Leviticus 11-13

What I Noticed Today (Leviticus 11-13)

These three chapters focus on the difference between clean and unclean regarding food, the birth of children, and disease.

Leviticus 11

Leviticus 11 describes the distinctions between foods. It specifies a series of land animals, aquatic creatures, birds, and insects that are unclean or clean. Land animals that were not approved were designated as “unclean,” and eating or even touching them resulted in the individual also being made unclean. The aquatic creatures, birds, and insects specified were also not approved, but their designation was “detestable” (a stronger word than unclean).

In verses 1-8, the Lord gives Moses and Aaron a list of land animals they may eat:

• Animals with divided hooves that also chews the cud may be eaten. Others are unclean.

In verses 9-12, the Lord gives Moses and Aaron a list of aquatic animals they may eat:

• Aquatic animals with both scales and fins may be eaten. Others are detestable.

In verses 13-18, the Lord gives Moses and Aaron a list of unclean birds that are detestable.

In verses 20-23, the Lord gives Moses and Aaron instructions regarding flying insects:

• Winged insects that walk on all fours and have jointed legs for hopping can be eaten. All other winged insects with four legs are detestable.

In verses 24-40, the Lord gave Moses and Aaron instructions for purification after touching dead animals.

• Carcasses of dead animals make the person carrying them unclean.
• Whoever touches and animal that is designated unclean will be unclean.
• The person who becomes unclean from touching an animal carcass or an unclean animal is unclean and must wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening.
• Swarming creatures on the ground are unclean (weasel, mouse, lizard, gecko, skink, and chameleon). Whoever touches them must wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening.
• If one of them dies and falls on anything, that item is unclean and must be washed and remains unclean until evening.
• If one of them falls into a clay pot, everything in the pot becomes unclean, and the pot must be destroyed.
• If any of them falls into a spring or cistern, the water remains clean, but the person who touches their carcass will be unclean.
• If one falls on seed that is to be planted, it remains clean.
• If an animal used for food dies, anyone who touches it will be unclean. They must wash their clothes and will remain unclean until evening.

In verses 41-47, the Lord gave Moses and Aaron instructions regarding unclean swarming creatures:

• Swarming creatures must not be eaten.
• Anything that crawls on its belly is detestable.
• Do not become unclean or defiled by them.
• I am Yahweh, your God; you must consecrate yourselves and be holy because I am holy. I brought you up out of Egypt.

Leviticus 12

Leviticus 12 describes the process for the purification of a woman following childbirth.

• A woman who gives birth to a boy will be unclean for seven days, and the boy shall be circumcised on the eighth day. She must continue her purification for an additional 33 days and must not touch anything holy or go into the sanctuary until the time of purification is completed (total 40 days).
• A woman who gives birth to a girl will be unclean for 14 days and must be purified for 66 days (total 80 days).

• Once the purification period was complete, both a burnt and a sin offering were to be made. A lamb was for the burnt offering and a pigeon or turtledove for the sin offering. If the family was poor, two pigeons or two turtledoves could be offered.

Leviticus 13

Leviticus 13 goes into great detail about 21 types of skin diseases, referring to a number of different diseases simply as “leprosy.” It also covers issues regarding contaminated fabrics.

In verses 1-8, the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron regarding diseases of the skin:

• A person with a swelling, spot, or scab on his skin must present himself to the priest. If the infection is deeper than the skin, it is a skin disease, and he is unclean.
• If the spot does not appear to be deeper than the skin, the priest must quarantine the person for seven days and re-inspect him. If the spot has not spread, he is to be quarantined another seven days. If the infection has not spread, he is to be pronounced clean. The person must wash his clothes and will become clean. If the disease has spread, he is to be pronounced unclean, he has a skin disease.

In verses 9-17, the Lord gave Moses and Aaron instructions regarding another type of skin disease:

• A person with swelling and a patch of raw flesh is a chronic disease, and the person is unclean. If the flesh heals, he is clean. Whenever the raw flesh appears he is unclean

In verses 18-23, the Lord gave Moses and Aaron instructions regarding skins diseases in boils and scars:

• If a person has a boil and it heals, and the spot appears to be beneath the skin, the person is unclean. He must be quarantined for seven days. If the disease spreads, he is unclean. If it does not spread, it is only a scar from the boil, and he is clean.

In verses 24-28, the Lord gave Moses and Aaron instructions regarding skin diseases in burns:

• If a person is burned and the raw flesh becomes reddish-white or white, and it appears to be deeper than the skin, the person is unclean. If it is not deeper than the skin, the person must be quarantined for seven days. If the disease has spread, he is unclean, if it has not he is clean; it is only a scar from the burn.

In verses 29-37, the Lord gave Moses and Aaron instructions regarding skin diseases in the head or chin:

• If the person has an infection on the head or chin that appears to be deeper than the skin he is unclean, it is a scaly outbreak. The person must be quarantined for seven days. If the outbreak has not spread and is not deeper than the skin, the person must shave and be quarantined for another seven days. If it has not spread and is not deeper than the skin, the person is clean.

In verses 38-39, the Lord gave Moses and Aaron instructions regarding ceremonially clean skin:

• If a person has dull white spots on the skin, it is only a rash; the person is clean.

In verses 40-44, the Lord gave Moses and Aaron instructions regarding skin disease resulting in baldness:

• If a person loses his hair and is bald, he is clean. If he has an infection on his head or forehead, he is unclean.

In verses 45-46, the Lord gave Moses and Aaron instructions regarding the treatment of those ceremonially unclean:

• The person who is unclean must tear his clothes, wear his hair loose, cover his mouth, and cry out “unclean.” He must live outside the camp.

In verses 47-59, the Lord gave Moses and Aaron instructions regarding contaminated fabrics:

• If fabric or leather is contaminated with mildew that is green or red, it must be shown to the priest. The item must be quarantined for seven days. If the mildew has spread, the item must be burned.
• If the mildew has not spread, it must be washed and quarantined for another seven days. If it looks the same, the item must be burned.
• If the mildew has faded, the priest must cut out the contaminated section, but if it breaks out again, the item must be burned.
• But, if the contamination disappears, the item must be washed again, and it will be clean.

Some thoughts for additional considerations:

• Leprosy in the Bible is a picture of sin. Leprosy goes beneath the surface and corrupts the underlying flesh, just as sin enters the body and corrupts the flesh. Leprosy can be spread easily, resulting in the spread of the disease, just as sin corrupting one individual can spread corrupting others.

What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.

Tomorrow: Leviticus 14-15