30 Bible Verses About Unclean Animals

The Bible contains numerous teachings about clean and unclean animals, especially in the Old Testament. These distinctions are primarily found in the Mosaic Law, guiding the Israelites on dietary and ceremonial practices. Whether for spiritual insights or understanding biblical history, exploring Bible verses about unclean animals offers rich lessons about obedience, purity, and symbolism.

What Are Unclean Animals in the Bible?

Unclean animals, according to the Bible, are creatures that God instructed the Israelites not to consume or use in specific religious practices. These dietary restrictions are outlined in books like Leviticus and Deuteronomy and were designed to set the Israelites apart from other nations. Understanding these guidelines helps us appreciate their cultural, spiritual, and practical significance.

30 Bible Verses About Unclean Animals

Below, we explore 30 Bible verses about unclean animals to help strengthen your understanding.

Old Testament Verses

1. Leviticus 11:1-3 – “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Say to the Israelites: Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud.’”

2. Leviticus 11:4 – “There are some that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you.”

3. Leviticus 11:7-8 – “And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.”

4. Leviticus 11:9-10 – “Of all the creatures living in the water, you may eat any that have fins and scales. But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales… you are to regard as unclean.”

5. Leviticus 11:13 – “These are the birds you are to regard as unclean and not eat because they are unclean: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture.”

6. Leviticus 11:20 – “All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be regarded as unclean by you.”

7. Leviticus 11:23 – “But all other flying insects that have four legs you are to regard as unclean.”

8. Leviticus 11:41-42 – “Every creature that moves along the ground is to be regarded as unclean; it is not to be eaten.”

9. Deuteronomy 14:3-4 – “Do not eat any detestable thing. These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat.”

10. Deuteronomy 14:7 – “However, of those that chew the cud or that have a divided hoof you may not eat: the camel, the rabbit, or the hyrax. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a divided hoof; they are ceremonially unclean for you.”

11. Deuteronomy 14:8 – “The pig is also unclean; although it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses.”

12. Isaiah 66:17 – “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs, rats, and other unclean things—they will meet their end together, declares the Lord.”

New Testament Verses

13. Mark 7:18-19 – “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.”

14. Acts 10:12-13 – “It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’”

15. Acts 10:15 – “The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’”

16. Romans 14:14 – “I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.”

17. 1 Timothy 4:4 – “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.”

18. Colossians 2:16 – “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration, or a Sabbath day.”

19. Matthew 15:11 – “What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

20. Titus 1:15 – “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure.”

Symbolism and Meaning

21. Genesis 7:2 – “Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate.”

22. Genesis 7:8 – “Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground.”

23. Ezekiel 22:26 – “Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean.”

24. Daniel 1:8 – “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.”

25. Hosea 9:3 – “They will not remain in the Lord’s land; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.”

26. Revelation 18:2 – “With a mighty voice he shouted: ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.’”

27. Job 14:4 – “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.”

28. Haggai 2:13 – “Then Haggai said, ‘If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?’ ‘Yes,’ the priests replied, ‘it becomes defiled.’”

29. Leviticus 20:25 – “You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds.”

30. Matthew 23:24 – “You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”

Conclusion

Exploring these Bible verses about unclean animals helps us understand God’s character and His relationship with humanity. The laws about unclean animals were not merely about diet but served as a deeper call to holiness and obedience. For Christians today, they provide valuable lessons about living a life that honors God in every aspect.

If you are studying the Bible or curious about its teachings, these verses offer a great starting point to delve into the rich spiritual symbolism behind clean and unclean animals. Keep exploring, and let the Word of God guide your journey!