Bible Strands
Leviticus 11:21
However, you may eat the following kinds of flying insects that walk on all fours: those having jointed legs above their feet for hopping on the ground.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — God speaks through Moses and Aaron to the Israelites, establishing dietary regulations within the covenant code at Sinai.
The words — אַךְ ('akh) renders literally as "nevertheless" or "only," signaling the shift from prohibition to permission. תֹּאכְלוּ (to.khe.Lu) means "you will eat," directly applying to the swarming winged creatures that walk.
The thread — This verse functions as a precise qualifier within Leviticus 11, narrowing the blanket prohibition of verse 20 to allow specific anatomically defined insects. The classification framework it supports continues in verse 22 by listing the exact hopping forms permitted for consumption.
Why it lands — The text requires readers to apply a specific anatomical standard to distinguish permitted insects from the general category of detestable winged creatures. It demands careful observation of physical structure to determine compliance with the dietary boundary.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;