As discussed on page one, clean foods are those that do not harm the human body and so are fit for nourishment. Unclean foods on the other hand are those that do harm the body and hence are unhealthy to consume. The Bible clearly reveals what foods are good and bad for the human body and in Leviticus chapter 11 we find four categories that help us remember more easily a lot of what we can and cannot eat.
So note the following four scriptures to help you remember what foods are clean and unclean.
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.”
Leviticus 11:41-42 “And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten. 42 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.”
Leviticus 11:9-10 “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. 10 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:”
Leviticus 11:20-21 “All flying insects that creep on all fours shall be an abomination to you. 21 Yet these you may eat of every flying insect that creeps on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth.”
The physiology of some birds, animals and fish is such that their flesh is not fit for consumption. This includes carnivorous birds without a crop, animals which don't chew cud or have a cloven (split) hoof, and fish without fins or scales. All animals which eat other animals are unclean. (Leviticus 11:13-19, Deuteronomy 14:11-20)
Fish without fins and scales are either scavengers or carnivores and have a high level of toxins in their bodies. Urea in sharks and other fish gives these creatures a distinctive flavor but the flesh is not healthy. Bottom dwellers such as lobsters and crabs scavenge the sea floor for dead animals, and shellfish such as clams, mussels and oysters also consume decaying matter that sinks to the sea floor including sewage. (Leviticus 11:9-10, Deuteronomy 14:9-10)
Camels have a high level of toxins in their bloodstream that is caused by retaining their body fluids rather than sweating. Coneys have a poor thermo-regulator and their enzymes are unstable, resulting in intestinal fermentation. The meat is very acidic, predisposing to disease. Rabbits are coprophagous, meaning that they eat their own faeces, and the levels of toxins in their bodies are much higher than acceptable for human consumption. All rodents and horses are the same. (Leviticus 11:3-7, Deuteronomy 14:4-8)
Predatory animals such as cheetahs, lions, leopards and wolves prey on weak and often diseased animals. And pigs, bears and vultures often eat and thrive on decaying flesh. Pigs have very high histamine levels and sulphur content, leading to high blood acidity and osteoporosis in those who eat them. They also have a high level of bacterial contamination of salmonella, other harmful bacteria and parasites.
So the common denominator of many animals that God says are unclean is that they often eat flesh that would kill or sicken humans.
These last three scriptures cover insects and other creepy crawly's that I don't think most of us would consider eating. (Leviticus 11:21-23, Leviticus 11:29-30, Leviticus 11:41-42)
Animals |
Birds |
Fish |
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Antelope Bison (Buffalo) Cattle *Beef *Veal Caribou Deer (Venison) Elk Gazelle Giraffe Goat Hart Ibex Moose Ox Reindeer Sheep *Lamb *Mutton Wild Goat InsectsCricketsGrasshoppers Locusts |
Chicken Dove Duck Goose Grouse Guinea fowl Partridge Peacock Peafowl Pheasant Pigeon Prairie chicken Ptarmigan Quail Sagehen Songbirds Sparrow Swan * Teal Turkey |
Albacore Alewives Anchovy Barracuda Bass Black Drum Black Pomfret Bluebacks Bluebill Sunfish Bluefish Bluegill Blue Runner Bonita Bowfin Buffalofish Butterfish Carp Chubs Cod Crappie Drum Flounder Garfish Grouper Grunts Gulf Pike Haddock Hake Halibut Hardhead Hardtail Herring Kingfish Long Nose Sucker Mackerel Mahimahi Menhaden Minnow Mullet Muskellunge (Jacks) |
Orange Roughy Perch (Bream) Pickerel Pig Fish Pike Pollock Pompano Porgy (Scup) Red Drum (Redfish) Rockfish Red Horse Sucker Redfish Redfin Red Snapper Robalo Salmon Sardine (Pilchard) Scup (Porgy) Sea Bass Sergeant Fish Shad Sheepshead Silver Hake (Whiting) Silversides Sucker Sunfish Smelt Snapper Snook Sole Spanish Mackerel Steelhead Striped Bass Tarpon Trout Tuna Turbot (not European) Whitefish Whiting Yellow Perch |
* In the King James Bible, Leviticus 11:18 and Deuteronomy 14:16 list the “swan” as been an unclean bird. This however seems to be mistranslated. The original Greek word apparently refers to a kind of owl and is translated as such in most modern Bibles.
Animals |
Birds |
Fish |
Others |
Armadillo Badger Bear Beaver Camel Elephant Ferret Gorilla Groundhog Hippopotamus Kangaroo Llama (alpaca) Coney Hare Mole Monkey Mouse Muskrat Opossum Porcupine Rabbit Raccoon Rat Rhinoceros Skunk Squirrel Wallaby Weasel Wolverine CaninesCoyoteDog Fox Hyena Jackal Wolf FelineCatCheetah Leopard Lion Panther Tiger EquinesAssDonkey Horse Mule Onager Zebra SwineBoarPeccary Pig *Hog *Bacon *Ham *Pork *Most sausages *Pepperoni |
Albatross Bat Bittern Buzzard Condor Coot Cormorant Crane Crow Cuckoo Eagle Falcon Flamingo Grebe Ostrich Grosbeak Gull Hawk Heron Hoopoe Kite Lapwing Loon Magpie Osprey Ossifrage Ostrich Owl Parrot Pelican Penguin Plover Rail Raven Roadrunner Sandpiper Seagull Stork Swallow Swift Water Hen Woodpecker Vulture |
Bullhead Catfish Eel European turbot Marlin Paddlefish Shark Stickleback Sturgeon Swordfish Sea MammalsDolphinOtter Porpoise Seal Walrus Whale Shell FishAbaloneClam Conch Crab Crayfish Lobster Mussel Oyster Prawn Scallop Shrimp Sofy BodyCuttlefishJellyfish Limpet Octopus Squid (calamari) |
Slug Snail (escargot) Worm AmphibiansFrogNewt Salamander Toad InsectsAll insects except:Crickets Grasshoppers Locusts ReptilesAlligatorBlindworm Caiman Chameleon Crocodile Lizard Snake Turtle |