Which animals are clean and unclean in Leviticus 11?

Leviticus defines clean land animals as those that both chew the cud and have a split hoof, and it lists key exceptions. For water creatures, it allows those with fins and scales and forbids the rest. It also lists prohibited birds and many “swarming” creatures (Leviticus 11:1–8; Leviticus 11:9–12).

Passage context

In Leviticus 11:1–8, Yahweh tells Moses and Aaron to instruct Israel about which land animals may be eaten. The basic rule is that an animal must meet two visible signs: it has split hooves and it chews the cud. Animals that match only one sign are prohibited and are labeled “unclean” for Israel. This passage opens the larger set of instructions in Leviticus 11 about clean and unclean creatures. It comes after the start of Aaron’s priestly service and the crisis in the sanctuary narrative (Leviticus 8–10), and then shifts to practical, daily-life boundaries for the community.

Why it matters

Leviticus 11:1–8 presents Yahweh’s direct instruction, delivered through Moses and Aaron, about which land animals Israel may eat. The passage gives a simple, observable rule: an animal is permitted for food only if it has both a split hoof and “chews the cud” (verse 3). Animals that match only one sign are not permitted (verses 4–7).

Read carefully

A careful answer keeps the immediate passage, the book's argument, and the whole-Bible storyline together, so the question is answered in context instead of as a detached idea.

Keep reading

Start with Leviticus 11:1-8, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.