Leviticus 11:20 Meaning and Explanation
“All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →A new covenant food category begins with flying creatures described as creeping and going upon all four. Israel is to regard this broad group as prohibited, before the next verses carefully identify a limited leaping exception and then restate the exclusion.
Flying creeping creatures that go upon all four are placed in a clearly prohibited covenant food category for the people of Israel.
The Context of Leviticus 11:20
Verses 13 through 19 list the fowls Israel must not eat. Verse 20 then opens a related section concerning fowls that creep and go upon all four. Verse 21 permits a narrower group distinguished by legs above their feet for leaping on the earth. Verse 22 names the locust, bald locust, beetle, and grasshopper after their kinds as examples Israel may eat. Verse 23 returns to the other flying creeping things with four feet and repeats the prohibited classification. Deuteronomy 14:19-20 gives a shorter parallel contrast between creeping things that fly and clean fowls. Leviticus ultimately connects all the chapter's creature distinctions with holiness before Israel's delivering God.
What Does Leviticus 11:20 Mean?
All sets a general rule for the category described in the verse. In the KJV wording, these are fowls that creep, combining flight with movement upon the earth. Going upon all four is part of that practical description. The conclusion shall be an abomination unto you carries the serious covenant food classification already used earlier in the chapter. Because verse 21 immediately introduces an exception, a reader must hold this general statement together with the following details rather than stopping here and assuming that every flying creeping creature is prohibited without qualification.
The compact movement language does not supply a modern anatomical diagram, and this study should not pretend that it does. The passage's own logic is clear enough for its purpose: a broad ground-moving and flying category is prohibited, then creatures with the stated leaping feature are permitted. Readers can describe that structure while leaving finer identification and anatomy questions to careful source-based study. Mocking the KJV phrase or producing a speculative count of limbs both distract from the food distinction the text actually develops across four connected verses.
Genesis calls God's abundant flying creation good, so a prohibited covenant use does not make these creatures morally evil. Peter's vision later places many kinds of creatures before him and teaches obedience to what God has cleansed, leading him to welcome people across a former social boundary. Christian readers should never transfer an animal food status onto any person. In the way of Jesus, holiness includes a clean heart, honest interpretation, and hospitable care. We can respect someone who abstains from insects or other foods without ridicule, dares, coercion, or treating adventurous eating as spiritual courage.
Bible Verses Related to Leviticus 11:20
“All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you. Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth; Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind. But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.”
- Leviticus 11:20-23
“And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten. But of all clean fowls ye may eat.”
- Deuteronomy 14:19-20
“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
“And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.”
- Acts 10:13-16
Where Leviticus 11:20 Echoes in Scripture
Deuteronomy 14:19 states that every creeping thing that flies is unclean to Israel and shall not be eaten, while the next verse permits clean fowls. Leviticus provides the more detailed leaping exception, so the two passages should be compared without erasing that added specificity.
How to Apply Leviticus 11:20 Today
Read verses 20 through 23 as one unit: identify the broad prohibition, the physical exception, the permitted examples, and the closing restatement. Avoid scientific claims that outrun the brief movement language. At modern meals, never pressure anyone to eat insects as entertainment, proof of faith, cultural assimilation, or a test of courage. Disclose ingredients and possible allergens, follow current food-safety guidance, and provide an ordinary alternative. Speak respectfully about cultures where such foods are common and about cultures where they are refused. Let careful distinction produce curiosity and neighbor love rather than disgust toward people.
Reflection & Prayer
Do unfamiliar food practices awaken careful love in us or contempt toward other people? We might pray: 'Holy Creator, train our attention, humble our assumptions, cleanse our speech through Jesus, and make us truthful and gracious toward every neighbor at the table.'