SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:22
estos comeréis de ellos: la langosta según su especie, y el langostín según su especie, y el argol según su especie, y el hagab según su especie.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:22
Verse 22. The locust] hbra arbeh, either from bra arab, to lie in wait or in ambush, because often immense flights of them suddenly alight upon the fields, vineyards, &c., and destroy all the produce of the earth; or from hbr rabah, he multiplied, because of their prodigious swarms. See a particular account of these insects in the notes, See "Exod. x. 4". The bald locust] µ[ls solam, compounded, says Mr. Parkhurst, from [ls sala, to cut, break, and µ[ am, contiguity; a kind of locust, probably so called from its rugged, craggy form. See the first of Scheuchzer's plates, vol. iii., p. 100.
The beetle] lgrj chargol. "The Hebrew name seems a derivative from grj charag, to shake, and lgr regel, the foot; and so to denote the nimbleness of its motions. Thus in English we call an animal of the locust kind a grasshopper; the French name of which is souterelle, from the verb sauter, to leap"- Parkhurst. This word occurs only in this place. The beetle never can be intended here, as that insect never was eaten by man, perhaps, in any country of the universe.
The grasshopper] bgj chagab. Bochart supposes that this species of locust has its name from the Arabic verb hajaba to veil; because when they fly, as they often do, in great swarms, they eclipse even the light of the sun. See the notes on "Exod. x. 4", and the description of ten kinds of locusts in Bochart, vol. iii., col. 441. And see the figures in Scheuchzer, in whose plates 20 different species are represented, vol. iii., p. 100. And see Dr. Shaw on the animals mentioned in this chapter. Travels, p. 419, &c., 4to. edition; and when all these are consulted, the reader will see how little dependence can be placed on the most learned conjectures relative to these and the other animals mentioned in Scripture. One thing however is fully evident, viz., that the locust was eaten, not only in those ancient times, in the time of John Baptist, Matt. iii. 4, but also in the present day. Dr. Shaw ate of them in Barbary "fried and salted," and tells us that "they tasted very like crayfish." They have been eaten in Africa, Greece, Syria, Persia, and throughout Asia; and whole tribes seem to have lived on them, and were hence called acridophagoi, or locust-eaters by the Greeks. See Strabo lib. xvi., and Pliny, Hist. Nat., lib. xvii., c. 30.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 22. [Even] these of them ye may eat , etc] The four following ones, which seem to be no other than four sorts of locusts: the locust after his kind ; this is the common locust, called by the name of Arbeh, from the great multiplication and vast multitudes of them; the phrase, “after his kind”, and which also is used in all the following instances, signifies the whole entire species of them, which might be eaten: and the bald locust after his kind ; which in the Hebrew text is Soleam, and has its name, as Aben Ezra suggests, from its ascending rocks: but since locusts do not climb rocks, or have any peculiar regard for them, rather this kind of locust may be so called, from their devouring and consuming all that come in their way f341 , from the Chaldee word µ[ls , which signifies to swallow, devour, and consume; but why we should call it the bald locust is not so clear, though it seems there were such, since the Jews describe some that have no baldness, which the gloss explains, whose head is not bald f342 , which shows that some are bald; and so, this is described by Kimchi f343 , it has an eminence, a rising, or bunch upon it; some render it baldness, and it hath no tail, and its head is long; and so Ben Melech: and the beetle after his kind ; which is another sort of locust called Chargol, and should not be rendered a beetle, for no sort of beetles are eatable, nor have legs to leap withal, and so come not under the general description given of such flying, creeping things, fit to eat: Kimchi says it is one kind of a locust f344 , and Hiscuni derives its name from djt and lgr , because it strives to leap with its feet, which answers to the above descriptive character: the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, and some others, render it by Ophiomachus, a fighter with serpents, to which the locust is an enemy, and kills them, taking fast hold of their jaws, as Pliny says f345 , and so Aristotle f346 : and the grasshopper after his kind ; this is another, and the fourth kind of the locust that might be eaten; its name is Chagab, from the Arabic word Chaguba, “to vail”, locusts vailing the light of the sun: and according to the Jewish doctors, it is a name which every locust fit to eat should have; “among the locusts (fit for food) are these, who have four feet, and four wings and thighs, and wings covering the greatest part of them, and whose name is Chagab f347 ;” and commentators say f348 , it must be called by this name, as well as have those signs: the difference between these several sorts is with them this; the Chagab has a tail, but no bunch; Arbeh neither bunch nor tail; and Soleam has a bunch, but not a tail; and Chargol has both bunch and tail f349 :
Maimonides reckons up eight sorts of them fit to eat; and these creatures were not only eaten by the Jews, but by several other nations: with the Parthians they were very agreeable and grateful food, as Pliny f351 relates; who also says , that some part of the Ethiopians live only upon them all the year, hardened in smoke, and with salt: Diodorus Siculus f353 makes mention of the same, and calls them Acridophagi, locust eaters, and gives a particular account of their hunting and taking them, and preserving them for food; and so does Strabo f354 ; and the same Solinus relates of those that border on Mauritania; and they are still eaten in Barbary, where they dry them in ovens to preserve them, and then either eat them alone, or pounded and mixed with milk: their taste is said to be like shrimps f356 ; and Bochart has shown, from various writers, that they were a delicious food with the Greeks, especially among the common people; and so they are with the Indians f358 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
What animals were clean and unclean.
--These laws seem to have been intended, 1. As a test of the people' obedience, as Adam was forbidden to eat of the tree of knowledge; an to teach them self-denial, and the government of their appetites. 2. To keep the Israelites distinct from other nations. Many also of thes forbidden animals were objects of superstition and idolatry to the heathen. 3. The people were taught to make distinctions between the holy and unholy in their companions and intimate connexions. 4. The la forbad, not only the eating of the unclean beasts, but the touching of them. Those who would be kept from any sin, must be careful to avoi all temptations to it, or coming near it. The exceptions are very minute, and all were designed to call forth constant care and exactnes in their obedience; and to teach us to obey. Whilst we enjoy ou Christian liberty, and are free from such burdensome observances, we must be careful not to abuse our liberty. For the Lord hath redeeme and called his people, that they may be holy, even as he is holy. We must come out, and be separate from the world; we must leave the company of the ungodly, and all needless connexions with those who ar dead in sin; we must be zealous of good works devoted followers of God and companions of his people.
Ceremonial purification.
--After the laws concerning clean and unclean food, come the law concerning clean and unclean persons. Man imparts his depraved natur to his offspring, so that, excepting as the atonement of Christ and the sanctification of the Spirit prevent, the original blessing, "Increas and multiply," Ge 1:28, is become to the fallen race a direful curse and communicates sin and misery. Let those women who have receive mercy from God in child-bearing, with all thankfulness own God' goodness to them; and this shall please the Lord better tha sacrifices __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
את 853 אלה 428 מהם 1992 תאכלו 398 את 853 הארבה 697 למינו 4327 ואת 853 הסלעם 5556 למינהו 4327 ואת 853 החרגל 2728 למינהו 4327 ואת 853 החגב 2284 למינהו׃ 4327
