The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 209

not eoientiflo language is used here, as In 19), lapwing (ver. 19), should be substituted, Josh. x. 12, "o.e we might speak of whales ibis, great pWl!er, hoopoe. In the ease of the and their congeners aa fish, when there is no bat, we have again phenomenal language need of scientific o.ccuracy" (Clark). " All used. Being generally regarded as a biz~ these marks of distinction in the Levitical it is classed with birds. law are wisely and even necessarily made Ven. 20-23.-All fowls that creep ~hould on the baeia of popular observation and rather be rendered all tsinged creeping things, belief, not on that of anatomical exactness. that is, all flying insects. None are allowed Otherwise the people would have been con- except the Saltatoria, or locust family. The tinually liable to error. Scientifically, the word translated beetle signifies a sort of camel would be said to divide the hoof, and locust, like the other three words. That the the hare does not chew the cud. But laws locust was a regular article of food in Pales- for popular use must necessarily employ tine is amply proved. "It is well known terms as they are popularly understood. that locusts wero eaten by many of the These matters are often referred to aa scien- nations of antiquity, both in Asia and Africa,. tifio errors; whereas they were simply and even the ancient Greek thought the descriptions, necessarily popular, for the cicadas very agreeable in flavour (Ariet.' Hist. understanding and enforcement of the law" An.,' 5, 30). In Arabia they are sold in the (Gardiner). market, sometimes strung upon cords, some- Ver. 7.-The &Wine, though he divide the times by measure, and they are also dried and hoof, and be olove:a.footed. Here, o.gain, the kept in bags for winter use . . . . They are, description ia not according to anatomical generally cooked onr hot coals, or on a plate, analysis, but to ordinary appearance. The or in an oven, or stewed in butter, and eaten pig appear~ to be cloven-footed, and it would either with salt or with spice and vinegar, the be millleading to give any other account of bead, wings, and feet being thrown away. hie foot in ordinary speech, but scientifically They are al&o boiled in salt and water, and speaking, be bas four toes. The prohibition eaten with salt or butter. Another process of the use of swine's flesh does not ariae is to dry them thoroughly, and then grind from the fear of trichinosis or other disease, them into meal, and make cakes of them" but from the disgust ea.used by the car- (Keil). (Cf. Matt. iii. 4.) The expression nivorous and filthy habits of the Eo.stom pig. goeth npon all fonr, means grovelling or- The repulsion originally felt for swine's going in a horizontal J?Osition, in contrast :flesh was natural, and, where the animal is with two-legged birds, Just spoken of. carnivorous, is still natural, but where its Vere. 24-28.-These verses contoin an habits are changed, ond it has become expansion of the warning contained in ver. simply grominivorous, the feeling has ceased 8, to the effect that the touch of the dead to exist. bodies of the forbidden animals was defiling, Ver. 8.-0f their carcase shall ye not tonoh. as well as the consumption of their flesh. A Thie prohibition is founded upon the same further mark of an unclean animal is added feeling of disgust as the prohibition of in ver. 27: Whatsoever geeth upon his paws; eating their flesh. Whatever is foul must that ia, wh11.tevcr has not hoofs, but goes• be avoided. stealthily, like beo.sts of prey of the oot kind. Vere. 9--12.-Whataoever hath flna and It includes also doge. aoalea. The absence of fins and scales, or Vers. 29, 80.-The creeping thingll that their apparent absence-for phenomenal oreep npon the earth. This class contains language is used, ClS before-gives to fish things that go on their belly, but have not a repulsive look, on which is grounded the wings, like the previous class of creeping prohibition to cat them. Eels and shell-fish things (vers. 20-23). By the words trans- arn thus forbidden, though a long course of lated tortoise, ferret, ohameleon, lizard, snail, experience ho.s now to.ken away the feeling mole, different varieties of the lizard are- of repulsion with which they were once probably meant. The mouse is joined by looked upon. Tho flesh of the beasts for- IBlliah with "eating swine's flesh and the bidden to be eaten is only described as abomination" (I.ea. )xvi. 17). unclean, but thut of the prohibited fish, Ver11. 81-88.-All the little animals just birds, insects, and vermin, is designated as mentioned-weasels, mico, and lizards-are an abomination nnto you. more likely than those of a larger size to be· Vers.13-19.-The unclean birds are those found dead in domcstio utensils and clothes, which are gross feeders, devourers of flesh a further warning as to their defiling cha- or offal, and therefore offensive to the taste, rnoter is added, with rules for daily use. beginning with the eo.gle and vulture tribe. The words translated ranges for pots (ver. 85) It is probable that the words transluted owl should rather be rendered cooe.-ed pot,, that (vor. 16), night hawk (ver. 16), ouokow (ver. is, pots or kettles with licis to them. Seed 16) should be rendered, oBtrich, 111DI, gull, whioh ia to be ■own, that is, eeed corn, is and perhaps for 1wan (ver. 18), heron (vor. not defiled b7 con!Bct with Uieee dead 172 THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. [en. u. 1-41.