Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

LEVITICUS 11:4KJV
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Leviticus 11:4 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 11:4 mean?

Leviticus 11:4 states that the Israelites were not allowed to eat certain animals, even if those animals chewed the cud or had divided hooves, using the camel as an example. The camel chews the cud but does not have a divided hoof, so it is considered unclean and not to be eaten.

In this verse, God is giving Moses and Aaron specific dietary instructions for the Israelites. The focus is on identifying which animals are considered clean or unclean for food, based on physical characteristics. The camel is singled out because, although it chews the cud (a sign of a clean animal), it does not have a split hoof, so it does not meet both requirements.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 11:4

  • "Chew" (עָלָה, `alah): This word means "to go up" or "to bring up," and in this context, it refers to the animal bringing up food to chew it again, which is what ruminants do. This detail matters because it clarifies what "chewing the cud" actually means.
  • "Cud" (גֵּרָה, gerah): This word refers to the partially digested food that ruminant animals regurgitate and chew again. Understanding this helps explain why some animals were considered for the clean/unclean distinction.
  • "Divide" (פָּרַס, paras): This verb means "to split" or "to divide," and here it describes the physical characteristic of the hoof. The requirement is not just for the hoof to be split, but fully divided.
  • "Hoof" (פַּרְסָה, parsah): This word refers to the hard covering of the foot in certain animals. The verse emphasizes that both chewing the cud and having a divided hoof are needed for an animal to be considered clean.

Why Leviticus 11:4 matters

  • Leviticus 11:4 clarifies that both chewing the cud and having a divided hoof are required for an animal to be clean, not just one or the other. This prevents confusion about which animals could be eaten.
  • The verse highlights the careful attention to physical details in the dietary laws, showing that the rules were specific and not arbitrary.
  • By using the camel as an example, the verse helps the reader understand how to apply the general rule to specific animals, making the law practical and understandable for everyday life.

Where else these words appear

“cud” Hebrew H1625 · used in 9 verses

  • Leviticus 11:3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.
  • Leviticus 11:6 And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
  • Deuteronomy 14:6 And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.

“divide” Hebrew H6536 · used in 12 verses

  • Leviticus 11:3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.
  • Leviticus 11:7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.
  • Deuteronomy 14:8 And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase.

“hoof” Hebrew H6541 · used in 16 verses

  • Exodus 10:26 Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.
  • Leviticus 11:26 The carcases of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean.
  • Jeremiah 47:3 At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses, at the rushing of his chariots, and at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands;

“Nevertheless” Hebrew H389 · used in 22 verses

  • Genesis 7:23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.
  • Exodus 12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
  • Judges 7:19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.