And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.

LEVITICUS 11:7KJV
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Leviticus 11:7 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 11:7 mean?

Leviticus 11:7 says that pigs, even though they have split hooves, are considered unclean for the Israelites because they do not chew the cud. This means that pigs were not allowed to be eaten or touched according to the dietary laws given to Israel.

In this verse, God is speaking to Moses and Aaron, giving them instructions for the Israelites about which animals are considered clean or unclean. The verse highlights a specific animal, the pig, and explains why it does not meet the requirements for clean animals: it only meets one of the two needed characteristics. This is part of a larger section where God sets out rules for daily living and worship for the people of Israel.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 11:7

  • "swine" (חֲזִיר, chazir): This is the Hebrew word for pig, a common animal in the region, but specifically named here as unclean.
  • "divide" (פָּרַס, paras): This word means to split or divide, used here to describe the pig’s hoof, which is physically split.
  • "hoof" (פַּרְסָה, parsah): Refers to the hard foot of certain animals; the verse points out the pig’s hoof is divided.
  • "clovenfooted" (שָׁסַע, shasa‘ and שֶׁסַע, shesa‘): These words describe an animal whose hoof is split into two parts, a key sign for clean animals.
  • "cheweth" (גָּרַר, garar): Means to chew or drag, used here for the act of chewing the cud, which pigs do not do.
  • "cud" (גֵּרָה, gerah): Refers to the partly digested food that some animals bring up and chew again; pigs do not have this trait.
  • "unclean" (טָמֵא, tame’): This word means ritually impure or not suitable for eating or touching according to Israelite law.

Why Leviticus 11:7 matters

  • Leviticus 11:7 clarifies that not all animals with split hooves are clean; both chewing the cud and having split hooves are required, which helps avoid confusion about which animals are permitted.
  • The verse shows the careful attention to detail in Israel’s dietary laws, reflecting a broader concern for ritual purity and distinctiveness from other nations.
  • Understanding this verse helps make sense of later references in the Bible to pigs and uncleanness, especially in stories where eating pork is an issue or symbol.

Where else these words appear

“clovenfooted” Hebrew H8157 · used in 4 verses

  • Leviticus 11:3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.
  • 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.
  • 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.

“cheweth” Hebrew H1641 · used in 5 verses

  • 1 Kings 7:9 All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court.
  • Proverbs 21:7 The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment.
  • Jeremiah 30:23 Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked.

“swine” Hebrew H2386 · used in 7 verses

  • 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.
  • Proverbs 11:22 As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.
  • Isaiah 66:3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.

“clovenfooted” Hebrew H8156 · used in 8 verses

  • Leviticus 1:17 And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
  • 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.
  • Deuteronomy 14:7 Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you.