Leviticus 11:41 (ASV)

Passage

And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth is an abomination; it shall not be eaten.

Nearby Context

Leviticus 11:39 And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcass thereof shall be unclean until the even.

Leviticus 11:40 And he that eateth of the carcass of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcass of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.

Leviticus 11:41 And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth is an abomination; it shall not be eaten.

Leviticus 11:42 Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all fours, or whatsoever hath many feet, even all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.

Leviticus 11:43 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.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "creeping", "creepeth", "upon", "earth", "abomination", "shall", and "eaten". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "creeping" and "creepeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 40's "And he that eateth of the carcass..." into verse 42's "Whatsoever goeth upon the belly and whatsoever...", so "creeping" and "creepeth" belong inside that flow. In Leviticus context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "creeping" and "creepeth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.