And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Leviticus 11:7
What does Leviticus 11:7 mean?
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Leviticus 11:7
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Even though the pig appears to meet the first requirement of a clean animal by having a split hoof, God points out the second characteristic it lacks: it doesn't chew its cud. This highlights that true cleanness isn't just about outward appearance, but about a complete, internal process of "digesting" and processing what nourishes you.
And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage continues God's detailed instructions to Moses and Aaron about which animals are clean for the Israelites to eat and which are not. After describing the criteria for clean land animals (parting the hoof and chewing the cud), God then lists specific prohibited animals, beginning with the pig, explaining why it doesn't meet the requirements. This prohibition was not just about food but also about distinguishing God's chosen people from surrounding nations and cultivating a holy lifestyle.
The pig looks like a clean animal, but its inner workings tell a different story. What does this tell us about true purity?
Leviticus 11:7 highlights the pig as an animal that looks clean on the outside but isn't truly so. It has a divided hoof, fitting one part of the 'clean' criteria, but it doesn't chew the cud. This disconnect between external appearance and internal reality serves as a profound lesson.
Outer Show, Inner Truth
God's instructions here aren't just about diet; they're about understanding holiness. The pig mimics the look of a clean animal, perhaps teaching Israel to look beyond surface-level righteousness. True purity, in God's eyes, involves both the outward and the inward.
A Deeper Standard
This distinction points to a standard of holiness that goes beyond mere compliance with outward rules. It calls for a deeper, internal reality that aligns with God's character.
Why was the pig considered so abhorrent, even beyond just dietary laws? What did it represent?
The pig wasn't just an unclean animal to eat; it was a potent symbol of impurity and spiritual danger. Ancient commentators consistently linked the pig to filthiness, gluttony, and even disease.
Association with Impurity
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Ancient cultures, including Israel, associated swine with consuming filth and wallowing in mire. This made the animal a powerful emblem of moral and spiritual uncleanness. Eating it would have been akin to embracing the very things God wanted Israel to separate from.
A Test of Separation
For Israel, abstaining from pork was a constant, visible reminder of their distinct identity, set apart for God. It acted as a barrier against adopting the idolatrous practices of surrounding nations who did eat pork and worshiped deities associated with the animal. This separation wasn't just about food; it was about allegiance.
This passage reiterates the prohibition against eating the pig, emphasizing its unclean status without providing a new reason, thus reinforcing the divine command's authority.
2 Peter 2:22This New Testament verse uses the pig as a stark metaphor for those who have returned to sin, highlighting the animal's association with filth and impurity that transcends the Old Testament dietary laws.
1 Kings 14:7Here, the prophet Ahijah points to the Israelites' straying from God by comparing them to a pig, illustrating how the animal's uncleanliness served as a symbol of spiritual defilement and disobedience.
Isaiah 65:4This prophetic passage condemns people who practice abominable rituals, specifically mentioning those who 'sit in tombs and spend the night in secret places' and eat 'pork,' linking the forbidden food to idolatry and deep spiritual corruption.
Mark 5:11-13In this Gospel account, Jesus permits a legion of demons to enter a herd of pigs, demonstrating the animal's symbolic association with impurity and uncleanliness, even in the New Testament era.
bensonLeviticus 11:7: "And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you."
Leviticus 11:7 . And the swine — This animal is remarkable for filthiness, and for feeding on all manner of ordure, even carrion if it falls in its way, and therefore a sow wallowing in the mire is set forth as an emblem of impurity, by writers sacred and profane. And Maimonides alleges its filthiness as the chief reason of its flesh being prohibited. Vossius, howev…
clarkeLeviticus 11:7: "And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you."
And the swine - חזיר chazir, one of the most gluttonous, libidinous, and filthy quadrupeds in the universe; and, because of these qualities, sacred to the Venus of the Greeks and Romans, and the Friga of our Saxon ancestors; and perhaps on these accounts forbidden, as well as on account of its flesh being strong and difficult to digest, affording a very gross kind…
Even though the pig appears to meet the first requirement of a clean animal by having a split hoof, God points out the second characteristic it lacks: it doesn't chew its cud. This highlights that true cleanness isn't just about outward appearance, but about a complete, internal process of "digesting" and processing what nourishes you.
This passage continues God's detailed instructions to Moses and Aaron about which animals are clean for the Israelites to eat and which are not. After describing the criteria for clean land animals (parting the hoof and chewing the cud), God then lists specific prohibited animals, beginning with the pig, explaining why it doesn't meet the requirements. This prohibition was not just about food but also about distinguishing God's chosen people from surrounding nations and cultivating a holy lifestyle.
This passage continues God's detailed instructions to Moses and Aaron about which animals are clean for the Israelites to eat and which are not. After describing the criteria for clean land animals (parting the hoof and chewing the cud), God then lists specific prohibited animals, beginning with the pig, explaining why it doesn't meet the requirements. This prohibition was not just about food but also about distinguishing God's chosen people from surrounding nations and cultivating a holy lifestyle.
"And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you." — Even though the pig appears to meet the first requirement of a clean animal by having a split hoof, God points out the second characteristic it lacks: it doesn't chew its cud. This highlights that tr…
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Last reviewed October 2026