Leviticus 11:43 tells the people of Israel not to make themselves unclean by touching or eating creeping animals, which God counted as detestable. The verse is part of God’s instructions to Moses and Aaron about which animals were clean and unclean for Israel to eat, and it is spoken directly to the whole community as God’s own covenant people.
You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps. You shall not make yourselves unclean with them, that you should be defiled thereby.
Leviticus 11:43 (WEB)
What Leviticus 11:43 Means
The phrase “make yourselves abominable” points to something God regards as repugnant to Him, and the verse warns Israel not to bring that repugnance upon themselves by handling or consuming these creatures. The idea is less about the animals being evil in themselves and more about the people taking on a state that does not fit the relationship God had established with them.
The second sentence speaks of defilement, a condition that made a person unfit for worship and community life until they had been cleansed through the prescribed steps. Notice that the verse is a command about what Israel should avoid doing, and it does not promise any particular blessing for obeying it. It describes the shape of a life set apart and leaves the reader to understand the purpose behind the boundary.
The Context of Leviticus 11:43
Leviticus is traditionally attributed to Moses and was given to the Israelites after they had come out of Egypt and were gathered at Mount Sinai. Its primary audience is the priesthood and the people of Israel, and this chapter deals with dietary and purity laws that governed daily life, separating clean from unclean animals and explaining how contact with them affected a person.
The verses just before and after make the reason clear. Verses 41 and 42 call these creeping things an abomination, and verses 44 and 45 give the motive directly: “I am the LORD your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy,” and God reminds them that He is the One who brought them out of Egypt. Read this way, the restriction is an expression of the relationship God had created with His people, not an arbitrary rule standing on its own.
Key Phrases in Leviticus 11:43
Leviticus 11:44
For I am the LORD your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth.
(WEB)
This verse continues the same thought and gives the reason behind the command: God is holy, and He calls His people to be holy as well. Reading it alongside verse 43 shows that the restriction flows from God’s own character and from His desire for a people who reflect that character.
1 Peter 1:16
Because it is written, “You shall be holy; for I am holy.”
(WEB)
Peter quotes the Old Testament call to holiness and applies it to believers in Christ, showing that the principle of being set apart for God continues in the New Testament. It helps readers see how the Leviticus command finds its fuller meaning in the life of the church.
A Short Prayer From Leviticus 11:43
Lord, you are holy, and you have called me to be holy too. Show me the things in my life that dull my heart toward you or pull me into what you have set apart from your presence. Give me the wisdom to recognize those pulls early and the courage to step back from them. Remind me that my life belongs to you, and let my choices reflect the One who brought me out of darkness. Amen.
