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The ceremonial law is described by the apostle (Heb 9:9,10) to consist, not only "in gifts and sacrifices," which hitherto have been treated of in this book, but "in meats, and drinks, and divers washings" from ceremonial uncleanness, the laws concerning which begin with this chapter, which puts a difference between some sorts of flesh-meat and others, allowing some to be eaten as clean and forbidding others as unclean. "There is one kind of flesh of men." Nature startles at the thought of eating this, and none do it but such as have arrived at the highest degree of barbarity, and become but one remove from brutes; therefore there needed no law against it. But there is "another kind of flesh of beasts," concerning which the law directs here (Le 11:1-8), "another of fishes" (Le 11:9-12), "another of birds" (Le 11:13-19), and "another of creeping things," which are distinguished into two sorts, flying creeping things (Le 11:20-28) and creeping things upon the earth, Le 11:29-43. And the law concludes with the general rule of holiness, and reasons for it, Le 11:44-47, etc.
1-47
Distinction of Meats (1490 BC)
繁體中文
食物的分別（主前1490年）
¹ 耶和華對摩西、亞倫說：
² 「你們曉諭以色列人說，在地上一切走獸中可吃的，乃是這些：
³ 凡分蹄兩瓣、倒嚼的走獸，你們都可以吃。
⁴ 但那倒嚼或分蹄之中不可吃的，乃是這些：駱駝，因為倒嚼但不分蹄，就與你們不潔淨；
⁵ 沙番，因為倒嚼但不分蹄，就與你們不潔淨；
⁶ 兔子，因為倒嚼但不分蹄，就與你們不潔淨；
⁷ 豬，因為蹄分兩瓣，卻不倒嚼，就與你們不潔淨。
⁸ 這些獸的肉，你們不可吃；死的，你們不可摸，都與你們不潔淨。
亞倫既已受膏為神家的大祭司，神便與摩西一同向他說話，並指定他們二人為聯合委員，向百姓傳達祂的旨意。神對摩西和亞倫都論及此事；因為特別要求祭司的就是要分別潔淨和不潔淨，並教導百姓如此行。洪水之後，神與挪亞和他兒子們立約時，允許他們吃肉（Ge 9:13），而在此之前他們只限於地上的出產。但允許挪亞兒子們的自由，此處卻只限於以色列的子孫。他們可以吃肉，但不是所有的肉都可以吃；有些他們當視為不潔淨、被禁止的，有些則視為潔淨、蒙允許的。這方面的律法既很具體又很嚴格。但這條律法有何理由？為何神的百姓不能像別人一樣自由享用一切受造之物呢？1. 神如此定意，這就是充足的理由：祂的旨意既是充足的律法，也是充足的理由；因為祂的旨意就是祂的智慧。祂看為美善，如此試驗和操練祂百姓的順服——不僅是在祭壇的莊嚴禮儀中，也在他們自己餐桌上日常的事上——好叫他們記得自己是服在權柄之下。照樣，神在人無辜時也藉著禁止他吃一棵特定的樹來試驗人的順服。2. 大多數被定為不潔淨而禁止的肉食，確實是有害健康、不宜食用的；而我們認為可以食用並照常使用的那些，如兔子、兔子和豬，或許在那些地方、對他們的身體而言，可能是有害的。那麼神在這條律法中對待他們，不過像一個智慧而慈愛的父親對待兒女——禁止他們吃他知道會使他們生病的東西。請注意，主是為身體的；為滿足食慾而損害健康，不僅是愚昧，更是得罪神。3. 神要這樣教導祂的百姓，不僅在宗教敬拜上，在生活的日常行動上也要與別人有所分別。這樣祂要使他們知道，他們不可被列在萬國之中。看來在此以先，希伯來人與其他民族在食物上已有某種分別，藉傳統而保持；因為埃及人和他們不一起吃飯，Ge 43:32。甚至在洪水之前，走獸已有潔淨和不潔淨之分（Ge 7:2），而這分別在外邦人中與許多其他宗教的實例一起失傳了。但藉著這條律法，這分別被確定下來，並被吩咐在猶太人中保持——這樣，藉著有自己獨特的飲食，他們可以避免與拜偶像的鄰舍親密交往，並預表神屬靈的以色列民——後者不是在這些小事上，而是在心靈的性情和生活的道路受約束，以清醒的獨特性來治理，不效法這個世界。學者們進一步觀察到，這條律法中被視為不潔淨而當憎惡的大多數受造之物，正是外邦人所高度尊崇的——不是作為食物，而是用於占卜和向他們的神獻祭；因此此處被列為不潔淨和可憎的，正是他們不會受誘惑去吃的——好使他們對外邦人迷信所重之物保持宗教上的厭惡。在後來的外邦人中，豬被獻給維納斯，貓頭鷹獻給密涅瓦，鷹獻給朱庇特，狗獻給赫卡忒等，而這一切在此都被列為不潔淨。至於走獸，此處設立了一條總則：凡分蹄又倒嚼的都是潔淨的，也只有這些才是潔淨的。這些在De 14:4,5重申律法時被具體列舉——在那裡可以看出，以色列人所獲允許的品種足夠豐富，不必抱怨所受的限制。凡不倒嚼又分蹄的走獸都是不潔淨的——按照這條規則，豬肉、兔肉和家兔肉被禁止，儘管我們通常食用。因此，每當吃這些肉時，我們特別應當為福音所賜的自由感恩——福音教導我們凡神所造的物都是好的，我們不可稱甚麼為俗物或不潔淨的。有人觀察到此處所設分別標準的屬靈意義，或至少可以如此引用。默想和其他在內心隱密處所行的敬虔操練，可以由倒嚼來表示——消化屬靈的食物；對人的公義和恩慈，以及善行的行事為人，可以由分蹄來表示。如今這二者中單有其一不足以使我們在神面前蒙悅納，必須兩者並行——心中有美好的情感，生活上有美好的行為：若缺其一，我們就不潔淨——我們確實是不潔淨的。在被列為不潔淨的一切受造之物中，沒有比豬肉更為敬虔的猶太人所恐懼和厭惡的了。許多人因不肯吃豬肉而被安提阿古處死。這大概是他們最容易被誘惑去吃的，因此他們對自己和兒女灌輸對豬肉的特殊反感，不以豬的本名稱之，而稱之為奇怪之物。看來外邦人迷信地使用豬肉（Isa 65:4：他們吃豬肉）；因此神禁止祂的百姓使用它，免得他們效法鄰舍將它誤用。有人認為，將這些走獸列為不潔淨，是為要警戒百姓防備這些動物的惡劣品性。我們不可像豬一樣污穢、在泥裡打滾，不可像兔子一樣膽怯懦弱，不可像家兔一樣住在地洞裡；享尊榮的人不可使自己像這些必死的走獸一樣。律法不但禁止吃它們，連摸都不可摸；因為要遠離罪惡的人，必須謹慎避開一切試探，以及一切看起來走向罪或引向罪的事物。
⁹ 「水中可吃的乃是這些：凡在水裡、海裡、河裡、有翅有鱗的，都可以吃。
¹⁰ 凡在海裡、河裡，並一切水裡游動的活物，無翅無鱗的，你們都當以為可憎。
¹¹ 這些無翅無鱗、可憎的，你們不可吃牠們的肉；死的也當以為可憎。
¹² 凡水裡無翅無鱗的，你們都當以為可憎。
¹³ 「雀鳥中你們當以為可憎、不可吃的乃是：鵰、狗頭鵰、紅頭鵰、
¹⁴ 鷂鷹與其類；
¹⁵ 烏鴉與其類；
¹⁶ 鴕鳥、夜鷹、魚鷹、鷹與其類；
¹⁷ 鴞鳥、鸕鶿、貓頭鷹、
¹⁸ 角鴟、鵜鶘、禿鵰、
¹⁹ 鸛、鷺鷥與其類；戴鵀與蝙蝠。
此處：1. 關於魚類的一般規則——哪些是潔淨的，哪些不是。凡有翅有鱗的都可吃，只有那些無翅無鱗的奇異水族被禁止，Le 11:9,10。古人視魚為最美味的食物（他們遠非在禁食日允許吃魚，或將吃魚當作克己的例子）；因此神沒有在這方面對百姓多加限制；因為祂是允許祂的僕人不但為需要、也為享受的主。關於被禁止的魚類，說當以為可憎（Le 11:10-12），即「你們當看為不潔淨，不但不可吃，還要遠離。」請注意，凡不潔淨的都當成為我們可憎之物；不可摸不潔淨的物。但請注意，這只對猶太人為可憎之物；鄰近的民族沒有這些義務，這些東西對我們基督徒來說也不是可憎的。猶太人享有獨特的特權，因此免得他們因這些特權而驕傲——他們也同樣受獨特的限制。照樣，神的屬靈以色列民既因福音的收養和友誼之約而高於別人，也當因福音捨己和背十字架的命令而比別人更加克己。2. 關於鳥類，此處沒有給出一般規則，而是具體列舉了他們當禁戒的、視為不潔淨的鳥類，暗示其餘的都可吃。評論家在此大費周章要找出此處所用希伯來詞的確切含義，其中一些至今仍不確定，因為某些鳥類是某些地區特有的。如果這律法現在仍然有效，我們就需要確切知道它禁止了甚麼；也許我們若知道了，並且更熟悉此處所提鳥類的本性，就會讚嘆亞當的知識——他給它們起了表達其本性的名字，Ge 2:20。但律法既已廢除，那學問也大部分失傳，我們只需留意，在被禁止的鳥類中：（1）有些是猛禽，如鷹、禿鷹等，而神要祂的百姓厭惡一切野蠻殘忍之事，不可靠流血和掠奪為生。被掠食的鴿子適合作人的食物和向神獻的祭；但掠食牠們的鳶和鷹卻被視為神和人可憎之物；因為在信心的眼中，為義受逼迫之人的景況各方面都比逼迫他們的人更好。（2）另一些是孤僻的鳥類，棲息在黑暗荒涼之處，如貓頭鷹和鵜鶘（Ps 102:6）、鸕鶿和烏鴉（Isa 34:11）；因為神的以色列不應是憂鬱的百姓，也不應偏好悲傷和長久的獨居。（3）還有些以不潔之物為食，如鸛吃蛇，另一些吃蟲；我們不僅要自己遠離一切不潔，也要遠離那些放任不潔之人的交往。（4）另有些被埃及人和其他外邦人用於占卜。有些鳥被視為吉兆，有些為凶兆；他們的占卜師十分看重這些鳥的飛行——這一切都必須在神的百姓眼中成為可憎之物，因為他們不可學效外邦人的方式。
²⁰ 「凡有翅膀用四足爬行的物，你們都當以為可憎。
²¹ 只是有翅膀用四足爬行的物中，有足有腿，在地上蹦跳的，你們還可以吃。
²² 其中有蝗蟲、螞蚱、蟋蟀與其類；蚱蜢與其類；這些你們都可以吃。
²³ 但是有翅膀用四足爬行的物，你們都當以為可憎。
²⁴ 「這些都能使你們不潔淨；凡摸了死的，必不潔淨到晚上。
²⁵ 凡拿了的，要洗衣服，必不潔淨到晚上。
²⁶ 「凡走獸分蹄不成兩瓣、也不倒嚼的，是與你們不潔淨；凡摸了的就不潔淨。
²⁷ 「凡四足的走獸，用掌行走的，是與你們不潔淨；摸其屍的，必不潔淨到晚上。
²⁸ 拿其屍的，要洗衣服，必不潔淨到晚上；這些是與你們不潔淨的。
²⁹ 「地上爬物與你們不潔淨的，乃是這些：鼬鼠、鼫鼠、蜥蜴與其類；
³⁰ 壁虎、龍子、守宮、蛇醫、蝘蜓。
³¹ 這些爬物都是與你們不潔淨的。在牠死了以後，凡摸了的，必不潔淨到晚上。
³² 其中死了的，掉在甚麼東西上，這東西就不潔淨；無論是木器、衣服、皮子、口袋，不拘是做甚麼工用的器皿，須要放在水中，必不潔淨到晚上；到晚上才潔淨了。
³³ 若有死了掉在瓦器裡的，其中不拘有甚麼，就不潔淨；你們要把這瓦器打破。
³⁴ 一切可吃的食物，沾了這水的，必不潔淨；各樣可喝的飲料，也必不潔淨。
³⁵ 其中死了的，掉在甚麼東西上，這東西就不潔淨；無論是爐子、是鍋臺，就要打碎；都不潔淨，也必與你們不潔淨。
³⁶ 但是泉源或是聚水的池子，仍是潔淨；惟挨了那屍的，就不潔淨。
³⁷ 若是死的，掉在要撒的種子上，種子仍是潔淨；
³⁸ 若水已澆在種子上，那死的掉在上面，就不潔淨。
³⁹ 「你們可吃的走獸若是自死的，摸牠的，必不潔淨到晚上；
⁴⁰ 吃牠肉的，要洗衣服，必不潔淨到晚上；拿牠屍的，也要洗衣服，必不潔淨到晚上。
⁴¹ 「凡地上的爬物，都是可憎的，都不可吃。
⁴² 凡用肚子行走的，和用四足行走的，或是有許多足的，就是一切爬在地上的，你們都不可吃；因為是可憎的。
此處的律法：1. 關於會飛的昆蟲，如蒼蠅、黃蜂、蜜蜂等——這些不可吃（Le 11:20），它們確實也不宜吃；但有幾種蝗蟲在那些地方是很好的食物，且廣為使用：施洗約翰在曠野就以蝗蟲為食，此處也允許他們吃，Le 11:21,22。2. 關於地上爬行的物——這些全部被禁止（Le 11:29,30，又Le 11:41,42）；因為蛇的咒詛就是用肚子行走，因此蛇與人之間被安置了仇恨（Ge 3:15），這條律法保持了這仇恨。塵土是爬行動物的食物，因此它們不宜作人的食物。3. 關於這些不潔淨動物的死屍。（1）凡摸了它們的，必不潔淨到晚上，Le 11:24-28。這條律法屢次重申，為要使他們對一切被禁止之物心存畏懼——雖然看不出禁令的具體理由，只有立法者的旨意。這不是說那些東西被視為能玷污良心，也不是說摸了就是得罪神——除非是出於藐視律法：在許多情形中，總有人必須去摸它們來移除；但他們所沾染的是禮儀上的不潔，這不潔使他們暫時不可進會幕，不可吃聖物，甚至不可與鄰舍親密交往。但這不潔只持續到晚上，表示一切禮儀上的污染都要因基督在世界末日的死而結束。我們也當學會每晚為當日的罪更新悔改，從而洗淨我們因罪所沾染的污穢，免得我們在不潔中躺下。不潔淨的動物活著時他們可以摸而不沾染禮儀上的不潔——如馬和狗，因為允許他們使用它們服務；但它們死了就不可摸，因為不可吃它們的肉；而不可吃的也不可摸，Ge 3:3。（2）連它們掉在上面的器皿或其他物品也因此不潔到晚上（Le 11:32），若是瓦器就要打破，Le 11:33。這教導他們即使在日常行動中也要小心避免一切污染之物。不但聖所的器皿，連耶路撒冷和猶大的一切鍋都當歸耶和華為聖，Zec 14:20,21。這些情形中的律法非常嚴格，遵守起來我們會覺得困難——例如，凡死老鼠或死鼠掉在上面的東西都算不潔；若是爐子或鍋臺，就要全部打碎，Le 11:35。例外情況也很微妙，Le 11:36等。這一切都是為了訓練他們在順服上恆常謹慎和精確，並教導我們這些因基督脫離了這些繁重儀式的人，在律法更重要的事上不可更不謹慎。我們當同樣殷勤地保護我們寶貴的靈魂免受罪的污染，一旦污染便同樣迅速地潔淨——正如他們保護和潔淨自己的身體和家中器具免受禮儀上的污染一樣。
⁴³ 你們不可因甚麼爬物使自己成為可憎的，也不可因這些使自己不潔淨，以致沾染污穢。
⁴⁴ 我是耶和華你們的神；所以你們要成為聖潔，因為我是聖潔的；你們也不可在地上的爬物污穢自己。
⁴⁵ 我是把你們從埃及地領出來的耶和華，要作你們的神；所以你們要聖潔，因為我是聖潔的。
⁴⁶ 這是走獸、飛鳥和一切在水裡游動的活物，並一切爬在地上之物的條例，
⁴⁷ 要把潔淨的和不潔淨的，可吃的與不可吃的活物，都分別出來。
此處：一、這律法的解釋，或說使我們明白其意義的鑰匙。它不是僅僅作為一份菜單，或如醫生關於飲食的指示，而是神要藉此教導他們自潔成聖，Le 11:44。即：1. 他們當藉此學會分辨善惡，並認識到既然他們所吃的不是都一樣，他們所做的也不能都一樣。2. 恆常遵守神的律法，在一切行動中——即使是日常的事——都以此為準則，按敬虔的樣式而行，3Jo 1:6。連吃喝都當按規矩、為榮耀神而行，1Co 10:31。3. 將自己與一切鄰舍分別出來，作為歸神為聖的百姓，有義務不效法外邦人而行：這一切都是聖潔。這樣，這些世俗的小學就成了他們的師傅和管家（Ga 4:2,3），引導他們歸向那復興我們在亞當裡最初光景、並作我們在基督裡最美光景之憑據的事——那就是聖潔，非聖潔沒有人能見主。這誠然是一切典章的大旨——藉此我們自潔並學會成聖。連這條似乎如此卑微的關乎食物的律法，目標也是如此崇高，因為它是天上的成文律法——在舊約和新約中都是一樣——非聖潔沒有人能見主。因此那警戒（Le 11:43）說：你們不可因甚麼爬物使自己成為可憎的。請注意，與那可憎之物——罪——交往，我們就使自己成為可憎。那在神眼中為可憎的人實在可憐；而除了那些使自己成為可憎的人之外，沒有別人是可憎的。猶太學者自己暗示，這條律法的目的是禁止他們與外邦人藉婚姻或其他方式有任何交往，De 7:2,3。照樣，其道德層面也約束我們，禁止我們與那暗昧無益的事相交；而沒有這心靈和生活的真實聖潔，獻供物的人如同獻豬血（Isa 66:3）；若人自己吃豬肉已是如此惹神憤怒，那麼在神的祭壇上獻豬血豈不更加如此；見Pr 15:8。
二、這律法的理由；這一切都取自立法者本身——我們在一切順服的行動中都當尊重祂。1. 我是耶和華你們的神，Le 11:44。「所以你們有義務如此行，純粹出於順服。」神對我們的主權和對我們的所有權，使我們有義務做祂所吩咐的一切，無論這與我們的傾向多麼相悖。2. 我是聖潔的，Le 11:44，又Le 11:45。神若是聖潔的，我們也必須如此，否則不能指望蒙祂悅納。祂的聖潔是祂的榮耀（Ex 15:11），因此祂的殿永稱為聖，Ps 93:5。這條大誡命如此被強調，雖然它出現在一系列已廢除的律法中間，卻被引用並被蓋印為福音的誡命，1Pe 1:16——那裡暗示，這一切禮儀上的限制都是為了教導我們不可隨從我們無知時的私慾，Le 11:14。3. 我是將你們從埃及地領出來的耶和華，Le 11:45。這是他們當甘心順服那些分別之法的一個理由——因他們近日來蒙了如此奇妙的分別之恩而被高舉。那為他們所做的比為任何別的百姓都多的神，自然有權要求他們更多。
三、這條例的結語：這是走獸和飛鳥的條例等，Le 11:46,47。這條律法對他們來說是永遠的定例——即在那制度存續期間；但在福音之下，我們看到它被天上對彼得所發的聲音明確廢止（Ac 10:15），正如它在先前已被基督的死與其他在使用中就敗壞了的條例一起實際上廢止了一樣：不可摸、不可嘗、不可拿，Col 2:21,22。如今我們確知食物不能叫神看中我們（1Co 8:8），且凡物本來沒有不潔淨的（Ro 14:14），那入人口的不能污穢人，惟獨從心裡出來的才能，Mt 15:11。因此讓我們：1. 感謝神我們不在這軛之下，而是神所造的每一樣對我們都是好的，沒有甚麼當拒絕的。2. 在基督使我們自由的自由中站立得穩，當心那些禁止嫁娶，又禁戒食物的教訓——那些教訓會使摩西律法復活，1Ti 4:3,4。3. 在使用神所允許的美物上嚴格而有良心地節制。若神的律法給了我們自由，讓我們自行約束，決不放縱而無所恐懼地餵養自己，免得我們的筵席成為網羅。你若是貪食的，就當拿刀放在喉嚨上；不可羨慕他的美味或花樣，Pr 23:2,3。自然知足於少，恩典知足於更少，但貪慾卻甚麼也不知足。
英文原文
Distinction of Meats (1490 BC)
¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,
² Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.
³ Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.
⁴ Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
⁵ And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
⁶ And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
⁷ And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.
⁸ Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.
Now that Aaron was consecrated a high priest over the house of God, God spoke to him with Moses, and appointed them both as joint-commissioners to deliver his will to the people. He spoke both to Moses and to Aaron about this matter; for it was particularly required of the priests that they should put a difference between clean and unclean, and teach the people to do so. After the flood, when God entered into covenant with Noah and his sons, he allowed them to eat flesh (Ge 9:13), whereas before they were confined to the productions of the earth. But the liberty allowed to the sons of Noah is here limited to the sons of Israel. They might eat flesh, but not all kinds of flesh; some they must look upon as unclean and forbidden to them, others as clean and allowed them. The law in this matter is both very particular and very strict. But what reason can be given for this law? Why may not God's people have as free a use of all the creatures as other people? 1. It is reason enough that God would have it so: his will, as it is law sufficient, so it is reason sufficient; for his will is his wisdom. He saw good thus to try and exercise the obedience of his people, not only in the solemnities of his altar, but in matters of daily occurrence at their own table, that they might remember they were under authority. Thus God had tried the obedience of man in innocency, by forbidding him to eat of one particular tree. 2. Most of the meats forbidden as unclean are such as were really unwholesome, and not fit to be eaten; and those of them that we think wholesome enough, and use accordingly, as the rabbit, the hare, and the swine, perhaps in those countries, and to their bodies, might be hurtful. And then God in this law did by them but as a wise and loving father does by his children, whom he restrains from eating that which he knows will make them sick. Note, The Lord is for the body, and it is not only folly, but sin against God, to prejudice our health for the pleasing of our appetite. 3. God would thus teach his people to distinguish themselves from other people, not only in their religious worship, but in the common actions of life. Thus he would show them that they must not be numbered among the nations. It should seem there had been, before this, some difference between the Hebrews and other nations in their food, kept up by tradition; for the Egyptians and they would not eat together, Ge 43:32. And even before the flood there was a distinction of beasts into clean and not clean (Ge 7:2), which distinction was quite lost, with many other instances of religion, among the Gentiles. But by this law it is reduced to a certainty, and ordered to be kept up among the Jews, that thus, by having a diet peculiar to themselves, they might be kept from familiar conversation with their idolatrous neighbours, and might typify God's spiritual Israel, who not in these little things, but in the temper of their spirits, and the course of their lives, should be governed by a sober singularity, and not be conformed to this world. The learned observe further, That most of the creatures which by this law were to be abominated as unclean were such as were had in high veneration among the heathen, not so much for food as for divination and sacrifice to their gods; and therefore those are here mentioned as unclean, and an abomination, which yet they would not be in any temptation to eat, that they might keep up a religious loathing of that for which the Gentiles had a superstitious value. The swine, with the later Gentiles, was sacred to Venus, the owl to Minerva, the eagle to Jupiter, the dog to Hecate, etc., and all these are here made unclean. As to the beasts, there is a general rule laid down, that those which both part the hoof and chew the cud were clean, and those only: these are particularly mentioned in the repetition of this law (De 14:4,5), where it appears that the Israelites had variety enough allowed them, and needed not to complain of the confinement they were under. Those beasts that did not both chew the cud and divide the hoof were unclean, by which rule the flesh of swine, and of hares, and of rabbits, was prohibited to them, though commonly used among us. Therefore, particularly at the eating of any of these, we should give thanks for the liberty granted us in this matter by the gospel, which teaches us that every creature of God is good, and we are to call nothing common or unclean. Some observe a significancy in the rule here laid down for them to distinguish by, or at least think it may be alluded to. Meditation, and other acts of devotion done by the hidden man of the heart, may be signified by the chewing of the cud, digesting our spiritual food; justice and charity towards men, and the acts of a good conversation, may be signified by the dividing of the hoof. Now either of these without the other will not serve to recommend us to God, but both must go together, good affections in the heart and good works in the life: if either be wanting, we are not clean, surely we are not clean. Of all the creatures here forbidden as unclean, none has been more dreaded and detested by the pious Jews than swine's flesh. Many were put to death by Antiochus because they would not eat it. This, probably, they were most in danger of being tempted to, and therefore possessed themselves and their children with a particular antipathy to it, calling it not by its proper name, but a strange thing. It should seem the Gentiles used it superstitiously (Isa 65:4), they eat swine's flesh; and therefore God forbids all use of it to his people, lest they should learn of their neighbours to make that ill use of it. Some suggest that the prohibition of these beasts as unclean was intended to be a caution to the people against the bad qualities of these creatures. We must not be filthy nor wallow in the mire as swine, nor be timorous and faint-hearted as hares, nor dwell in the earth as rabbits; let not man that is in honour make himself like these beasts that perish. The law forbade, not only the eating of them, but the very touching of them; for those that would be kept from any sin must be careful to avoid all temptations to it, and every thing that looks towards it or leads to it.
⁹ These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
¹⁰ And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:
¹¹ They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.
¹² Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.
¹³ And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,
¹⁴ And the vulture, and the kite after his kind;
¹⁵ Every raven after his kind;
¹⁶ And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,
¹⁷ And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,
¹⁸ And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,
¹⁹ And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.
Here is, 1. A general rule concerning fishes, which were clean and which not. All that had fins and scales they might eat, and only those odd sorts of water-animals that have not were forbidden, Le 11:9,10. The ancients accounted fish the most delicate food (so far were they from allowing it on fasting-days, or making it an instance of mortification to eat fish); therefore God did not lay much restraint upon his people in them; for he is a Master that allows his servants not only for necessity but for delight. Concerning the prohibited fish it is said, They shall be an abomination to you (Le 11:10-12), that is, "You shall count them unclean, and not only not eat of them, but keep at a distance from them." Note, Whatever is unclean should be to us an abomination; touch not the unclean thing. But observe, It was to be an abomination only to Jews; the neighbouring nations were under none of these obligations, nor are these things to be an abomination to us Christians. The Jews were honoured with peculiar privileges, and therefore, lest they should be proud of those, Transeunt cum onere—They were likewise laid under peculiar restraints. Thus God's spiritual Israel, as they are dignified above others by the gospel-covenant of adoption and friendship, so they must be mortified more than others by the gospel-commands of self-denial and bearing the cross. 2. Concerning fowls here is no general rule given, but a particular enumeration of those fowls that they must abstain from as unclean, which implies an allowance of all others. The critics here have their hands full to find out what is the true signification of the Hebrew words here used, some of which still remain uncertain, some sorts of fowls being peculiar to some countries. Were the law in force now, we should be concerned to know with certainty what are prohibited by it; and perhaps if we did, and were better acquainted with the nature of the fowls here mentioned, we should admire the knowledge of Adam, in giving them names expressive of their natures, Ge 2:20. But the law being repealed, and the learning in a great measure lost, it is sufficient for us to observe that of the fowls here forbidden, (1.) Some are birds of prey, as the eagle, vulture, etc., and God would have his people to abhor every thing that is barbarous and cruel, and not to live by blood and rapine. Doves that are preyed upon were fit to be food for man and offerings to God; but kites and hawks that prey upon them must be looked upon as an abomination to God and man; for the condition of those that are persecuted for righteousness' sake appears to an eye of faith every way better than that of their persecutors. (2.) Others of them are solitary birds, that abide in dark and desolate places, as the owl and the pelican (Ps 102:6), and the cormorant and raven (Isa 34:11); for God's Israel should not be a melancholy people, nor affect sadness and constant solitude. (3.) Others of them feed upon that which is impure, as the stork on serpents, others of them on worms; and we must not only abstain from all impurity ourselves, but from communion with those that allow themselves in it. (4.) Others of them were used by the Egyptians and other Gentiles in their divinations. Some birds were reckoned fortunate, others ominous; and their soothsayers had great regard to the flights of these birds, all which therefore must be an abomination to God's people, who must not learn the way of the heathen.
²⁰ All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you.
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;
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.
²³ But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.
²⁴ And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even.
²⁵ And whosoever beareth ought of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.
²⁶ The carcases of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean.
²⁷ And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even.
²⁸ And he that beareth the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you.
²⁹ These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind,
³⁰ And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole.
³¹ These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even.
³² 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.
³³ And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it.
³⁴ Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which such water cometh shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean.
³⁵ And every thing whereupon any part of their carcase falleth shall be unclean; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean, and shall be unclean unto you.
³⁶ Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean.
³⁷ And if any part of their carcase fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean.
³⁸ But if any water be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcase fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you.
³⁹ And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even.
⁴⁰ And he that eateth of the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.
⁴¹ And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten.
⁴² Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.
Here is the law, 1. Concerning flying insects, as flies, wasps, bees, etc.; these they might not eat (Le 11:20), nor indeed are they fit to be eaten; but there were several sorts of locusts which in those countries were very good meat, and much used: John Baptist lived upon them in the desert, and they are here allowed them, Le 11:21,22. 2. Concerning the creeping things on the earth; these were all forbidden (Le 11:29,30, and again, Le 11:41,42); for it was the curse of the serpent that upon his belly he should go, and therefore between him and man there was an enmity put (Ge 3:15), which was preserved by this law. Dust is the meat of the creeping things, and therefore they are not fit to be man's meat. 3. Concerning the dead carcasses of all these unclean animals. (1.) Every one that touched them was to be unclean until the evening, Le 11:24-28. This law is often repeated, to possess them with a dread of every thing that was prohibited, though no particular reason for the prohibition did appear, but only the will of the Law-maker. Not that they were to be looked upon as defiling to the conscience, or that it was a sin against God to touch them, unless done in contempt of the law: in many cases, somebody must of necessity touch them, to remove them; but it was a ceremonial uncleanness they contracted, which for the time forbade them to come into the tabernacle, or to eat of any of the holy things, or so much as to converse familiarly with their neighbours. But the uncleanness continued only till the evening, to signify that all ceremonial pollutions were to come to an end by the death of Christ in the evening of the world. And we must learn, by daily renewing our repentance every night for the sins of the day, to cleanse ourselves from the pollution we contract by them, that we may not lie down in our uncleanness. Even unclean animals they might touch while they were alive without contracting any ceremonial uncleanness by it, as horses and dogs, because they were allowed to use them for service; but they might not touch them when they were dead, because they might not eat their flesh; and what must not be eaten must not be touched, Ge 3:3. (2.) Even the vessels, or other things they fell upon, were thereby made unclean until the evening (Le 11:32), and if they were earthen vessels they must be broken, Le 11:33. This taught them carefully to avoid every thing that was polluting, even in their common actions. Not only the vessels of the sanctuary, but every pot in Jerusalem and Judah, must be holiness to the Lord, Zec 14:20,21. The laws in these cases are very critical, and the observance of them would be difficult, we should think, if every thing that a dead mouse or rat, for instance, falls upon must be unclean; and if it were an oven, or ranges for pots, they must all be broken down, Le 11:35. The exceptions also are very nice, Le 11:36, etc. All this was designed to exercise them to a constant care and exactness in their obedience, and to teach us, who by Christ are delivered from these burdensome observances, not to be less circumspect in the more weighty matters of the law. We ought as industriously to preserve our precious souls from the pollutions of sin, and as speedily to cleanse them when they are polluted, as they were to preserve and cleanse their bodies and household goods from those ceremonial pollutions.
⁴³ Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.
⁴⁴ For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
⁴⁵ For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
⁴⁶ This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:
⁴⁷ 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.
Here is, I. The exposition of this law, or a key to let us into the meaning of it. It was not intended merely for a bill of fare, or as the directions of a physician about their diet, but God would hereby teach them to sanctify themselves and to be holy, Le 11:44. That is, 1. They must hereby learn to put a difference between good and evil, and to reckon that it could not be all alike what they did, when it was not all alike what they ate. 2. To maintain a constant observance of the divine law, and to govern themselves by that in all their actions, even those that are common, which ought to be performed after a godly sort, 3Jo 1:6. Even eating and drinking must be by rule, and to the glory of God, 1Co 10:31. 3. To distinguish themselves from all their neighbours, as a people set apart for God, and obliged not to walk as the Gentiles: and all this is holiness. Thus these rudiments of the world were their tutors and governors (Ga 4:2,3), to bring them to that which is the revival of our first state in Adam and the earnest of our best state with Christ, that is, holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. This is indeed the great design of all the ordinances, that by them we may sanctify ourselves and learn to be holy. Even This law concerning their food, which seemed to stoop so very low, aimed thus high, for it was the statute-law of heaven, under the Old Testament as well as the New, that without holiness no man shall see the Lord. The caution therefore (Le 11:43) is, You shall not make yourselves abominable. Note, By having fellowship with sin, which is abominable, we make ourselves abominable. That man is truly miserable who is in the sight of God abominable; and none are so but those that make themselves so. The Jewish writers themselves suggest that the intention of this law was to forbid them all communion by marriage, or otherwise, with the heathen, De 7:2,3. And thus the moral of it is obligatory on us, forbidding us to have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness; and, without this real holiness of the heart and life, he that offereth an oblation is as if he offered swine's blood (Isa 66:3); and, if it was such a provocation for a man to eat swine's flesh himself, much more it must be so to offer swine's blood at God's altar; see Pr 15:8.
II. The reasons of this law; and they are all taken from the Law-maker himself, to whom we must have respect in all acts of obedience. 1. I am the Lord your God, Le 11:44. "Therefore you are bound to do thus, in pure obedience." God's sovereignty over us, and propriety in us, oblige us to do whatever he commands us, how much soever it crosses our inclinations. 2. I am holy, Le 11:44, and again, Le 11:45. If God be holy, we must be so, else we cannot expect to be accepted of him. His holiness is his glory (Ex 15:11), and therefore it becomes his house for ever, Ps 93:5. This great precept, thus enforced, though it comes in here in the midst of abrogated laws, is quoted and stamped for a gospel precept, 1Pe 1:16, where it is intimated that all these ceremonial restraints were designed to teach us that we must not fashion ourselves according to our former lusts in our ignorance, Le 11:14. 3. I am the Lord that bringeth you out of the land of Egypt, Le 11:45. This was a reason why they should cheerfully submit to distinguishing laws, having of late been so wonderfully dignified with distinguishing favours. He that had done more for them than for any other people might justly expect more from them.
III. The conclusion of this statute: This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, etc., Le 11:46,47. This law was to them a statute for ever, that is, as long as that economy lasted; but under the gospel we find it expressly repealed by a voice from heaven to Peter (Ac 10:15), as it had before been virtually set aside by the death of Christ, with the other ordinances that perished in the using: Touch not, taste not, handle not, Col 2:21,22. And now we are sure that meat commends us not to God (1Co 8:8), and that nothing is unclean of itself (Ro 14:14), nor does that defile a man which goes into his mouth, but that which comes out from the heart, Mt 15:11. Let us therefore, 1. Give thanks to God that we are not under this yoke, but that to us every creature of God is allowed as good, and nothing to be refused. 2. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and take heed of those doctrines which command to abstain from meats, and so would revive Moses again, 1Ti 4:3,4. 3. Be strictly and conscientiously temperate in the use of the good creatures God has allowed us. If God's law has given us liberty, let us lay restraints upon ourselves, and never feed ourselves without fear, lest our table be a snare. Set a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite; and be not desirous of dainties or varieties, Pr 23:2,3. Nature is content with little, grace with less, but lust with nothing.
使徒將禮儀律描述為（Heb 9:9,10）不僅包含「禮物和祭物」——這是本書迄今為止所論及的——還包含「飲食和各樣洗濯的規矩」，即關於禮儀上不潔的潔淨條例。這些律法從本章開始，將某些肉類分別出來，有的算為潔淨可以食用，有的算為不潔淨則禁止食用。「人有人的肉體。」想到吃人肉，天性便會驚懼，除了那些已達到極度野蠻、與禽獸只差一步的人以外，無人會如此行；因此不必再立法禁止。但「另有走獸的肉」，律法在此有所指示（Le 11:1-8），「又有魚的肉」（Le 11:9-12），「又有鳥的肉」（Le 11:13-19），以及「又有爬物的肉」，分為兩類：會飛的爬物（Le 11:20-28）和在地上爬行的爬物，Le 11:29-43。最後，律法以聖潔的總則及其理由作為總結，Le 11:44-47等。