Leviticus 11:13 Meaning and Explanation
“And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Leviticus begins its prohibited fowl list with the eagle, ossifrage, and ospray. The repeated covenant classification and direct command make the food boundary unmistakable for Israel, while these traditional English animal names require careful humility when compared with modern species labels.
Israel must not eat the eagle, ossifrage, or ospray because these named fowls belong to the prohibited covenant food category.
The Context of Leviticus 11:13
After addressing land animals and water creatures, Leviticus 11 turns to fowls. Verse 13 introduces a prohibited list and names its first three members. Verses 14 through 19 continue with additional names, sometimes adding the phrase after his kind or after her kind. Verses 20 through 23 then address flying creeping things and allow a specified leaping group. Deuteronomy 14:11 begins its parallel section with permission to eat clean birds and follows with a closely related prohibited list. Leviticus concludes the chapter by calling Israel to holiness and to the practical distinction between clean and unclean, including what may and may not be eaten.
What Does Leviticus 11:13 Mean?
The verse establishes both category and consequence. These named fowls are to be held in the stated covenant classification, and they shall not be eaten. Repeating abomination on both sides of the command adds emphasis and leaves no opening for treating the list as a suggestion. The eagle, ossifrage, and ospray begin a sequence that continues across seven verses. A responsible explanation therefore reads this line as the opening of one food-law unit rather than trying to create an independent moral symbolism for each animal.
Ossifrage and ospray are traditional KJV names, and readers may encounter differing modern proposals for the creatures intended. This page should not pretend that an English label by itself settles an exact present-day species identification. The verse securely supplies the names in this translation, their placement among the prohibited fowls, and the action Israel must take. Further identification work belongs with qualified linguistic and zoological sources that explain evidence and uncertainty. Intellectual honesty protects Scripture study from confident folklore, invented animal behavior, and sensational claims that the text never makes.
God's creation of winged creatures is called good in Genesis, so their exclusion from Israel's table does not make them morally corrupt or outside divine care. Jesus later points to the fowls of the air as recipients of the heavenly Father's provision. Those passages help Christian readers keep creation, covenant distinction, and human application in their proper places. We may honor Israel's real food law while refusing to attach prohibited-animal language to a person or people group. Christlike holiness includes truthful interpretation, reverence for creation, and hospitality that respects another person's dietary conscience.
Bible Verses Related to Leviticus 11:13
“And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, And the vulture, and the kite after his kind; Every raven after his kind; And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind, And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle, And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.”
- Leviticus 11:13-19
“Of all clean birds ye shall eat. But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, And the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind, And every raven after his kind, And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind, The little owl, and the great owl, and the swan, And the pelican, and the gier eagle, and the cormorant, And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.”
- Deuteronomy 14:11-18
“And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.”
- Genesis 1:20-23
“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”
- Matthew 6:26
Where Leviticus 11:13 Echoes in Scripture
Deuteronomy 14:12 opens its prohibited bird list with the same three KJV names: eagle, ossifrage, and ospray. The parallel placement confirms that Leviticus 11:13 introduces a stable covenant food list, while Genesis 1 affirms the created goodness of winged life more broadly.
How to Apply Leviticus 11:13 Today
When an older animal name is uncertain, state the translation's wording and the verse's clear function before discussing possible identifications. Consult qualified references and label proposals as proposals. Never invent a creature's habits to produce a sermon illustration. Do not use names from the prohibited list as slurs for a nationality, class, appearance, or character. If a guest avoids particular birds or all meat, respond with accurate ingredients, careful preparation, and a substantial alternative. Support responsible care of wild birds without assuming that biblical food permission or prohibition settles every modern conservation question.
Reflection & Prayer
Can we hold a firm biblical conclusion and an honest identification limit at the same time? We might pray: 'God of truth and creation, make us careful with your word, humble about uncertainty, gentle toward every neighbor, and attentive to the Father's care revealed by Jesus.'