Leviticus 11:21-22
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This verse isn't just listing edible insects; it's pointing to a specific physical characteristic—legs adapted for leaping—as the key identifier for those that are clean. It highlights how God’s instructions are remarkably precise, often based on observable details in creation, even for something as specific as what could be eaten.
Yet among the winged insects that go on all fours you may eat those that have jointed legs above their feet, with which to hop on the ground. Of them you may eat: the locust of any kind, the bald locust of any kind, the cricket of any kind, and the grasshopper of any kind.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After establishing general rules about which land animals, birds, and sea creatures are clean and unclean, Leviticus now turns to insects. While most "creeping things" are declared abominations, this verse introduces a specific exception for certain winged insects that walk on four legs and possess uniquely adapted hind legs for leaping. This exception, which directly precedes the listing of edible locusts and grasshoppers, clarifies the criteria for permissible insect consumption within the broader dietary laws.
Ever wonder why certain foods were off-limits in ancient Israel? It wasn't random. Leviticus 11:21 reveals a specific characteristic God highlighted for edible insects.
The dietary laws in Leviticus were a way for God to set His people apart. While many creeping things were forbidden, this verse gives an exception: winged insects that walk on four legs and have specialized legs for leaping.
The 'Leaping Leg' Clue
Commentators point out that this description perfectly fits insects like locusts and grasshoppers. They have distinct, powerful hind legs, much larger than their other legs, designed for jumping.
This wasn't just about hygiene or health (though those can be benefits); it was about obedience and recognizing God's sovereignty. He gets to decide what is 'clean' for His people, and He chose to give them very specific, observable markers.
The distinction between clean and unclean wasn't just about taste or texture. It pointed to something deeper about holiness and separation.
Leviticus 11 is a foundational text for understanding holiness. God, in His perfect holiness, establishes boundaries for His people. Eating certain foods was a daily reminder of this call to be different.
A Visible Reminder
The criteria for clean animals (like the leaping locust) had practical, observable features. This made the distinction clear and reinforced the idea that holiness is not just an internal feeling but an outward way of life.
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When God declared certain creatures 'unclean,' it was a statement about their unsuitability for His holy people, separating them from the practices of surrounding nations and reflecting God's own purity.
This passage directly mentions John the Baptist eating locusts, confirming that these specific 'winged insects' were indeed considered food in a later biblical period.
Mark 1:6Similar to Matthew, this Gospel account also highlights John the Baptist's diet of locusts, reinforcing the practical application of the Levitical dietary laws regarding insects.
2 Corinthians 12:7Paul's mention of a 'thorn in the flesh' can be understood metaphorically as a persistent, irritating affliction, similar to how the 'creeping things' in Leviticus were categorized as potentially bothersome or 'abominations' if not properly identified for consumption.
Romans 14:14Paul's declaration that 'nothing is unclean in itself' speaks to the idea that what God declares 'unclean' in the Old Testament, like certain insects, was often for a specific purpose of separation and holiness, not because the creature was inherently evil.
1 Corinthians 10:31This verse broadens the principle that all actions, including eating, should be done to the glory of God, suggesting that even specific dietary laws in Leviticus served to teach obedience and recognition of God's authority in all aspects of life.
clarkeLeviticus 11:21: "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;"
Which have legs above their feet - This appears to refer to the different kinds of locusts and grasshoppers, which have very remarkable hind legs, long, and with high joints, projecting above their backs, by which they are enabled to spring up from the ground, and leap high and far.
pooleLeviticus 11:21: "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;"
Which have legs above their feet. The truth of this translation may seem evident, both from the following clause, to leap withal, and especially from the next verse, where one of this kind is the locusts , which, as it is manifest, have two legs wherewith they leap, besides the four feet upon which they walk. The adverb lo is here put…
This verse isn't just listing edible insects; it's pointing to a specific physical characteristic—legs adapted for leaping—as the key identifier for those that are clean. It highlights how God’s instructions are remarkably precise, often based on observable details in creation, even for something as specific as what could be eaten.
After establishing general rules about which land animals, birds, and sea creatures are clean and unclean, Leviticus now turns to insects. While most "creeping things" are declared abominations, this verse introduces a specific exception for certain winged insects that walk on four legs and possess uniquely adapted hind legs for leaping. This exception, which directly precedes the listing of edible locusts and grasshoppers, clarifies the criteria for permissible insect consumption within the broader dietary laws.
After establishing general rules about which land animals, birds, and sea creatures are clean and unclean, Leviticus now turns to insects. While most "creeping things" are declared abominations, this verse introduces a specific exception for certain winged insects that walk on four legs and possess uniquely adapted hind legs for leaping. This exception, which directly precedes the listing of edible locusts and grasshoppers, clarifies the criteria for permissible insect consumption within the broader dietary laws.
"Yet among the winged insects that go on all fours you may eat those that have jointed legs above their feet, with which to hop on the ground. Of them you may eat: the locust of any kind, the bald locust of any kind, the cricket of any kind…" — This verse isn't just listing edible insects; it's pointing to a specific physical characteristic—legs adapted for leaping—as the key identifier for those that are clean. It highlights how God’s inst…
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Last reviewed October 2026
