Leviticus 11: Clean and Unclean Foods in Ellen White's Writings

Leviticus 11

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.

3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.

4 Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

5 And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

6 And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.

8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.

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

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 any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:

11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.

12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.

13 And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,

14 And the vulture, and the kite after his kind;

15 Every raven after his kind;

16 And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,

17 And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,

18 And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,

19 And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

20 All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you.

21 Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;

22 Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.

23 But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.

24 And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even.

25 And whosoever beareth ought of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.

26 The carcases of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean.

27 And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even.

28 And he that beareth the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you.

29 These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind,

30 And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole.

31 These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even.

32 And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; so it shall be cleansed.

33 And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it.

34 Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which such water cometh shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean.

35 And every thing whereupon any part of their carcase falleth shall be unclean; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean, and shall be unclean unto you.

36 Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean.

37 And if any part of their carcase fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean.

38 But if any water be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcase fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you.

39 And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even.

40 And he that eateth of the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.

41 And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten.

42 Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.

43 Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.

44 For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

45 For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

46 This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:

47 To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.

Leviticus 11 outlines a divine distinction between clean and unclean foods, which was not a merely ceremonial or arbitrary rule, but was based upon profound sanitary principles designed to preserve physical, mental, and spiritual healthMR852 3.1+2. God lovingly provided these dietary guidelines not to exercise an arbitrary authority, but to protect humanity from disease and to promote holiness Leviticus 11:44-45ST March 21, 1878, par. 3.

Here is a detailed explanation of the principles of Leviticus 11 and the profound health benefits behind the distinction between clean and unclean foods:

📖 The Biblical Criteria for Clean and Unclean Animals

God provided clear, physical markers so His people could easily distinguish between which animals were safe to eat and which were harmful:

• Land Animals: For a land animal to be considered clean, it must part the hoof, be cloven-footed, and chew the cud Leviticus 11:3+1. Animals that lack one or both of these characteristics, such as the camel, the coney, and the hare, are unclean and must not be eaten Leviticus 11:4-6+1.

• Water Creatures: Clean aquatic animals are strictly those that have both fins and scales Leviticus 11:9+1. Any creature in the waters that does not have fins and scales is an abomination and must be avoided entirely Leviticus 11:10-12+1.

• Birds and Creeping Things: God explicitly listed birds of prey, scavengers (like the eagle, vulture, and raven), and all creeping things on the earth as an abomination that defile the human body Leviticus 11:13-23+2.

🌿 Based on Natural Law and Sanitary Principles

Unlike the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament that pointed forward to Christ, or the civil laws governing the Jewish theocracy, these health laws were based on natural law and apply to all agesMR852 1.1. The marvelous vitality and exceptional health enjoyed by the Jewish people over thousands of years can be directly traced to their careful observance of these dietary distinctionsMR852 3.1+2.

🐖 The Dangers of Unclean Meats (The Swine)

The pig is specifically highlighted in scripture as an unclean animal because, although it divides the hoof, it does not chew the cud Leviticus 11:7+1. God strictly forbade the use of swine's flesh because it is entirely unfit for foodCCh 229.8+1.

• Scavenger Nature: Swine are natural scavengers designed to consume filth, making their tissues swarm with parasitesCCh 229.8+1.

• Physical Disease: Eating pork corrupts the blood and fills the human system with impurities, leading to scrofula, leprosy, cancerous humors, and a feverish state in the bodyCCh 230.1+2.

• Mental and Spiritual Clouding: The damage of pork consumption is not just physical; it blunts the finer sensibilities of the mind, enfeebles the sensitive nerves of the brain, and clouds the intellect so that sacred things cannot be clearly discerned2T 96.2+1.

🍎 God's Original Design vs. Post-Flood Permissions

While Leviticus 11 permits the eating of clean animals, flesh meat formed no part of the food provided for humanity in the beginning13LtMs, Lt 101, 1898, par. 9. God's original, ideal diet in Eden consisted entirely of fruits, nuts, grains, and vegetables13LtMs, Ms 38, 1898, par. 10+1.

It was only after the global Flood, when the earth's vegetation had been completely destroyed, that God permitted mankind to eat the flesh of clean animals to sustain lifeKC 21.2+2. However, even clean meat is not the most healthful article of food, and because animals are becoming increasingly diseased today, eating any flesh meat has become genuinely dangerousCCh 228.1+2.

✨ A Call to Purity and Holiness

The rules of Leviticus 11 are ultimately tied to our spiritual relationship with our Creator, who asks us to sanctify ourselves and be holy because He is holy Leviticus 11:44-45. It is impossible to bring a clean thing out of an unclean thing, and eating defiled food corrupts both the body and the mind Job 14:4TSDF 70.6. By paying careful attention to the laws of nature and choosing only the most wholesome, pure foods, we keep our bodies untrammeled and our minds clear, allowing us to serve God fully and appreciate His elevated truths14MR 295.3+1.