Leviticus 11:39-40
“And if any animal which you may eat dies, whoever touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening, and whoever eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. And whoever carries the carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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It's easy to overlook that even a clean animal, meant for food, can transmit uncleanness when it dies. This highlights that ceremonial purity wasn't just about avoiding inherently "dirty" things, but also about respecting the boundaries God set around life and death, even for what He intended to be nourishing.
This verse is part of a larger section detailing laws about clean and unclean animals, expanding on the initial distinction of what Israelites could and could not eat. It follows the lists of forbidden creatures like reptiles and birds, and now addresses what happens if an animal deemed edible dies naturally or by accident. This adds to the instructions on how to maintain purity, even concerning animals that were permitted for consumption.
God's people were given detailed instructions about what they could eat and what they couldn't. But what happens when something that was clean becomes a source of impurity?
Leviticus 11 lays out a clear distinction between clean and unclean animals. This wasn't just about hygiene or what tasted good. It was a way to teach Israel about holiness.
A Divine Distinction
The primary purpose was to help Israel understand the difference between holiness and impurity, setting them apart as God's special people. As Leviticus 11:47 states, the goal is 'To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.'
Unexpected Impurity
Our verse, Leviticus 11:39, introduces a nuance: even an animal that was perfectly fine to eat becomes a source of impurity if it dies on its own or is killed by a wild animal (meaning the blood wasn't properly poured out, as per commentators like Gill and Poole). This teaches that the state of the animal matters. What was once a source of nourishment and fellowship with God can, in death, become something that makes a person ritually unclean until evening.
The law of touching a carcass seems extreme. Why such a strong reaction to touching something dead? It points to a deeper spiritual reality.
The immediate consequence of touching a carcass, as stated in Leviticus 11:39, is becoming 'unclean until the evening.' This wasn't just a minor inconvenience; it had real implications for participating in worship and community life.
The Shadow of Death
Death, in the Old Testament, was the ultimate symbol of sin and separation from God. Anything that represented or brought about death carried a strong connotation of impurity. Touching the carcass meant coming into contact with the stark reality of death, which stood in direct opposition to the life God intended.
Preparing for God's Presence
Understand the original words
kabas · Hebrew Verb
A fundamental act of cleansing in the Mosaic law, serving as an outward sign of an inner state of purity. It functions as a ritual necessity to remove uncleanness and restore an individual to a state of holiness required for fellowship within the covenant community.
This passage reiterates the principle of uncleanness from touching a carcass, extending it to both Israelites and foreigners, and even prohibiting eating it raw.
Numbers 19:11This passage describes the uncleanness resulting from touching any human dead body, emphasizing a broader theme of impurity derived from death.
Ezekiel 44:25This verse shows that even priests, who deal with sacrifices, must avoid defilement by the dead, highlighting the pervasive nature of purity laws.
Acts 10:14Peter's refusal to eat 'common or unclean' food in this vision directly contrasts with the Levitical laws, pointing towards a new understanding of purity in Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:44Paul's mention of a 'natural body' and a 'spiritual body' provides a theological framework for understanding how physical purity laws pointed to a deeper spiritual reality.
calvinLeviticus 11:1-47: "And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,"
And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; so it shall be cleansed.
Et omne super quod tetigerit aliquid ex eis postquam mortua fuerint, immudum erit, tam vas lineum quam vestis, aut…
ellicottLeviticus 11:39: "And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even."
(39) And if any beast. —That is, a clean animal, which is both bisulcous and ruminant, but which has not been properly slaughtered, having died from any disease or accident. During the second Temple, the law here enacted was restricted to quadrupeds, domestic or wild, but was not applicable to birds and fishes. He that toucheth the carcase.—The carcase, in this ca…
It's easy to overlook that even a clean animal, meant for food, can transmit uncleanness when it dies. This highlights that ceremonial purity wasn't just about avoiding inherently "dirty" things, but also about respecting the boundaries God set around life and death, even for what He intended to be nourishing.
This verse is part of a larger section detailing laws about clean and unclean animals, expanding on the initial distinction of what Israelites could and could not eat. It follows the lists of forbidden creatures like reptiles and birds, and now addresses what happens if an animal deemed edible dies naturally or by accident. This adds to the instructions on how to maintain purity, even concerning animals that were permitted for consumption.
This verse is part of a larger section detailing laws about clean and unclean animals, expanding on the initial distinction of what Israelites could and could not eat. It follows the lists of forbidden creatures like reptiles and birds, and now addresses what happens if an animal deemed edible dies naturally or by accident. This adds to the instructions on how to maintain purity, even concerning animals that were permitted for consumption.
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This ritual uncleanness served as a constant reminder to Israel that they were entering into God's presence. Before approaching God in worship or engaging in community activities, they needed to be ritually pure. The temporary uncleanness (until evening) symbolized the need for ongoing purification and the ultimate, permanent cleansing that would come through a Messiah who would conquer death itself. Commentators like Calvin and Ellicott emphasize this ritualistic aspect, which points beyond itself.
"“And if any animal which you may eat dies, whoever touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening, and whoever eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. And whoever carries the carcass shall wash…" — It's easy to overlook that even a clean animal, meant for food, can transmit uncleanness when it dies. This highlights that ceremonial purity wasn't just about avoiding inherently "dirty" things, but…
