Leviticus 11:39 (DBY)

Passage

And if any beast which is to you for food die, he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even.

Nearby Context

Leviticus 11:37 And if any part of their carcase fall upon any sowing-seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean;

Leviticus 11:38 but if water have been put on the seed, and any part of their carcase fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you.

Leviticus 11:39 And if any beast which is to you for food die, he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even.

Leviticus 11:40 And he that eateth of its carcase shall wash his garments, and be unclean until the even: he also that carrieth its carcase shall wash his garments, and be unclean until the even.

Leviticus 11:41 And every crawling thing which crawleth on the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "beast", "food", "toucheth", "carcase", "thereof", "shall", "unclean", and "until". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "beast" and "food", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 38's "but if water have been put on..." into verse 40's "And he that eateth of its carcase...", so "beast" and "food" 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 "beast" and "food" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.