unclean unto you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/leviticus/11.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />And the hare, because she cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, she is unclean unto you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/leviticus/11.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />You must never eat rabbits. (Rabbits are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs.)<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/leviticus/11.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />the hare (because it chews its cud, but its hooves aren't divided, it is to be unclean for you), <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/leviticus/11.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/leviticus/11.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />The hare is unclean to you because it chews the cud even though its hoof is not divided.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/leviticus/11.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />The hare, because she chews the cud but doesn't part the hoof, she is unclean to you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/leviticus/11.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof: he is unclean to you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/leviticus/11.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />The hare, because it chews the cud but doesn’t have a parted hoof, is unclean to you. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/leviticus/11.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />and the hare, though it is bringing up the cud, yet the hoof has not divided—it [is] unclean to you;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/leviticus/11.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> and the hare, though it is bringing up the cud, yet the hoof hath not divided -- unclean it is to you;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/leviticus/11.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And the hare, for this bringing up rumination, and cleaving not the cloven hoof; it is unclean to you.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/leviticus/11.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />The hare also: for that too cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/leviticus/11.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />and so also is the hare, for it too chews over again, yet its hoof is not divided,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/leviticus/11.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />the hare, which indeed chews the cud, but does not have hoofs and is therefore unclean for you;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/leviticus/11.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />The hare, for even though it chews the cud, it does not have divided hoofs; it is unclean for you.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/leviticus/11.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />And the hare, because it chews the cud but it does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/leviticus/11.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />And the hare that chews cud and its foot does not cleave is defiled to you.<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/leviticus/11.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />And the hare, because she cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, she is unclean unto you<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/leviticus/11.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />And the hare, because it does not chew the cud, and does not divide the hoof, this is unclean to you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/leviticus/11-6.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NWs_V1RyMFo?start=2441" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/leviticus/11.htm">Clean and Unclean Animals</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">5</span>The rock badger, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. <span class="reftext">6</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: wə·’eṯ- (Conj-w:: DirObjM) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self."></a> <a href="/hebrew/768.htm" title="768: hā·’ar·ne·ḇeṯ (Art:: N-fs) -- A hare. Of uncertain derivation; the hare.">The rabbit,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3588.htm" title="3588: kî- (Conj) -- That, for, when. ">though</a> <a href="/hebrew/1931.htm" title="1931: hî (Pro-3fs) -- He, she, it. ">it</a> <a href="/hebrew/5927.htm" title="5927: ma·‘ă·laṯ (V-Hifil-Prtcpl-fsc) -- A primitive root; to ascend, intransitively or actively; used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative.">chews</a> <a href="/hebrew/1625.htm" title="1625: gê·rāh (N-fs) -- Cud. From garar; the cud.">the cud,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: lō (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">does not</a> <a href="/hebrew/6536.htm" title="6536: hip̄·rî·sāh (V-Hifil-Perf-3fs) -- To break in two, divide. A primitive root; to break in pieces, i.e. to split, distribute.">have a divided</a> <a href="/hebrew/6541.htm" title="6541: ū·p̄ar·sāh (Conj-w:: N-fs) -- A hoof. Feminine of perec; a claw or split hoof.">hoof;</a> <a href="/hebrew/1931.htm" title="1931: hî (Pro-3fs) -- He, she, it. ">it</a> <a href="/hebrew/2931.htm" title="2931: ṭə·mê·’āh (Adj-fs) -- Unclean. From tame'; foul in a relig. Sense.">is unclean</a> <a href="/hebrew/lā·ḵem (Prep:: 2mp) -- ">for you.</a> </span><span class="reftext">7</span>And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/14-7.htm">Deuteronomy 14:7</a></span><br />But of those that chew the cud or have a completely divided hoof, you are not to eat the following: the camel, the rabbit, or the rock badger. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a divided hoof. They are unclean for you,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/23-24.htm">Matthew 23:24</a></span><br />You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/10-14.htm">Acts 10:14</a></span><br />“No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/11-8.htm">Acts 11:8</a></span><br />‘No, Lord,’ I said, ‘for nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hebrews/9-10.htm">Hebrews 9:10</a></span><br />They consist only in food and drink and special washings—external regulations imposed until the time of reform.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/mark/7-18.htm">Mark 7:18-19</a></span><br />“Are you still so dull?” He asked. “Do you not understand? Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him, / because it does not enter his heart, but it goes into the stomach and then is eliminated.” (Thus all foods are clean.)<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/14-14.htm">Romans 14:14</a></span><br />I am convinced and fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/colossians/2-16.htm">Colossians 2:16-17</a></span><br />Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. / These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_timothy/4-3.htm">1 Timothy 4:3-5</a></span><br />They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. / For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected, / because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/7-2.htm">Genesis 7:2</a></span><br />You are to take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate; a pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/8-20.htm">Genesis 8:20</a></span><br />Then Noah built an altar to the LORD. And taking from every kind of clean animal and clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/66-17.htm">Isaiah 66:17</a></span><br />“Those who consecrate and purify themselves to enter the groves—to follow one in the center of those who eat the flesh of swine and vermin and rats—will perish together,” declares the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/4-14.htm">Ezekiel 4:14</a></span><br />“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have not eaten anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts. No unclean meat has ever entered my mouth.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/22-26.htm">Ezekiel 22:26</a></span><br />Her priests do violence to My law and profane My holy things. They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they fail to distinguish between the clean and the unclean. They disregard My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hosea/9-3.htm">Hosea 9:3</a></span><br />They will not remain in the land of the LORD; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">And the hare, because he chews the cud, but divides not the hoof; he is unclean to you.</p><p class="hdg">the hare</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/deuteronomy/14-7.htm">Deuteronomy 14:7</a></b></br> Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; <i>as</i> the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; <i>therefore</i> they <i>are</i> unclean unto you.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/leviticus/11-5.htm">Cheweth</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-5.htm">Chews</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-5.htm">Cloven</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-5.htm">Cud</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-5.htm">Divide</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-3.htm">Divided</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-5.htm">Divideth</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-4.htm">Foot</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-5.htm">Hoof</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-5.htm">Hoofs</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-4.htm">Horn</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-5.htm">Part</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-5.htm">Parted</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-5.htm">Parteth</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-5.htm">Rabbit</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-5.htm">Split</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-5.htm">Unclean</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/leviticus/11-7.htm">Cheweth</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-26.htm">Chews</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-7.htm">Cloven</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-7.htm">Cud</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-7.htm">Divide</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-7.htm">Divided</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-7.htm">Divideth</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-7.htm">Foot</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-7.htm">Hoof</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-7.htm">Hoofs</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-7.htm">Horn</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-25.htm">Part</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-7.htm">Parted</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-7.htm">Parteth</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/14-7.htm">Rabbit</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-7.htm">Split</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-7.htm">Unclean</a><div class="vheading2">Leviticus 11</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/leviticus/11-1.htm">What animals may be eaten</a></span><br><span class="reftext">4. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/leviticus/11-4.htm">and what may not be eaten</a></span><br><span class="reftext">9. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/leviticus/11-9.htm">What fishes</a></span><br><span class="reftext">13. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/leviticus/11-13.htm">What fowls</a></span><br><span class="reftext">29. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/leviticus/11-29.htm">The creeping things which are unclean</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/leviticus/11.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/leviticus/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/leviticus/11.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>The rabbit</b><br>The term "rabbit" in this context refers to a small, herbivorous mammal known for its long ears and strong hind legs. In the ancient Near East, rabbits were common and would have been familiar to the Israelites. They are mentioned in the context of dietary laws given to the Israelites, which were intended to set them apart from other nations. Rabbits were not domesticated in the same way as other animals, and their presence in the wild would have been a regular part of the landscape.<p><b>though it chews the cud</b><br>The phrase "chews the cud" refers to the process of regurgitating and re-chewing food, a characteristic of ruminant animals. Rabbits do not chew the cud in the technical sense like cows or sheep, but they do practice refection, where they re-ingest partially digested food to extract more nutrients. This misunderstanding in ancient classification highlights the observational basis of the dietary laws rather than a scientific one. The emphasis here is on the appearance of cud-chewing, which was a criterion for clean animals.<p><b>does not have a divided hoof</b><br>A divided hoof is a characteristic of certain animals considered clean under Mosaic Law, such as cattle, sheep, and goats. The divided hoof was a visible sign that distinguished clean animals from unclean ones. Rabbits, having paws rather than hooves, do not meet this criterion. The requirement for both cud-chewing and a divided hoof served as a clear guideline for the Israelites, emphasizing the importance of discernment and obedience to God's commands.<p><b>it is unclean for you</b><br>The designation of "unclean" signifies that the animal is not to be consumed or used in sacrifices. This classification was part of the broader Levitical code, which aimed to maintain ritual purity and holiness among the Israelites. The concept of clean and unclean animals is also seen in the account of Noah's Ark (<a href="/genesis/7-2.htm">Genesis 7:2</a>), where God distinguishes between the two. The dietary laws served as a daily reminder of the Israelites' covenant relationship with God and their call to be a holy nation. The distinction between clean and unclean can also be seen as a type pointing to the need for spiritual purity, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who declared all foods clean (<a href="/mark/7-18.htm">Mark 7:18-19</a>) and provided a way for believers to be cleansed from sin.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/m/moses.htm">Moses</a></b><br>The author of Leviticus, who received the laws from God to instruct the Israelites.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/i/israelites.htm">Israelites</a></b><br>The chosen people of God, to whom the laws of clean and unclean animals were given.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/m/mount_sinai.htm">Mount Sinai</a></b><br>The place where God delivered the laws to Moses, including dietary laws.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_rabbit.htm">The Rabbit</a></b><br>An example of an animal considered unclean under Mosaic Law due to its lack of a split hoof.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_wilderness.htm">The Wilderness</a></b><br>The setting where the Israelites received and practiced these laws during their journey to the Promised Land.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/h/holiness_and_separation.htm">Holiness and Separation</a></b><br>The dietary laws were a means for the Israelites to live distinctively as God's holy people. Today, believers are called to live lives that reflect God's holiness in all areas, not just dietary practices.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/o/obedience_to_god's_commands.htm">Obedience to God's Commands</a></b><br>The Israelites were required to obey God's laws as an act of faith and trust. Similarly, Christians are called to obey God's Word, trusting in His wisdom and sovereignty.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/u/understanding_context.htm">Understanding Context</a></b><br>While the specific dietary laws are not binding on Christians today, understanding their purpose helps us appreciate the continuity and fulfillment of God's plan through Christ.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/s/spiritual_discernment.htm">Spiritual Discernment</a></b><br>Just as the Israelites discerned between clean and unclean, Christians are called to discern between what is spiritually beneficial and what is not, guided by the Holy Spirit.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/u/unity_in_diversity.htm">Unity in Diversity</a></b><br>The New Testament teaches that dietary practices should not divide believers. Unity in Christ transcends cultural and traditional differences.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_leviticus_11.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Leviticus 11</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_do_rabbits_chew_cud_in_the_bible.htm">How do we reconcile the Bible’s claim that rabbits chew cud when they do not?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/which_animals_are_clean_or_unclean.htm">Which animals are considered clean or unclean?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/do_rabbits_actually_chew_their_cud.htm">Do rabbits actually chew their cud?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/does_peter's_vision_contradict_leviticus_11.htm">Acts 10:9-16 - Does Peter's vision about eating unclean animals contradict Leviticus 11 and God's previous dietary laws?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/leviticus/11.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(6) <span class= "bld">And the hare, because he cheweth the</span> <span class= "bld">cud, but.</span>--Better, <span class= "ital">though he cheweth the cud, yet. </span>Other nations, too, shunned the flesh of hares. The Parsees considered the hare as the most unclean of all animals, and the ancient Britons abstained from eating it because of the loathsome disorders to which the hare is subject. Like the rabbit, or the hyrax, the hare has not the peculiar stomach of the true ruminant; but, like the rabbit, the hare, when sitting at rest, so moves its jaws that it appears to masticate. As the object of the legislator was to furnish the people with marks by which they were to distinguish the clean from the unclean animals, he necessarily adopted those which were in common vogue, and which alone were intelligible in those days.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/leviticus/11.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 6.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">The hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof</span>, There is little doubt that the same animal as our hare is meant. Neither the hare, however, nor the hyrax chews the cud in the strict sense of the words. But they have the appearance of doing so. The rule respecting chewing the cud was given to and by Moses as a legislator, not as an anatomist, to serve as a sign by which animals might be known to be clean for food. Phenomenal not scientific language is used here, as in <a href="/joshua/10-12.htm">Joshua 10:12</a>, "as we might speak of whales and their congeners as fish, when there is no need of scientific accuracy" (Clark). "All these marks of distinction in the Levitical law are wisely and even necessarily made on the basis of popular observation and belief, not on that of anatomical exactness. Otherwise the people would have been continually liable to error. Scientifically, the camel would be said to divide the hoof, and the hare does not chew the cud. But laws for popular use must necessarily employ terms as they are popularly understood. These matters are often referred to as scientific errors; whereas they were simply descriptions, necessarily popular, for the understanding and enforcement of the law" (Gardiner). <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/leviticus/11-6.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">The rabbit,</span><br /><span class="heb">הָאַרְנֶ֗בֶת</span> <span class="translit">(hā·’ar·ne·ḇeṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_768.htm">Strong's 768: </a> </span><span class="str2">The hare</span><br /><br /><span class="word">though</span><br /><span class="heb">כִּֽי־</span> <span class="translit">(kî-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> </span><span class="str2">A relative conjunction</span><br /><br /><span class="word">it</span><br /><span class="heb">הִ֔וא</span> <span class="translit">(hî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Pronoun - third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1931.htm">Strong's 1931: </a> </span><span class="str2">He, self, the same, this, that, as, are</span><br /><br /><span class="word">chews</span><br /><span class="heb">מַעֲלַ֤ת</span> <span class="translit">(ma·‘ă·laṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Hifil - Participle - feminine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5927.htm">Strong's 5927: </a> </span><span class="str2">To ascend, in, actively</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the cud,</span><br /><span class="heb">גֵּרָה֙</span> <span class="translit">(gê·rāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1625.htm">Strong's 1625: </a> </span><span class="str2">The cud</span><br /><br /><span class="word">does not</span><br /><span class="heb">לֹ֣א</span> <span class="translit">(lō)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">have a split</span><br /><span class="heb">הִפְרִ֑יסָה</span> <span class="translit">(hip̄·rî·sāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6536.htm">Strong's 6536: </a> </span><span class="str2">To break in pieces, to split, distribute</span><br /><br /><span class="word">hoof;</span><br /><span class="heb">וּפַרְסָ֖ה</span> <span class="translit">(ū·p̄ar·sāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6541.htm">Strong's 6541: </a> </span><span class="str2">A claw, split hoof</span><br /><br /><span class="word">it</span><br /><span class="heb">הִ֖וא</span> <span class="translit">(hî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Pronoun - third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1931.htm">Strong's 1931: </a> </span><span class="str2">He, self, the same, this, that, as, are</span><br /><br /><span class="word">is unclean</span><br /><span class="heb">טְמֵאָ֥ה</span> <span class="translit">(ṭə·mê·’āh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adjective - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2931.htm">Strong's 2931: </a> </span><span class="str2">Unclean</span><br /><br /><span class="word">for you.</span><br /><span class="heb">לָכֶֽם׃</span> <span class="translit">(lā·ḵem)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition | second person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/.htm">Strong's Hebrew</a> </span><span class="str2"></span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/leviticus/11-6.htm">Leviticus 11:6 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/leviticus/11-6.htm">Leviticus 11:6 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/leviticus/11-6.htm">Leviticus 11:6 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/leviticus/11-6.htm">Leviticus 11:6 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/leviticus/11-6.htm">Leviticus 11:6 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/leviticus/11-6.htm">Leviticus 11:6 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/leviticus/11-6.htm">Leviticus 11:6 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/leviticus/11-6.htm">Leviticus 11:6 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/leviticus/11-6.htm">Leviticus 11:6 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/leviticus/11-6.htm">Leviticus 11:6 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/leviticus/11-6.htm">OT Law: Leviticus 11:6 The hare because she chews the cud (Le Lv Lev.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/leviticus/11-5.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Leviticus 11:5"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Leviticus 11:5" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/leviticus/11-7.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Leviticus 11:7"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Leviticus 11:7" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>