Leviticus 11:9-12

Leviticus 11:9-12

[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.

What does Leviticus 11:9-12 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Perhaps the Israelites could eat water creatures with fins and scales because these are the normal means of propulsion among fishes. As has already been observed ( Leviticus 11:3), the means of locomotion and the mode of eating were the two types of tests used to distinguish between clean and unclean animals. Water creatures without fins and scales did not have the normal means of locomotion for their element.