Understanding the Difference Between Unclean and Abominable Animals in Leviticus 11

What is the difference between unclean and abominable? Scripture uses both of these words in Leviticus 11 and elsewhere in regards to animal flesh. It's important for believers to make a distinction between these two words in order to correctly understand Scripture, and to understand Biblical eating guidelines.

One argument you're likely to hear against following the Bible's laws concerning what we eat is that it's not sin to become unclean, and certain animals - like pigs and shellfish - are "just" unclean. The logic is if it's not sin to become unclean, it must be okay to eat something that makes you unclean. However this is not what Scripture says!

It's true that being in an unclean state is not in and of itself sin. But it's not true that that certain animals are "just" unclean. If you take a look at Leviticus 11 you can see that it lists certain animals as abominable. The Hebrew word for abomination is seqes, and it means that that thing is detestable and can be related to idol worship! The connection to idol worship is not predicated on if the person eating abominable flesh means it to be idol worship or not; the connection remains regardless of intentions. The English word abominable can mean disgusting and if you read this chapter that is mostly the impression you get...in our culture today the idea of eating animals like dogs, bats, rodents, and such is a repulsive thought. The Bible is saying that it shouldn't even cross our minds to eat these things.

Please note that nowhere in Leviticus 11 or elsewhere in the Bible does it say that if you choose to eat certain animals you will become unclean.  When it talks about eating non-permissible animals it calls that an abomination! When the word 'unclean' appears later in Leviticus 11:24 it is in regards to simply touching the dead flesh of certain animals. That means you don't become unclean for petting a dog or cat or riding a horse - only if you touch or deal with the carcass of one. This certainly seems like a sensible regulation - if someone has just touched a dead racoon, you probably don't want to hold their hand or let them chop the vegetables for dinner. This passage of Scripture also gives us directions here for what happens if something unclean, like a mouse, ends up in a cooking pot.  

If you touch a carcass of an unclean animal - whether that's to put bacon in a skillet or to cleanup an animal that died - you become unclean. But if you eat the carcass of one of these animals that is an abomination according to Leviticus 11:11! Doing something that the Bible says is an abomination is sin.

The Bible calls animals like dogs, pigs, horses, and monkeys unclean, and by touching their carcasses we become unclean as well. Again, being in an unclean state is not a sin, and sometimes it is unavoidable. But the Bible does not say that being in an unclean state is all the consequence there is to consuming forbidden animals. The issue with eating these things is not that we would become unclean, but that we would be in sin!  It is wrong to to eat animals that the Word of God made a point of telling us not to. 

Many people believe that the New Testament changed the commandments around this, but if you study those passages you will see that the foundational dietary principles of Scripture that were outlined in Leviticus 11 remain unchanged.

Related posts:
Understanding 1 Corinthians 10:27
Four Distinctions We Need to Make to Understand Scripture
Peter's Vision Was About People - Not What We Eat

The Meaning of Peter's Vision of the Unclean Animals in Acts 10 (As Explained by Acts 11)

This post explains the meaning of Peter's vision of the sheet of unclean animals descending from the heavens from Acts 10:13. Did you know that Peter himself actually explained the meaning of the words "kill and eat" to mean something besides what we have been told by churches and Bible commentary? Most of Acts chapter 11 addresses it's true meaning to be about people and not once does it say it's about what we eat! 

"Get up, Peter, kill and eat." -Acts 10:13

This passage makes it clear that it's now okay to eat anything and everything, right? Even the animals forbidden in Leviticus 11? I used to think so, but a deeper examination of this passage says otherwise. Are you familiar with Peter's vision of the animals on the sheet in Acts 10?

He became hungry and wished to eat. But while they were preparing, he fell into a trance, and he saw the heaven opened and a vessel like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth, in which were all kinds of four footed beasts, and wild beasts, and creeping creatures, and birds of the heavens. And a voice came and said, "Get up, Peter, kill and eat."
But Peter said, "Not at all, Master! Because I have never eaten anything unclean."
And a voice came to him again and said, "What YHWH has cleansed you do not consider common or unclean." -Acts 10:10-15

Well that's pretty obvious, right? He's looking at animals and being told to eat, so it must be about food. Peter initially thought it was about food too, which is why he responds by saying that he has never violated the dietary instructions of Scripture. That response of itself is very telling. Peter spent more time than perhaps anyone on earth in the presence of the Messiah. If Jesus had taught or believed it was okay to eat things forbidden by Scripture, Peter would have known that. This vision happened around a decade after Yahusha ascended into heaven, and Peter still hadn't eaten anything forbidden. Since he was convinced that nothing had changed, he was very confused by this vision. He was shown this vision of the animals three times (verse 17), and then it says he "doubted within himself" what this might mean. Why was he confused? Because he knew it couldn't have been about what we eat!

Peter was confused. This is a man who heard teachings first hand and received personal instruction from Yahusha the Messiah, son of YHWH for years. Someone who asked the Messiah questions, and had them answered. One of the best preachers of the Gospel in history. Arguably the clearest writer and teacher in the New Testament. He had no idea what that could mean. If Peter was unsure, is it reasonable to assume that we can spend 20 seconds on the text and have the correct understanding?

As you may know, Scripture tells us that while Peter was still trying to figure this out some men came to request that Peter come with them to teach to Cornelius and his household. The same voice that said "Kill and eat," told him to go with them, and he did. Why was a voice from Heaven needed to convince Peter to go? Because Cornelius wasn't Jewish, and going to his home was forbidden by Peter's tribe (Acts 10:28), though permissible according to Scripture. On his way there, the meaning of the vision became clear to Peter.

And he said to them, "You know a Jew is not allowed to associate with, or go to one of another race. But YHWH has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean." -Acts 10:28

Peter himself explains this confusing vision to us. While Scripture is quick to correct Peter, ("Get behind me, Satan!") nothing is ever said to contradict his interpretation. He then reiterates his understanding of this again to the other Disciples in Acts 11, taking up almost an entire chapter to do so. Yes, that's right, there is a chapter of the Bible that explains this vision, showing us people are what we shouldn't call unclean or unfit for redemption. In fact, a fair amount of what happens in the rest of the book of Acts is about Paul and other Disciples going to share the Gospel with people they otherwise wouldn't have, considering them too 'unclean' or common for redemption. This vision corrected bad practices rooted in tradition instead of the word of God!

You see, the Disciples had fallen into some wrong beliefs about who can be grafted into Israel. YHWH wanted to be absolutely certain that no one was excluded from the Good News of the Messiah. He gave Peter this vision to show him that even people who didn't have ancestors in Israel (common), or people that had lived wrongly in sin (unclean), could repent and be welcomed into the family of YHWH.

Having heard this, they were silent, and praised YHWH, saying, "Then YHWH has indeed also given to the nations repentance to life." -Acts 11:18

This vision is about one of the root issues in Scripture...that we can all be grafted into the tree of Israel. It's not about our bloodline or family lineage, or knowing for sure our ancestors were part of ancient Israel. This is about the lost tribes being regathered into YHWH's people. No matter someone's past or where they are from, redemption is possible through the Messiah. 

That's how Peter explained his vision. That's what the other disciples understood this vision to mean. And that's what the Bible says it meant when God showed Peter the unclean animals and he heard the phrase, "Kill and eat!" Even though we have been told that this means God did away with the dietary instructions of the Old Testament, that is not at all what Peter or anyone else in the book of Acts thought about this. Acts 11 explains the meaning and not once does it mention food or what we eat.

More about what the New Testament says about food:
Understanding the Messiah Declaring All Foods Clean
Romans 14 Explained (Key to Understanding New Testament Verses on Food)
Why 1 Timothy 4 Doesn't Mean that All Animals Should Be Eaten