Leviticus 11:42 (ASV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

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.

Leviticus 11:44 For I am Jehovah your God: sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that moveth upon the earth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whatsoever", "goeth", "upon", "belly", and "fours". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "whatsoever" and "goeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 41's "And every creeping thing that creepeth upon..." into verse 43's "Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with...", so "whatsoever" and "goeth" 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 "whatsoever" and "goeth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.