Leviticus 11:16 Meaning and Explanation
“And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The covenant fowl list continues with four traditional KJV names: owl, night hawk, cuckow, and hawk after his kind. Each one belongs to Israel's clearly prohibited food category, while the final phrase extends the hawk entry beyond a single specimen or narrow label.
The owl, night hawk, cuckow, and every hawk after its kind are all included among the fowls prohibited as food for Israel.
The Context of Leviticus 11:16
Verse 13 begins the fowl section by saying the listed creatures shall not be eaten. Verses 13 through 15 name the eagle, ossifrage, ospray, vulture, kite, and every raven after his kind. Verse 16 adds four more names and attaches after his kind to the hawk. Verses 17 through 19 finish the sequence. Deuteronomy 14:15 repeats the wording of verse 16 within its parallel list. Since some traditional English animal names have been applied differently across times and places, this passage securely establishes covenant food status without necessarily resolving every present-day species question. The chapter's conclusion locates the whole list within Israel's calling to holy distinction.
What Does Leviticus 11:16 Mean?
This verse continues the command stated in verse 13, so its four entries shall not be eaten by Israel. The repeated and joins the names into the larger sequence, and after his kind broadens the final hawk entry. The line does not rank the creatures or assign a different level of uncleanness to each one. Its function is practical classification. Reading the entire unit keeps an interpreter from treating owl, night hawk, cuckow, or hawk as a free-standing symbol based on later stories, popular sayings, or personal reactions.
Modern common names can create false confidence because the same English word may be used with different precision in ordinary speech and zoology. This study therefore preserves the KJV wording while acknowledging that exact identifications may require evidence beyond the translated label. The law's clear claim remains available even where a species proposal is uncertain: these named fowls and the hawk after his kind are prohibited food for Israel. Responsible teachers distinguish textual certainty from identification confidence and avoid fabricated claims about nocturnal habits, predation, migration, or supposed spiritual traits.
Genesis places winged life within God's good creation, and Jesus points to fowls as living witnesses to the Father's provision. Those truths prevent the prohibited list from becoming a catalog of creatures God hates. They also prevent animal names from becoming weapons against people. A Christian can honor Israel's disciplined meals, follow Jesus in trust, and welcome neighbors whose food practices differ. Christlike maturity does not pressure a guest to violate conscience or use owl and hawk labels to mock intelligence, age, appearance, vigilance, or cultural identity. It speaks truth without dehumanizing anyone.
Bible Verses Related to Leviticus 11:16
“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 11:16 Echoes in Scripture
Deuteronomy 14:15 repeats the owl, night hawk, cuckow, and hawk after his kind in the same order. This close parallel confirms the line's stable place in Israel's food instruction, while Matthew 6 places fowls generally under the heavenly Father's attentive provision.
How to Apply Leviticus 11:16 Today
Keep a clear boundary between the verse's certain food classification and any uncertain modern species match. If you consult reference works, compare their evidence and explain disagreement in plain language. Never attach invented moral personalities to animals and then project those stereotypes onto people. Remove degrading bird nicknames from teaching, counseling, and humor. At community meals, collect dietary needs privately, label dishes, avoid cross-contact, and offer comparable choices. Let observation of winged creatures lead toward gratitude and care for habitats, while current wildlife and health decisions rely on competent local guidance rather than speculative biblical identification.
Reflection & Prayer
Where might confident labels be hiding uncertainty or harming a neighbor? We might pray: 'Wise Creator, make our study honest, our distinctions faithful, our speech free from contempt, and our trust in the Father's care steady as we follow Jesus.'