Leviticus 11:22 is God’s permission, given through Moses, for the people of Israel to eat four specific kinds of winged insects: locusts, katydids, crickets, and grasshoppers. Within the dietary laws that set Israel apart as a holy people, this verse marks certain creatures as clean and fit for food. It is spoken by the LORD to Moses and Aaron, who then pass the instructions on to the Israelites.
Even of these you may eat: any kind of locust, any kind of katydid, any kind of cricket, and any kind of grasshopper.
Leviticus 11:22 (WEB)
What Leviticus 11:22 Means
The verse begins with “Even of these,” which points back to the rule just stated in verse 21: among winged creatures that walk on all fours, only those with jointed legs for hopping are allowed. The word “even” signals a small exception within a larger prohibition. Many winged insects were off limits, but these particular ones were not.
The four named insects are not a scientific taxonomy. They are the everyday creatures an ancient Israelite would recognize in the fields and hills of the land. The phrase “any kind of” shows that the permission covers the whole family of each type, not one species alone. God is naming categories people already knew, so the law could be lived out in ordinary life.
What the verse does not do is explain why these insects were clean while others were not. Leviticus gives no detailed rationale for each rule, and reading one into the text risks speculation. What the verse does clearly teach is that God defines what is clean and unclean, and that his people receive those boundaries as a gift of guidance.
The Context of Leviticus 11:22
Leviticus is the third book of the Pentateuch, traditionally attributed to Moses. It was written for the Israelites camped at the foot of Mount Sinai, preparing to live as a nation set apart for the LORD. Chapter 11 belongs to a larger section on clean and unclean food, and its purpose is to teach holiness in daily habits, not only in worship.
The verses immediately before and after set the tone. Verses 20 and 21 describe the winged insects that walk on all fours as detestable, and verses 23 through 25 list the ones that remain forbidden and explain how contact with dead creatures makes a person unclean. Read in that setting, verse 22 is a narrow opening in a wide prohibition. It shows that the dietary laws were precise rather than arbitrary, and that God’s holiness touches even what goes into the body.
Key Phrases in Leviticus 11:22
Acts 10:15
A voice came to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean.”
(WEB)
In this verse God tells Peter that what he has made clean, Peter must not call common. The passage shows how the Old Testament dietary laws find their fulfillment in Christ, opening the way for all people to be welcomed into God’s family. Reading it alongside Leviticus 11:22 helps the reader see the larger story of God’s purpose to make a holy people from every nation.
Mark 7:19
Because it doesn’t go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, thus purifying all foods?”
(WEB)
Here Jesus explains that what goes into a person does not defile them, because food passes through the body. The verse helps readers understand that the old distinctions about clean and unclean food pointed toward a deeper concern with the heart, where true holiness is formed.
A Short Prayer From Leviticus 11:22
Lord, you are the one who knows what is holy and what is common, and you have shown your people how to live set apart for you. Thank you for the way you care about the details of our lives, from the food on our tables to the choices we make each day. Help us to receive your guidance with humble hearts, trusting that your instructions are good and that you desire our good. Teach us to honor you in ordinary moments, and to keep our attention on your faithfulness rather than on the rules themselves. Amen.
