Hoof
Summary
The horny covering of certain animals' feet, which figured prominently in the dietary laws distinguishing clean from unclean animals.
☩Dietary Law
Leviticus 11:3-8 and Deuteronomy 14:6-8 established that clean land animals must both chew the cud AND have completely divided hooves. Animals with only one characteristic were unclean: the camel chews cud but lacks split hooves; the pig has split hooves but doesn't chew cud. These laws taught Israel to examine carefully and make distinctions, training them for spiritual discernment.
Related Verses16 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Hoof," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).