40 Powerful Bible Verses About Clean and Unclean

Understanding these Bible verses about clean and unclean is essential for anyone seeking to live a life of obedience and spiritual clarity. From the Old Testament laws in Leviticus to the New Testament teachings of Jesus and the apostles, the idea of clean and unclean helps believers discern spiritual truth and maintain holiness in their walk with God.

In this article, we’ll explore 40 powerful Bible verses about clean and unclean to guide your understanding and application of these important biblical principles in today’s world.

What Does the Bible Say About Clean and Unclean?

Throughout the Old and New Testaments, God gave specific instructions about clean and unclean things. These instructions were not only physical but often had spiritual implications. Observing these commands helped set the people of Israel apart and taught them about holiness and God’s standards.

For Christians today, understanding these passages is valuable for interpreting Scripture properly and living a life that pleases God.

40 Powerful Bible Verses About Clean and Unclean

Here are foundational Bible verses about clean and unclean:

Leviticus 11:1-2 “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.’”
Leviticus 11:4 “There are some that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them.”
Leviticus 11:10 “But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales—whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water—you are to regard as unclean.”
Deuteronomy 14:3 “Do not eat any detestable thing.”
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.”
Isaiah 52:11 “Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the articles of the Lord’s house.”
2 Corinthians 6:17 “Therefore, come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”
Acts 10:14-15 “Surely not, Lord! Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.’ The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’”
Mark 7:15 “Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”
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.”
Romans 14:14 “I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself.”
Titus 1:15 “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure.”
Leviticus 20:25 “You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds.”
Ezekiel 44:23 “They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.”
Leviticus 5:2 “If anyone becomes aware that they are guilty—if they unwittingly touch anything ceremonially unclean—when they realize it, they must confess.”
Numbers 19:13 “Anyone who touches a human corpse will be unclean for seven days.”
Leviticus 13:45 “Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’”
Lamentations 4:15 “Go away! You are unclean! people cry to them. Go away! Go away! Don’t touch us!”
Revelation 21:27 “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful.”
Hebrews 9:13-14 “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.”
Leviticus 15:31 “You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean.”
Haggai 2:13 “If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?”
Isaiah 6:5 “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips.”
Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Leviticus 11:24 “You will make yourselves unclean by these; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening.”
Leviticus 11:43 “Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures.”
Deuteronomy 14:19 “All flying insects are unclean for you; do not eat them.”
Leviticus 17:15 “Anyone, whether native-born or foreigner, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be ceremonially unclean till evening.”
Zephaniah 3:1 “Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled!”
Matthew 23:27 “You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.”
1 Corinthians 3:17 “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.”
James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
1 Peter 1:16 “For it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”
Hebrews 10:22 “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience.”
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.”
Leviticus 22:4 “If a descendant of Aaron has a defiling skin disease or a bodily discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is clean.”
Leviticus 12:2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days.”
Numbers 19:22 “Anything that an unclean person touches becomes unclean.”
Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

Bible Verses About Clean and Unclean Foods

When discussing Bible verses about clean and unclean, one key area of focus is food. In the Old Testament, God provided dietary laws to teach His people about purity and discipline.

Leviticus 11:7-8 says that pigs are unclean because they have split hooves but do not chew the cud.
Deuteronomy 14:9-10 instructs the Israelites to eat only fish with fins and scales.
Leviticus 11:13-19 lists birds that are unclean and should not be eaten, including eagles, vultures, and ravens.

In the New Testament, Jesus and the apostles clarified that spiritual purity is more important than dietary restrictions. For example, Mark 7:18-19 says, “In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.”

Bible Verses About Clean and Unclean Animals

The distinction between clean and unclean animals was significant in Jewish law and culture. Many Bible verses about clean and unclean animals provide detailed lists and reasons.

Leviticus 11:2-3 mentions that animals with divided hooves and that chew the cud are clean.
Deuteronomy 14:6 reinforces this rule.
Leviticus 11:20-23 talks about insects that are clean, such as those with jointed legs for hopping.

These rules were symbolic, teaching God’s people about obedience and separation from pagan practices. While Christians are no longer bound by Old Testament dietary laws, the principles of holiness and discernment remain relevant.

Conclusion

Understanding these Bible verses about clean and unclean helps us appreciate the holiness of God and the reverence He expects from His people. While many Old Testament laws were fulfilled in Christ, the heart behind them still applies—God desires a people set apart for His purpose.

Whether looking at clean and unclean foods, animals, or the condition of the heart, the message is the same: pursue purity, obey God, and seek spiritual cleanliness through Jesus Christ.

The teaching of Bible verses about clean and unclean remains a powerful reminder that holiness is not just about outward appearance or ritual, but a lifestyle of inward transformation.