"Thou shalt not¹ eatª° any¹ abominable thing.ª ... And the swine,ª because¹ it¹ dividethª° the hoof,ª yet cheweth not¹ the cud,ª it¹ [is] uncleanª unto you: ye shall not¹ eatª° of their flesh,ª¹ nor¹ touchª° their dead carcase.ª" {Deu 14:3-8} + "Then saidª° I, Ahª Lordª GOD!ª behold,¹ my soulª hath not¹ been polluted:ª° for from my youthª¹ up even till¹ now¹ have I not¹ eatenª° of that which dieth of itself,ª or is torn in pieces;ª neither¹ cameª° there abominableª fleshª into my mouth.ª" {Ezk 4:14} + "But Danielª purposedª° in¹ his heartª that¹ he would not¹ defile²° himself¹ with the portion²° of the king's² meat,ª¹ nor with the wineª which he drank:ª therefore he requestedª° of the princeª¹ of the eunuchsª that¹ he might not¹ defile²° himself.¹" {Dan 1:8} + "Notª that which goethª° intoª the¹ mouthª defilethª° a man;ª butª that which comethª° out¹ of² the¹ mouth,ª thisª defilethª° a man.ª" {Mtt 15:11} + "There isª° nothingª from withoutª a man,ª thatª enteringª° intoª himª canª° defileª° him:ª butª the things which comeª° out ofª him,ª thoseª are¹ they²° that defileª° the¹ man.ª ... Becauseª it enterethª° notª intoª hisª heart,ª butª intoª the¹ belly,ª andª goeth outª° intoª the¹ draught,ª purgingª° allª meats?ª" {Mrk 7:15-19} + "Whereinªª wereª° all mannerª of fourfooted beastsª of the¹ earth,ª andª wild beasts,ª andª creeping things,ª andª fowlsª of the¹ air.ª" {Act 10:12} + "Butª Peterª said,ª° Not so,ª Lord;ª forª I have²° never²¹ eatenª° any thingª that is commonª orª unclean.ª" {Act 10:14} + "For² oneª¹ believethª° that he may eatª° all things:ª¹ another,²¹ who is weak,ª° eatethª° herbs.ª ... Let²° notª him that eatethª° despiseª° him that eateth²° not;ª¹ andª let²° notª him which eateth²° notª¹ judgeª° him that eateth:ª° forª Godª hath receivedª° him.ª" {Rom 14:2-3} + "I know,ª° andª am persuadedª° byª the Lordª Jesus,ª thatª [there is] nothingª uncleanª ofª itself:ª butª to him that esteemethª° any thingª to beª° unclean,ª to himª [it is] unclean.ª ... Butª ifª thyª brotherª be grievedª° withª [thy] meat,ª now²° walkest thou²° notª¹ charitably.ªª Destroyª° notª himª with thyª meat,ª forª whomª Christª died.ª°" {Rom 14:14-15} + "Forª everyª creatureª of Godª [is] good,ª andª nothingª to be refused,ª if it be receivedª° withª thanksgiving:ª ... If thou put²° the brethren² in remembranceª°¹¹ of these things,ª thou shalt beª° a goodª ministerª of Jesusª Christ,ª nourished upª° in the¹ wordsª of faithª andª of goodª doctrine,ª whereuntoª thou hast attained.ª°" {1Tm 4:4-6} + "[Which stood] onlyª inª meatsª andª drinks,ª andª diversª washings,ª andª carnalª ordinances,ª imposedª° [on them] untilª the timeª of reformation.ª" {Hbr 9:10} + "Be²° notª carried aboutª° with diversª andª strangeª doctrines.ª Forª [it is] a good thingª that the¹ heartª be establishedª° with grace;ª notª with meats,ª which¹ have²° notª profitedª° them that have been occupied²° therein.²²¹" {Hbr 13:9}; Of the laws relative to clean and unclean beasts, which are recorded in this chapter and "Ye¹ [are] the childrenª of the LORDª your God:ª ye shall not¹ cut²° yourselves,¹ nor¹ makeª° any baldnessª between¹ your eyesª for the dead.ª° ... And the Levite,ª (because¹ he hath no¹ partª nor inheritanceª with¹ thee,) and the stranger,ª and the fatherless,ª and the widow,ª which¹ [are] within thy gates,ª shall come,ª° and shall eatª° and be satisfied;ª° that¹ the LORDª thy Godª may blessª° thee in all¹ the workª of thine handª which¹ thou doest.ª°" {Deu 14:1-29} the following may be found a useful abstract.
1. In regard to quadrupeds, all beasts that have their feet completely cloven, above as well as below, and at the same time chew the cud, are clean. Those which have neither, or indeed want one of these distinguishing marks, are unclean. This is a systematic division of quadrupeds so excellent, as never yet, after all the improvements in natural history, to have become obsolete, but, on the contrary, to be still considered as useful by the greatest masters of the science.
2. With regard to fishes, Moses has in like manner, made a very simple systematic distinction. All that have scales and fins are clean; all others unclean.
3. Of birds, he merely specifies certain sorts as forbidden, thereby permitting all others to be eaten.
4. Insects, serpents, worms, etc., are prohibited; but with regard, however to those winged insects, which besides four walking legs, also have two longer springing legs (Pedes saltatorii), Moses makes an exception, and under the denomination of locusts, declares them clean in all four stages of their existence.
In Palestine, Arabia, and the adjoining countries, locusts are one of the most common articles of food, and people would be very ill of if they durst not eat them: For, when a swarm of them desolates the fields, they prove in some measure themselves an antidote to the famine which they occasion. They are not only eaten fresh, immediately on their appearance, but the people collect them, and know a method of preserving them for a long time for food, after they have dried them in an oven. - Niebuhr's Description of Arabia, pp. 170-175.