Leviticus 11:22
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)
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While we often focus on the "why" of these dietary laws, this verse highlights the precision God demanded. The repeated phrase "after his kind" emphasizes that even within these permitted insects, there were specific species that were clean, showing a meticulousness in His commands that goes beyond our typical understanding of categories.
This passage is part of God's extensive instructions to Moses and Aaron on distinguishing between clean and unclean animals, a crucial aspect of Israel's holiness as a chosen people. Following the detailed prohibitions against various land animals, this verse offers a specific list of insects, all types of locusts, that are permitted for consumption. This allowance then sets the stage for further regulations concerning birds and other creatures, all aimed at guiding Israel in maintaining their sacred separation from the surrounding nations.
Why would God tell people what to eat? Was it just about avoiding sickness?
The dietary laws in Leviticus, including the permission to eat certain locusts, weren't primarily about physical health. While some allowed foods might be healthier, that wasn't the main point. Instead, these laws served a deeper purpose:
Setting Israel Apart
God wanted to create a distinct people, separate from the surrounding nations. By having specific rules about food – what they could and couldn't eat – Israel was constantly reminded of their unique covenant relationship with God. This daily practice of obedience, even in something as simple as choosing a meal, kept them mindful of their calling.
Spiritual Discipline
These regulations were also a form of spiritual training. They taught self-control, obedience, and a focus on God's will over personal preference. Even though locusts might seem unappetizing to us, they were a valid food source in that region, and God's inclusion of them shows that holiness isn't about avoiding certain foods, but about obeying God's commands regarding them.
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If God created everything, why would He call some of His creation 'unclean'?
This is a crucial point that thinkers like Calvin grappled with. Animals weren't inherently 'unclean' in their essence; God declared them 'very good' at creation. The designation of 'unclean' wasn't about the creature's intrinsic evil, but about its use in relation to God's people.
God's Authority to Define
God, as the Creator and Sovereign Lord, has the absolute right to designate what is fit for His people to consume and what is not. The prohibition wasn't a judgment on the animal itself, but a divine standard set for Israel. It was about obedience to His word, not a scientific classification of safety.
Transgression is What Defiles
What truly defiles a person isn't the mere act of eating a forbidden food, but the act of disobeying God's command. The animals themselves didn't change their nature; God simply declared certain ones off-limits to His chosen people to underscore the importance of His decrees and their need for purity.
This passage directly connects locusts to food, mentioning John the Baptist eating them, which highlights their historical acceptability as sustenance within a biblical context.
Acts 10:14-15Peter's vision where he's told to 'kill and eat' previously unclean animals demonstrates a divine redefinition of what is permissible, paralleling how God can change understanding of dietary laws.
Romans 14:14Paul's declaration that 'nothing is unclean in itself' offers a New Testament perspective that transcends specific dietary laws, suggesting a deeper spiritual freedom and understanding.
1 Corinthians 10:25-26This passage states that believers can eat anything sold in the marketplace without questioning its origins, indicating a broader liberty in food choices for Christians based on God's provision.
Colossians 2:16-17Paul teaches that dietary regulations were 'a shadow of things to come' and that Christ is the reality, implying that these specific Old Testament laws were symbolic and have been fulfilled.
bensonLeviticus 11:22: "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."
Leviticus 11:22 . The locust after his kind — The Hebrew word ארבה arbeh, is sometimes a common name for all locusts, but here signifies a peculiar sort of them The name derived from רבה rabah, to multiply, imports a multitude, no animal being more prolific. The bald locust — As it is not easy to determine what specie…
gillLeviticus 11:22: "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."
Even these of them ye may eat, &c. The four following ones, which seem to be no other than four sorts of locusts: the locust after his kind; this is the common locust, called by the name of Arbeh, from the great multiplication and vast multitudes of them; the phrase, "after his kind", and which also is used in all the…
While we often focus on the "why" of these dietary laws, this verse highlights the precision God demanded. The repeated phrase "after his kind" emphasizes that even within these permitted insects, there were specific species that were clean, showing a meticulousness in His commands that goes beyond our typical understanding of categories.
This passage is part of God's extensive instructions to Moses and Aaron on distinguishing between clean and unclean animals, a crucial aspect of Israel's holiness as a chosen people. Following the detailed prohibitions against various land animals, this verse offers a specific list of insects, all types of locusts, that are permitted for consumption. This allowance then sets the stage for further regulations concerning birds and other creatures, all aimed at guiding Israel in maintaining their sacred separation from the surrounding nations.
This passage is part of God's extensive instructions to Moses and Aaron on distinguishing between clean and unclean animals, a crucial aspect of Israel's holiness as a chosen people. Following the detailed prohibitions against various land animals, this verse offers a specific list of insects, all types of locusts, that are permitted for consumption. This allowance then sets the stage for further regulations concerning birds and other creatures, all aimed at guiding Israel in maintaining their sacred separation from the surrounding nations.
"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." — While we often focus on the "why" of these dietary laws, this verse highlights the precision God demanded. The repeated phrase "after his kind" emphasizes that even within these permitted insects,…
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