Leviticus 11:43

Hebrew Bible

41 Every swarming thing that swarms on the land is detestable; it must not be eaten. 42 You must not eat anything that crawls on its belly or anything that walks on all fours or on any number of legs of all the swarming things that swarm on the land, because they are detestable. 43 Do not make yourselves detestable by any of the swarming things. You must not defile yourselves by them and become unclean by them, 44 for I am the Lord your God, and you are to sanctify yourselves and be holy because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any of the swarming things that creep on the ground,

Matthew 23:24

New Testament

22 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you neglect what is more important in the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You should have done these things without neglecting the others. 23 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel! 24 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 25 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside may become clean too!

 Notes and References

"... Whereas Leviticus 11:41-44 prohibits the consumption of creatures that swarm on the earth ('You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming creature [sheretz] that moves [or creeps] on the earth'), the Da­mascus Document refers to swarming creatures in water (... 'whether it be the larvae of bees or any living thing which swarms [or creeps] (tirmos) in the water'; CD 12:12-13). This seems to be a harmonization of the prohibi­tions in Leviticus 11:41-44 (involving swarming land creatures) and Leviticus 11:9-12 (involving swarming water creatures) ... Apparently some Jewish groups of the late Second Temple period, in­ cluding the Qumran sect, understood the legislation in Leviticus as pro­hibiting the consumption of all swarming creatures in water — not just fish without fins and scales but land-based swarming creatures such as in­ sects and larvae as well. Matthew 23:24 indicates that some Jews strained liquids to prevent the ingestion of these creatures. Rabbinic literature shows that after 70 C.E. debates continued concerning whether biblical law prohibits the consumption of swarming land-based creatures found in wa­ter ..."

Magness, Jodi Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit: Jewish Daily Life in the Time of Jesus (p. 35) William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2011

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