The Meaning of Leviticus 11:7 Explained

Leviticus 11:7

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

YLT: and the sow, though it is dividing the hoof, and cleaving the cleft of the hoof, yet the cud it bringeth not up -- unclean it is to you.

Darby: and the swine, for it hath cloven hoofs, and feet quite split open, but it cheweth not the cud it shall be unclean unto you.

ASV: And the swine, because he parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, but cheweth not the cud, he is unclean unto you.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Leviticus 11:7 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 11:7 mean?

And the swine though divides the hoof it and having cloven hooves and yet it the cud not does chew unclean is to you
וְאֶת־ הַ֠חֲזִיר כִּֽי־ מַפְרִ֨יס פַּרְסָ֜ה ה֗וּא וְשֹׁסַ֥ע שֶׁ֙סַע֙ פַּרְסָ֔ה וְה֖וּא גֵּרָ֣ה לֹֽא־ יִגָּ֑ר טָמֵ֥א ה֖וּא לָכֶֽם

הַ֠חֲזִיר  the  swine 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֲזִיר  
Sense: hog, swine, boar.
כִּֽי־  though 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
מַפְרִ֨יס  divides 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: פָּרַס  
Sense: to divide, break in two.
פַּרְסָ֜ה  the  hoof 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: פַּרְסָה  
Sense: hoof.
וְשֹׁסַ֥ע  and  having 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁסַע  
Sense: to divide, cleave, part, split.
שֶׁ֙סַע֙  cloven 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֶׁסַע  
Sense: cleft, cloven, split.
פַּרְסָ֔ה  hooves 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: פַּרְסָה  
Sense: hoof.
וְה֖וּא  and  yet  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
גֵּרָ֣ה  the  cud 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: גֵּרָה  
Sense: cud.
יִגָּ֑ר  does  chew 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּרַר  
Sense: to drag, drag away.
טָמֵ֥א  unclean 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָמֵא  
Sense: unclean, impure.
לָכֶֽם  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural