The Meaning of Leviticus 11:20 Explained

Leviticus 11:20

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

YLT: Every teeming creature which is flying, which is going on four -- an abomination it is to you.

Darby: Every winged crawling thing that goeth upon all four shall be an abomination unto you.

ASV: All winged creeping things that go upon all fours are an abomination unto you.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Leviticus 11:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 11:1-23 - 41-47, The Distinction Between Clean And Unclean
There were good and sufficient reasons for excluding certain animals from Israel's dietary. Devout medical men insist that this is the finest sanitary code in existence, and that many of the diseases of modern life would disappear if it were universally adopted. God made these distinctions matters of religion, that the well-being of His people might be doubly assured. These restrictions were also imposed to erect strong barriers between the chosen people and the heathen. So long as they obeyed, it was clearly impossible to participate in the heathen festivals, where many of these animals were partaken of.
We are not now bound by these enactments. Our Lord made all meats clean, Mark 7:19, r.v. Peter was bidden to kill and eat all manner of creeping things, and his protest was overborne by the assurance that God had cleansed all. See Acts 10:11-16. Religion consists not in outward rites, but in the inward temper. See Hebrews 9:10. Note that touching was forbidden, because the least contact with evil hurts the soul. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 11

1  What animals may be eaten
4  and what may not be eaten
9  What fishes
13  What fowls
29  The creeping things which are unclean

What do the individual words in Leviticus 11:20 mean?

All that creep flying insects going on [all] four [legs] an abomination [shall] be to you -
כֹּ֚ל שֶׁ֣רֶץ הָע֔וֹף הַהֹלֵ֖ךְ עַל־ אַרְבַּ֑ע שֶׁ֥קֶץ ה֖וּא לָכֶֽם ס

שֶׁ֣רֶץ  that  creep 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֶׁרֶץ  
Sense: teeming or swarming things, creepers, swarmers.
הָע֔וֹף  flying  insects 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹוף  
Sense: flying creatures, fowl, insects, birds.
הַהֹלֵ֖ךְ  going 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אַרְבַּ֑ע  [all]  four  [legs] 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
שֶׁ֥קֶץ  an  abomination 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁקֶץ  
Sense: detestable thing or idol, an unclean thing, an abomination, detestation.
ה֖וּא  [shall]  be 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
לָכֶֽם  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation