Leviticus - 11:6



6 The hare, because she chews the cud but doesn't part the hoof, she is unclean to you.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Leviticus 11:6.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
And the hare, because she cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, she is unclean unto you.
The hare also: for that too cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof.
and the hare, for it cheweth the cud, but hath not cloven hoofs it shall be unclean unto you;
and the hare, though it is bringing up the cud, yet the hoof hath not divided, unclean it is to you;
And the hare, because he chews the cud, but divides not the hoof; he is unclean to you.
And the hare, because the horn of its foot is not parted in two, is unclean to you.
and so also is the hare, for it too chews over again, yet its hoof is not divided,
Et leporem: quia ruminat, et ungulam non dividit, imnmndus erit vobis.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

The hare - ארנבת arnebeth, as Bochart and others suppose, from ארה arah, to crop, and ניב nib, the produce of the ground, these animals being remarkable for destroying the fruits of the earth. That they are notorious for destroying the tender blade of the young corn, is well known. It is very likely that different species of these animals are included under the general terms שפן shaphan, and ארנבת arnebeth, for some travelers have observed that there are four or five sorts of these animals, which are used for food in the present day in those countries. See Harmer, vol. iii., p. 331, edit. 1808. Some think the mountain rat, marmot, squirrel, and hedgehog, may be intended under the word shaphan.

And the hare, because he cheweth the cud,.... Or, "though he chews" it:
but divideth not the hoof, he is unclean to you; and so not to be eaten; so Plutarch (q) says, that the Jews are said to abstain from the hare, disdaining it as a filthy and unclean animal, and yet was in the greatest esteem with the Romans of any four footed beast, as Martial says (r): Moses, as Bochart (s) and other learned men observe, is the only writer that speaks of the hare as chewing the cud; though they also observe, that Aristotle (t) makes mention of that in common with those that do chew the cud, namely a "coagulum" or "runnet" in its stomach; his words are,"all that have many bellies have what is called a coagulum or runnet, and of them that have but one belly, the hare;''only that: this creature being prone to lust, may be an emblem of lustful persons, who give up themselves to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness, Ephesians 4:19. (The "hare" is this verse may be an animal that is now is extinct but was alive at the time of Moses. It is only other mentioned in Deuteronomy 14:7. Editor.)
(q) Sympos. l. 9. c. 5. (r) L. 13. Epigr. 87. (s) Ut supra, (Hierozoic par. 1. l. 3.) c. 31. col. 977. (t) De Part. Animal. l. 3. c. 15. & Hist. Animal. l. 3. c. 21.

the hare--Two species of hare must have been pointed at: the Sinai hare, the hare of the desert, small and generally brown; the other, the hare of Palestine and Syria, about the size and appearance of that known in our own country. Neither the hare nor the coney are really ruminating. They only appear to be so from working the jaws on the grasses they live on. They are not cloven-footed; and besides, it is said that from the great quantity of down upon them, they are very much subject to vermin--that in order to expel these, they eat poisonous plants, and if used as food while in that state, they are most deleterious [WHITLAW].

*More commentary available at chapter level.


Discussion on Leviticus 11:6

User discussion of the verse.






*By clicking Submit, you agree to our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use.