In the Old Testament, God gives commands regarding which animals are clean and can be eaten, and which are unclean and prohibited from being eaten. This distinction between clean and unclean animals is first introduced in Genesis 7:2, when Noah is instructed to take seven pairs of all clean animals and one pair of all unclean animals onto the ark. However, the specific characteristics distinguishing clean and unclean animals are laid out in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.
There are four main categories of animals: land animals, aquatic animals, birds, and insects. Land animals must chew the cud and have a completely split hoof in order to be considered clean (Leviticus 11:3). Animals like cows, sheep, goats, deer, gazelles, and antelopes are listed as examples of clean animals (Deuteronomy 14:4-5). Unclean land animals include the camel, hyrax, and pig because even though they chew the cud, they do not have split hooves (Leviticus 11:4-8). The rabbit chews the cud but does not have split hooves, so is also unclean.
For aquatic animals, anything living in the seas or rivers that has fins and scales is clean (Leviticus 11:9-12). This includes fish like trout, salmon, tuna, bass, and cod. Shellfish such as lobster, shrimp, crab, and oysters do not have fins or scales, so are prohibited. Neither do eels or catfish, which lack scales. Among birds, scavengers and birds of prey are listed as unclean. This includes vultures, kites, falcons, ravens, ostriches, owls, seagulls, hawks, and eagles (Leviticus 11:13-19). Birds like chicken, turkeys, pigeons, and songbirds are not listed and so can be eaten.
Winged insects that walk on all fours are unclean, except for those that have jointed legs for hopping like grasshoppers and locusts (Leviticus 11:20-23). All other insects including ants, bees, beetles, caterpillars, centipedes, fleas, flies, lice, moths, slugs, spiders, wasps, and worms are detestable and must not be eaten (Leviticus 11:41-43).
There are also some broader rules given beyond just listing specific animals. Any animal that dies naturally is unclean and prohibited for eating (Leviticus 11:39-40; 17:15-16). The meat and carcass of an animal torn by wild beasts cannot be eaten either (Exodus 22:31). But if an animal dies by proper slaughter, it can be eaten following the guidelines for clean and unclean categories. Eating blood is also strictly forbidden, as the life is in the blood (Leviticus 17:10-14).
The purpose and meaning behind these animal laws have been debated extensively. Some propose it was for hygienic purposes, to distinguish disease carriers from safer animals in a time before refrigeration and scientific food safety. Others see spiritual symbolism and teaching regarding holiness and Israel’s calling to be set apart from other nations. But regardless of the reasons behind them, it is clear God highly values these distinctions between clean and unclean animals.
While the Old Testament Jews were expected to rigidly keep these dietary restrictions, there is debate about whether they continue to directly apply to Christians today. Acts 10 records a vision to the apostle Peter that seemed to indicate some loosening of these laws to include Gentiles in God’s kingdom and covenant community. Peter interprets this to mean that no animals are unclean in themselves (Acts 10:15), and that as the gospel spreads to the Gentiles, food laws do not need to be a barrier to table fellowship between Jewish and Gentile believers. The Council of Jerusalem affirmed this by not requiring obedience to kosher laws by Gentile believers (Acts 15:19-20, 28-29).
Still, there is evidence these distinctions retain symbolic value for new covenant believers and will have some bearing on life in the new creation. Isaiah 66:15-17 prophesies judgment coming on those who eat unclean animals. Revelation 18 portrays end time Babylon as a place where unclean animals and birds live, indicating its status as an unholy city facing judgment. And Isaiah 65:25 presents a future hope of the wolf and lamb feeding together, with no animal harming another. This implies animal natures may be transformed and the categories of clean and unclean may disappear when all creation is redeemed. But until then, the lists of clean and unclean animals continue to instruct us on God’s values of holiness and how he orders his creation.
Old Testament Passages on Clean and Unclean Animals
Genesis 7:2-3
Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth.
Leviticus 11:1-8
And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, These are the living things that you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. Nevertheless, among those that chew the cud or part the hoof, you shall not eat these: The camel, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. And the rock badger, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. And the hare, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. You shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.
Leviticus 11:9-12
“These you may eat, of all that are in the waters. Everything in the waters that has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat. But anything in the seas or the rivers that does not have fins and scales, of the swarming creatures in the waters and of the living creatures that are in the waters, is detestable to you. You shall regard them as detestable; you shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses. Everything in the waters that does not have fins and scales is detestable to you.
Deuteronomy 14:3-21
You shall not eat any abomination. These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep. Every animal that parts the hoof and has the hoof cloven in two and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. Yet of those that chew the cud or have the hoof cloven you shall not eat these: the camel, the hare, and the rock badger, because they chew the cud but do not part the hoof, are unclean for you. And the pig, because it parts the hoof but does not chew the cud, is unclean for you. Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch.
“Of all that are in the waters you may eat these: whatever has fins and scales you may eat. And whatever does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean for you.
“You may eat all clean birds. But these are the ones that you shall not eat: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, the kite, the falcon of any kind; every raven of any kind; the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind; the little owl and the short-eared owl, the barn owl and the tawny owl, the carrion vulture and the cormorant, the stork, the heron of any kind; the hoopoe and the bat.
And all winged insects are unclean for you; they shall not be eaten. All clean winged things you may eat.
Leviticus 11:13-19
“And these you shall detest among the birds; they shall not be eaten; they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, the kite, the falcon of any kind, every raven of any kind, the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind, the little owl, the cormorant, the short-eared owl, the barn owl, the tawny owl, the carrion vulture, the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.
Leviticus 11:20-23
“All winged insects that go on all fours are detestable to you. Yet among the winged insects that go on all fours you may eat those that have jointed legs above their feet, with which to hop on the ground. Of them you may eat: the locust of any kind, the bald locust of any kind, the cricket of any kind, and the grasshopper of any kind. But all other winged insects that have four feet are detestable to you.
Leviticus 11:29-38
“And these are unclean to you among the swarming things that swarm on the ground: the mole rat, the mouse, the great lizard of any kind, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. These are unclean to you among all that swarm. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until the evening. And anything on which any of them falls when they are dead shall be unclean, whether it is an article of wood or a garment or a skin or a sack, any article that is used for any purpose. It must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening; then it shall be clean. And if any of them falls into any earthenware vessel, all that is in it shall be unclean, and you shall break it. Any food in it that could be eaten, on which water comes, shall be unclean. And all drink that could be drunk from every such vessel shall be unclean. And everything on which any part of their carcass falls shall be unclean. Whether oven or stove, it shall be broken in pieces. They are unclean and shall remain unclean for you. Nevertheless, a spring or a cistern holding water shall be clean, but whoever touches a carcass in them shall be unclean. And if any part of their carcass falls upon any seed grain that is to be sown, it is clean, but if water is put on the seed and any part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.
Leviticus 11:39-40
“And if any animal which you may eat dies, whoever touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening, and whoever eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. And whoever carries the carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.
Leviticus 11:41-43
“Every swarming thing that swarms on the ground is detestable; it shall not be eaten. Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, any swarming thing that swarms on the ground, you shall not eat, for they are detestable. You shall not make yourselves detestable with any swarming thing that swarms, and you shall not defile yourselves with them, and become unclean through them.
Deuteronomy 14:21
You shall not eat anything that has died naturally. You may give it to the sojourner who is within your towns, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.
Exodus 22:31
You shall be consecrated to me. Therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.
Leviticus 17:10-16
“If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood.
“Any one also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off. And any one of the people of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.
Isaiah 66:15-17
“For behold, the Lord will come in fire,
and his chariots like the whirlwind,
to render his anger in fury,
and his rebuke with flames of fire.
For by fire will the Lord enter into judgment,
and by his sword, with all flesh;
and those slain by the Lord shall be many.
“Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating pig’s flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, declares the Lord.
Isaiah 65:25
The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;
the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
and dust shall be the serpent’s food.
They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord.
Revelation 18:2
And he called out with a mighty voice,
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
She has become a dwelling place for demons,
a haunt for every unclean spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
Key Points
- The Bible divides animals into clean and unclean categories regarding what can be eaten.
- Clean land animals must chew the cud and have split hooves (cows, sheep, goats, etc.). Unclean animals like pigs, rabbits, and camels do not meet both criteria.
- Clean fish have fins and scales. Shellfish and eels are unclean.
- Scavenger and bird of prey species are unclean birds.
- Only certain insects like locusts are edible.
- Animals that die naturally or are killed by wild beasts are unclean.
- Eating blood is forbidden.
- While the purpose behind the laws is debated, God takes them seriously.
- They may have health benefits but also teach spiritual truths.
- Some argue the laws do not directly apply to Christians today, but retain symbolic value.