Leviticus 11:9 (ASV)

Passage

These may ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, that may ye eat.

Nearby Context

Leviticus 11:7 And the swine, because he parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, but cheweth not the cud, he is unclean unto you.

Leviticus 11:8 Of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcasses ye shall not touch; they are unclean unto you.

Leviticus 11:9 These may ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, that may ye eat.

Leviticus 11:10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of all the living creatures that are in the waters, they are an abomination unto you,

Leviticus 11:11 and they shall be an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, and their carcasses ye shall have in abomination.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "waters", "whatsoever", "hath", "fins", "scales", "seas", and "rivers". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "waters" and "whatsoever", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "Of their flesh ye shall not eat..." into verse 10's "And all that have not fins and...", so "waters" and "whatsoever" 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 "waters" and "whatsoever" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.