· Translation: KJV

Leviticus 11:5The coney, because he chews the cud but doesn't have a parted hoof, he is unclean to you.

The setting

Sinai wilderness, ~1446 BC. God continues the detailed list of clean and unclean animals for Israel's dietary code. Modern location: Sinai Peninsula, Egypt.

The emotion here: careful precision while documenting God's intricate holiness requirements

The original word

shafan (שפן) — rock badger or hyrax, a small mammal that lives in rocky areas

Why it matters

The rock hyrax appears to chew cud but actually re-chews stored food, not true rumination

Read with care

What most readers miss in Leviticus 11:5

God's classification system was based on observable behavior, not modern scientific understanding of digestion

Common misconceptionModern readers assume this is about biological accuracy, but it's about God establishing observable criteria for His people's daily choices.

Bible Genome reading

Leviticus 11:5 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerGod
Eraexodus
Primary emotiondeciding
Literary typelaw
MarkCommand

Emotional genome

Comfort power10%
Quotability20%
Memorability30%
Crisis relevance20%
Standalone40%
Themes:holinessdietary lawobedience

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Leviticus 11

Leviticus 11:5 comes from the book of Leviticus, written during the exodus period. These words are attributed to God. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the law genre of biblical literature. Key themes include holiness, dietary law, obedience. Notable phrases: unclean to you; chews the cud; parted hoof. This verse contains a command.

Your reflection

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