“And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,”
Aaron. God shews him this honour after his consecration, though not always. See chap. xii. and xvii., &c. (Worthington)
“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.”
Animals which you are to eat, &c. The prohibition of so many kinds of beasts, birds, and fishes, in the law, was ordered, 1. to exercise the people in obedience and temperance; 2. to restrain them from the vices of which these animals were symbols; 3. because the things here forbidden were for the most part unwholesome, and not proper to be eaten; 4. that the people of God, by being obliged to abstain from things corporally unclean, might be trained up to seek a spiritual cleanness. (Challoner) — These animals had no natural uncleanness: for all things are clean to the clean, Titus i. 15. But they were looked upon as such by the prejudice of the people, and many of them possessed noxious qualities. If they had been the most excellent, the will of God is a sufficient reason to enforce the duty of abstinence; (Calmet) as it was in the case of Adam and Eve. As some animals were adored, and others were deemed unclean by the Gentiles, the Hebrews were commanded to sacrifice some of the former description, and to abhor also the latter, that they might never be so foolish, as to imitate the perversity of the nations, in looking upon any animal as a god. (Theod., q. 11.) St. Thomas Aquinas (i. 2. q. 102. a. 6,) explains at large, out of the holy fathers, the different vices, which the unclean animals represent. (Worthington) — By the distinction of these creatures, God would have his people known, chap. xx. 24, 26. Those who chose rather to die than to transgress in this point, are justly honoured by the Church as martyrs, 2 Machabees vi. and vii. (St. Gregory, or. 20.) (Haydock)
“Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted , and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.”
Hoof divided, and cheweth the cud. The dividing the hoof, and chewing the cud, signify discretion between good and evil, and meditating on the law of God: and where either of these is wanting, a man is unclean. In like manner, fishes were reputed unclean that had not fins and scales: that is, souls that did not raise themselves up by prayer, and cover themselves with the scales of virtues, (Challoner) particularly of mortification and penance. (Worthington)
“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.”
Camel, which hath a hard skin connecting its hoof below. The Arabs and Persians eat its flesh. God will have his people keep at a distance from imitating them; and that is one of the reasons for this and similar precepts. (Calmet)
“And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.”
The cherogrillus. Some suppose it to be the rabbit, others the hedgehog: St. Jerome intimates that it is another kind of animal common in Palestine, which lives in the holes of rocks, or in the earth. We choose here, as also in the names of several other creatures that follow, (which are little known in this part of the world) to keep the Greek or Latin names. (Challoner) — Bochart (Hierozoicon) may be consulted on this subject. He supposes, that the Hebrew shaphan, denotes the Arabian rat called aliarbuho. But the Jews themselves are ignorant of many of these animals. (Calmet) — Both choiros and grullos, signify swine. The porcupine, or the bear-mouse of Palestine, may be meant. (Menochius)
“And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.”
Cheweth. Some copies of the Septuagint add not, which agrees with the nature of the hare; though the people to whom Moses addresses himself were of a different persuasion. Its hoof is not divided into two parts only, and therefore it is accounted unclean.
“And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted , yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.”
Swine. This animal was abhorred by many other nations. If an Egyptian happened to touch one, he plunged into the Nile. (Herodotus ii. 47.) Few are to be seen in the East. Yet the people of Crete and of Samos held swine in veneration; and they were offered in sacrifice to Venus, by the Cyprians. They seem designed for slaughter, as they are good for nothing alive. They are very subject to leprosy. (Calmet) — The Jews would hardly name them, but called them “the beast.” Old Eleazer was strongly instigated to pretend at least to eat swine’s flesh, but preferred a painful death before the transgression of God’s law, 2 Machabees vi. 18. (Haydock)
“Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.”
Carcasses. They might be touched while alive, ver. 24.
“These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.”
Eat. The Egyptians, and the priests of the Syrian goddess, abstained from fish. — Pools. Hebrew and Septuagint torrents. (Calmet) — Eels are prohibited, &c. (Menochius)
“And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:”
Scales. Numa forbade fish without scales to be used in the sacred feasts. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xxxii. 2.)
“And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,”
The griffon. Not the monster which the painters represent, which has no being upon earth; but a bird of the eagle kind, larger than the common. (Challoner) — Osprey. The sea or black eagle, which is very clear-sighted, and expert in catching fish. Pliny relates, (B. x. 3,) that it tries its young by making them look at the sun, and hurls them down if they refuse. But this seems fabulous.
“And the owl , and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,”
Ostrich; which was served up at the tables of the Persian kings. Hebrew, “the daughter of the hiena;” (both êiáne) or the swan, Isaias xiii. 21. — Owl, or perhaps the male ostrich, which cruelly abandons its young. — Larus, the water-hen. (Calmet) — Some have the cuckow. (Haydock)
“And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,”
Owl, or the onocrotalus, which makes a hideous noise like an assibis, a bird adored in Egypt. Bochart takes the Hebrew to mean an owl, as well as the following term, swan, (Calmet) which is not probable.
“And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,”
Bittern, onocrotalum. See ver. 17. Protestant version has “pelican and the gier-eagle,” for porphyrion. (Haydock) — Its beak and long legs are red. (Pliny, [Natural History?] x. 46.) Bochart understands the vulture, and the Samaritan version the pelican; both of which are remarkable for the care they take of their young. Réme may be derived from rém, “mercy.”
“And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.”
Heron, or “stork,” noted for the same quality: chasida, means “piety.” — Charadrion, a kind of heron, (Calmet) mentioned by Aristotle, viii. 3. It is found in deep holes and rocks. (Menochius) — Some translate parrot, peacock, kite, &c. Anapha,may denote a bird easily vexed. (Calmet) — Houp, or lapwing. (Haydock) — Bat. Strabo (xvii.) speaks of some very large, which were salted and eaten at Borsippe.
“All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you.”
Feet. Such as bees, (Calmet) and other insects of which he speaks. (Menochius)
“Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;”
Walketh. Hebrew adds lo, “not.” But the Massorets read lu, “to it,” agreeably to the Vulgate. (Calmet) — Protestant version, “Yet these may ye eat, of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth.”
“Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.”
Locust. The three former are species of the same kind. The bruchus is a young locust, without wings, (St. Augustine in Psal. civ.,) and the attachus the least of all. (Pliny, xxix. 5.) The ophiomachus is large, “encounters serpents,” and is destitute of wings. The nations called Acridophagi, received their name from their feeding upon locusts, which are the food of the common people in Syria and Africa. See Pliny, xi. 29, &c. Clenard, in 1541, wrote from Fez, that he had seen the sky darkened with clouds of locusts, which the people endeavoured presently to destroy, and filled waggons with their bodies, for food. Kirsten says, they are very delicious. Arnulph assures us, that they are a finger’s breadth, and are fried in oil by the poor. (Raban. in Matthew iii. 4.) See Joel ii. (Calmet) — There is no need, therefore, of having recourse to crab fish and wild pears, for John the Baptist’s food, as Beza has done. (Tirinus)
“But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.”
Only. Equal in length, ver. 20-21. (Menochius)
“And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even.”
Evening. If he were guilty of sin in so doing, contrition would be necessary to regain God’s favour. (Worthington) — But the legal uncleanness would not be removed till the evening; as the one might subsist while the other was remitted. (Haydock)
“And whosoever beareth ought of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.”
Necessary. To prevent the obstruction of the road, or the infection of the air. (Menochius) — When any person touched these carcasses, he was obliged to wash his clothes immediately, and still to refrain from touching any thing sacred till sun-set. (Estius) — If a dog chanced to die in the house of an Egyptian, all the family shaved their hair and began to mourn. The food and wine in the house could no longer be used. (Eusebius, præp. ii. 1.) They adored the dog. But other nations, which did not adore animals, esteemed those unworthy of sacred things who had touched a carcass, though they invoked their gods by slaying beasts, as Porphyrius remarks. (Eusebius, præp. v. 10.) They put off their shoes when they enter certain temples, for the same reason. Scortea non ulli fas est inferre sacello—ne violent puros exanimata Deos.
“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.”
It. When dead. It was lawful to ride on a camel, but not to eat its flesh.
“And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even.”
Hands. Like a monkey, frog, &c., the fore-feet of which rather resemble hands.
“These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind,”
Weasel. Bochart understands the mole, in opposition to all the versions: choled, means indeed “to root up the earth.” (Calmet)
“And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole.”
[31.?] Unclean, either to eat or touch, ver. 41-43. (Chap. v. 2.)
“And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth , whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it.”
Broken. See chap. vi. 28, where a similar injunction is given. (Menochius) — And (ver. 35,) ovens and pots, made of earthenware, according to Pollux, are to be destroyed. (Tirinus)
“Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which such water cometh shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean.”
Water, unclean, or in a polluted vessel.
“Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean. wherein: Heb. a gathering together of waters”
Clean. They would be so difficult to purify, and water is so necessary.
“But if any water be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcase fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you.”
Defiled, and given to the beasts. (Menochius)
“And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even.”
Beast die a natural death, or be suffocated, or be slain by a wild beast. (Calmet)
“And he that eateth of the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.”
Clothes, and his whole body, either together or separate, as the Rabbins explain the law. (Selden, syn. i. 3.) If any one eat or touch these things, on purpose, he was liable to a more severe punishment, (Menochius) and his soul was defiled by disobedience, ver. 43. (Calmet)
“Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination. hath: Heb. doth multiply feet”
Abominable. Serpents, worms, and reptiles are proscribed. (Menochius)
“For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
Holy, and detest the uncleanness of the Gentiles, in their sacrifices and feasts. (St. Augustine, City of God vi. 7.)
“For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”
Your God. By these laws, the Jews were to be distinguished from other nations. (Haydock) — They were also to be reminded, that God was very jealous of their interior sanctity, since he required so great a legal purity. Without the former, they might easily conclude that the latter would not please him. (Calmet)