Unclean
Summary
A ceremonial status under the Mosaic law rendering persons, animals, or things unfit for worship or ordinary community contact until purification.
☩Unclean Creatures
The general distinction of clean and unclean has its parallel among all nations, there being universally certain creatures regarded as fit for food and others as the opposite. The Mosaic law formalized this distinction, excluding creatures that did not meet specific criteria: quadrupeds must both part the hoof and chew the cud; water creatures must have both fins and scales; certain classes of birds and insects were specified as forbidden.
☩Purpose and Principle
The dietary code served multiple purposes: it related to the theocratic idea of Israel's separation, promoted general health, and maintained national distinctiveness. The practical effect was to exclude all carnivorous quadrupeds and raptorial birds. However, the principle was transformed under the New Covenant when Christ declared that nothing entering from outside can defile a person, shifting focus to the heart's condition.
Related Verses160 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Unclean," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. X (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).