Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.
The verse forbids Israel to eat the flesh of swine and other designated animals or to touch their carcasses, declaring them unclean. It belongs to the strict limits on animal food and the health and sanitary laws given in the wilderness to preserve life, keep the blood pure and the mental and bodily powers sound. Swine was prohibited not merely to assert authority but because pork is improper and injurious food, since the pig is a scavenger living in filth and feeding on detestable and decaying things, and was never designed to be eaten under any circumstances. Eating its flesh corrupts the blood and body with impurities, fills the system with disease including scrofula, leprosy and cancers, shortens life, and weakens and clouds the brain so sacred things are not discerned. The restriction still binds Christians, for neither the end of the Jewish dispensation nor the gospel has changed God or made the animal clean, and Peter's sheet vision taught the reception of the Gentiles through Christ, not the cleansing of unclean food. Daniel's refusal of the king's forbidden meats shows obedience to this express requirement at any cost to protect physical, mental and moral strength, yet abstinence from swine's flesh is not to be imposed on others as a test.
Unclean Food and Health
The command declares swine and other designated animals unclean to Israel, forbidding both eating their flesh and touching their carcasses. Swine stands among the prohibited animals, and pork is not to be eaten or touched because the pig is unclean, though people regard its flesh as desirable food. In contrast to this abominable food stands clean, nutritious, lawful food, for which a blessing may be asked.
The prohibition belongs to the careful restrictions on animal food given to Israel, with permission to eat certain meats under strict limits while unclean animals remained forbidden. These are health and sanitary laws taught to Israel and enforced as part of strict training in the wilderness before entering Canaan. They were given to preserve life and health and to lessen harm, with wholesome, simple food helping keep the blood pure and the mental and bodily faculties sound. They were part of God's plan for Israel to reach its intended spiritual character, and departing from that plan brought loss and kept the people from that character.
The ban on swine was not given merely to display divine authority but because pork is improper and injurious food for man. Though pork is one of the most common articles of diet, it is one of the most injurious, above all other flesh meats producing a bad state of the blood. The reason lies in the nature of the animal itself: filth is its natural element and it feeds upon every detestable and decaying thing, so its flesh is composed of what it eats and cannot be healthful. The pig is a scavenger, and its proper use running free is to devour decaying substances that would poison the atmosphere, which preserves health.
Swine was never created or designed to be eaten under any circumstances, and other animals were likewise forbidden because they were not the best articles of food. God expressly forbade Israel to eat swine's flesh even though the heathen used it as food, because it is hurtful. Submission to these wise prohibitions would have removed everything injurious to health and left no sickness among Israel.
Eating this flesh corrupts the blood and flesh with impurities conveyed through the swine, fills the system with humors and scrofula, and harms the whole system. It produces leprosy and diseases of various kinds, including cancerous growths, fills the blood with impurities, shortens life, and worsens disease and undermines health. It weakens and clouds the brain's sensitive nerves and finer sensibilities so that sacred things are not discerned. The command is light about disease caused by this food, which should be heeded, and the safest course is to obey the instruction and keep pork entirely off the table.
The harm is especially severe in a warm climate, where pork often produced leprosy and acted far more injuriously than in a colder climate.
Lasting Obligation and Obedience
The prohibition still binds Christians, for neither the passing of the Jewish dispensation nor the gospel has made swine's flesh clean, since neither God nor the animal has changed to make it proper food, and it was Christ in the cloud who gave the command. Peter's vision of the sheet did not cancel the ban on unclean food, for the animals let down in it illustrated that the Gentiles were not to be counted unclean or shut out from promise, but through Christ had become fellow heirs with Israel and eligible for the blessings of the gospel. The law of Moses expressly required the Hebrews not to eat swine's flesh and other forbidden meats, so the meats set on the king's table, which included foods pronounced unclean, put Daniel and his companions to the test. They refused them in order to protect health and remain obedient to God, believing that eating what God had forbidden would weaken their physical, mental, and moral powers.
Daniel's refusal stands as the example of holding fast to God's express requirements though favor, position, worldly prospects, or even life be at risk, for such requirements are not to be set aside as unimportant nor obeyed only when convenient. The food laws themselves were not arbitrary restrictions but were given through Moses to preserve life and health, with wholesome, simple food keeping the blood pure and the faculties of mind and body sound. They were perverted when the Pharisees went beyond them into unwarranted extremes and multiplied traditions, as in demanding that all drinking water be strained lest even the smallest insect that might be classed with unclean animals be swallowed. In this way attention to rules about food and burdens of ritual displaced true religion, and trivial exactions stood in contrast with great actual sins.
Departing from God's dietary plan brought loss and kept Israel from reaching its intended spiritual character, though permission to eat certain meats under strict limits was given while unclean animals remained forbidden. The safest course is to obey the instruction and heed it as light about disease, keeping pork entirely off the table, since eating it is linked with worsening disease and undermining health. The pig is a scavenger whose proper course is obedience to the command not to eat or touch it, and eating large amounts of meat is also not best for physical and mental health. Eating swine's flesh makes the blood impure, produces humors and scrofula, harms the whole system, and weakens and clouds the sensitive nerves of the brain so that sacred things are not clearly discerned. Yet abstaining from swine's flesh must not be made a test imposed on others, for if abstinence is a duty for the church, God will make that duty known to the church and not merely to a few individuals.
The verse forbids Israel to eat the flesh of swine and other designated animals or to touch their carcasses, declaring them unclean. It belongs to the strict limits on animal food and the health and sanitary laws given in the wilderness to preserve life, keep the blood pure and the mental and bodily powers sound. Swine was prohibited not merely to assert authority but because pork is improper and injurious food, since the pig is a scavenger living in filth and feeding on detestable and decaying things, and was never designed to be eaten under any circumstances. Eating its flesh corrupts the blood and body with impurities, fills the system with disease including scrofula, leprosy and cancers, shortens life, and weakens and clouds the brain so sacred things are not discerned. The restriction still binds Christians, for neither the end of the Jewish dispensation nor the gospel has changed God or made the animal clean, and Peter's sheet vision taught the reception of the Gentiles through Christ, not the cleansing of unclean food. Daniel's refusal of the king's forbidden meats shows obedience to this express requirement at any cost to protect physical, mental and moral strength, yet abstinence from swine's flesh is not to be imposed on others as a test.
Unclean Food and Health
The command declares swine and other designated animals unclean to Israel, forbidding both eating their flesh and touching their carcasses. Swine stands among the prohibited animals, and pork is not to be eaten or touched because the pig is unclean, though people regard its flesh as desirable food. In contrast to this abominable food stands clean, nutritious, lawful food, for which a blessing may be asked.
The prohibition belongs to the careful restrictions on animal food given to Israel, with permission to eat certain meats under strict limits while unclean animals remained forbidden. These are health and sanitary laws taught to Israel and enforced as part of strict training in the wilderness before entering Canaan. They were given to preserve life and health and to lessen harm, with wholesome, simple food helping keep the blood pure and the mental and bodily faculties sound. They were part of God's plan for Israel to reach its intended spiritual character, and departing from that plan brought loss and kept the people from that character.
The ban on swine was not given merely to display divine authority but because pork is improper and injurious food for man. Though pork is one of the most common articles of diet, it is one of the most injurious, above all other flesh meats producing a bad state of the blood. The reason lies in the nature of the animal itself: filth is its natural element and it feeds upon every detestable and decaying thing, so its flesh is composed of what it eats and cannot be healthful. The pig is a scavenger, and its proper use running free is to devour decaying substances that would poison the atmosphere, which preserves health.
Swine was never created or designed to be eaten under any circumstances, and other animals were likewise forbidden because they were not the best articles of food. God expressly forbade Israel to eat swine's flesh even though the heathen used it as food, because it is hurtful. Submission to these wise prohibitions would have removed everything injurious to health and left no sickness among Israel.
Eating this flesh corrupts the blood and flesh with impurities conveyed through the swine, fills the system with humors and scrofula, and harms the whole system. It produces leprosy and diseases of various kinds, including cancerous growths, fills the blood with impurities, shortens life, and worsens disease and undermines health. It weakens and clouds the brain's sensitive nerves and finer sensibilities so that sacred things are not discerned. The command is light about disease caused by this food, which should be heeded, and the safest course is to obey the instruction and keep pork entirely off the table.
The harm is especially severe in a warm climate, where pork often produced leprosy and acted far more injuriously than in a colder climate.
Lasting Obligation and Obedience
The prohibition still binds Christians, for neither the passing of the Jewish dispensation nor the gospel has made swine's flesh clean, since neither God nor the animal has changed to make it proper food, and it was Christ in the cloud who gave the command. Peter's vision of the sheet did not cancel the ban on unclean food, for the animals let down in it illustrated that the Gentiles were not to be counted unclean or shut out from promise, but through Christ had become fellow heirs with Israel and eligible for the blessings of the gospel. The law of Moses expressly required the Hebrews not to eat swine's flesh and other forbidden meats, so the meats set on the king's table, which included foods pronounced unclean, put Daniel and his companions to the test. They refused them in order to protect health and remain obedient to God, believing that eating what God had forbidden would weaken their physical, mental, and moral powers.
Daniel's refusal stands as the example of holding fast to God's express requirements though favor, position, worldly prospects, or even life be at risk, for such requirements are not to be set aside as unimportant nor obeyed only when convenient. The food laws themselves were not arbitrary restrictions but were given through Moses to preserve life and health, with wholesome, simple food keeping the blood pure and the faculties of mind and body sound. They were perverted when the Pharisees went beyond them into unwarranted extremes and multiplied traditions, as in demanding that all drinking water be strained lest even the smallest insect that might be classed with unclean animals be swallowed. In this way attention to rules about food and burdens of ritual displaced true religion, and trivial exactions stood in contrast with great actual sins.
Departing from God's dietary plan brought loss and kept Israel from reaching its intended spiritual character, though permission to eat certain meats under strict limits was given while unclean animals remained forbidden. The safest course is to obey the instruction and heed it as light about disease, keeping pork entirely off the table, since eating it is linked with worsening disease and undermining health. The pig is a scavenger whose proper course is obedience to the command not to eat or touch it, and eating large amounts of meat is also not best for physical and mental health. Eating swine's flesh makes the blood impure, produces humors and scrofula, harms the whole system, and weakens and clouds the sensitive nerves of the brain so that sacred things are not clearly discerned. Yet abstaining from swine's flesh must not be made a test imposed on others, for if abstinence is a duty for the church, God will make that duty known to the church and not merely to a few individuals.