SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:42
Todo lo que anda sobre el pecho, y todo lo que anda sobre cuatro o más patas, de todo reptil que anda arrastrándose sobre la tierra, no lo comeréis, porque es abominación.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Leviticus 11:42
Verse 42. Whatsoever goeth upon the belly] In the word whg gahOn, the vau holem, in most Hebrew Bibles, is much larger than the other letters; and a Masoretic note is added in the margin, which states that this is the middle letter of the law; and consequently this verse is the middle verse of the Pentateuch. Whatsoever hath more feet] Than four; that is, all many- footed reptiles, as well as those which go upon the belly having no feet, such as serpents; besides the four-footed smaller animals mentioned above.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 42. Whatsoever goeth upon the belly , etc.] Jarchi’s paraphrase is, “whatsoever goeth”, as worms and beetles, and the like to them, “upon the belly”, this is the serpent; and to go upon the belly is the curse denounced upon it, ( Genesis 3:14) this and every such creature are forbidden to be eaten; as there are others who either have no feet, or what they have so short, that they seem to go upon their belly; and yet, as horrible and detestable as the serpent is, it has been the food of some, and accounted very delicious, as by a people mentioned by the Arabic geographer f411 .
Mela speaks of a people, who, from their eating serpents, were called Ophiophagi, serpent eaters; and Pliny says of the Troglodytes, that the flesh of serpents was their food. The Spaniards, when they first found out the West Indies, going ashore on the isle of Cuba, found certain spits of wood lying at the fire, having fish on them, about one hundred pound weight, and two serpents of eight feet long, differing nothing from the crocodiles in Egypt, but not so big; there is nothing, says my author f414 , among the delicate dishes (of the natives of that place), they esteem so much as these serpents, insomuch that it is no more lawful for the common people to eat of them, than of peacocks and pheasants among us; the Spaniards at first durst not venture to taste of them, because of their horrible deformity and loathsomeness; but the brother of Columbus being allured by a sister of one of the kings of the country to taste of them, found them very delicious, on which he and his men fell to, and ate freely of them, affirming them to be of more pleasant taste than either our pheasants or partridges; and that there is no meat to be compared with the eggs of these serpents f415 . Diodorus Siculus speaks of serpents in the island of Taprobane of great size, harmless to men, and whose flesh is eaten, and of a sweet savour: and whatsoever goeth upon [all] four ; that is, whatsoever creeping thing; for otherwise there are beasts that go upon all four that are clean and fit to eat; but this is observed to distinguish this sort of creeping things from those that go upon their belly, and from those that have more feet, as in the next clause; Jarchi particularly instances in the scorpion: or whatsoever hath mere feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth ; such as caterpillars, and particularly the Scolopendra, which the eastern people call Nedal; so Jarchi says, this is Nedal, a reptile which hath feet from its head to its tail, called Centipeda; and the Targum of Jonathan is, “from the serpent, to the Nedal or Scolopendra, which has many feet.”
Some of then, have seventy two, thirty six on a side, and others eighty four; some fewer, but all have many: them ye shall not eat, for they [are] an abomination ; abominable for food, and to be had in the utmost aversion.
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
כל 3605 הולך 1980 על 5921 גחון 1512 וכל 3605 הולך 1980 על 5921 ארבע 702 עד 5704 כל 3605 מרבה 7235 רגלים 7272 לכל 3605 השׁרץ 8318 השׁרץ 8317 על 5921 הארץ 776 לא 3808 תאכלום 398 כי 3588 שׁקץ 8263 הם׃ 1992
