Bible Strands

Leviticus 11:9

Of all the creatures that live in the water, whether in the seas or in the streams, you may eat anything with fins and scales.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites in the wilderness, delivering dietary regulations immediately after listing prohibited land animals. The command establishes a boundary for permissible consumption among aquatic life.

The words — תֹּֽאכְל֔וּ (to.khe.Lu) translates literally as "you will eat," while מִ/כֹּ֖ל (mi./Kol) means "from all." These terms frame the permission as a specific subset drawn from a broader category.

The thread — Deuteronomy 14:9 repeats this exact permission for water creatures with fins and scales. The parallel citation reinforces the consistency of the dietary boundary across the Pentateuch.

Why it lands — The text requires readers to distinguish permissible aquatic food from prohibited varieties based solely on physical markers. It establishes a concrete standard for obedience without ambiguity.

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

אֶת־'et-<obj.>זֶה֙zehthisתֹּֽאכְל֔וּto.khe.Luyou will eatמִכֹּ֖לmi./Kolfrom/ allאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherthatבַּמָּ֑יִםba./Ma.yim[is] in the/ watersכֹּ֣לkolallאֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-thatלוֹ֩l/o[belong] to <the>/ itסְנַפִּ֨ירse.na.Pirfinוְקַשְׂקֶ֜שֶׂתve./kas.Ke.setand/ scaleבַּמַּ֗יִםba./Ma.yimin the/ watersבַּיַּמִּ֛יםba/i.ya.Mimin the/ seasוּבַנְּחָלִ֖יםu./va./ne.cha.Limand/ in the/ wadisאֹתָ֥ם'o.Ta/m<obj.>/ themתֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃to.Khe.luyou will eat

King James Version

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.

Cross-references