Reference: Clean
Easton
The various forms of uncleanness according to the Mosaic law are enumerated in Le 11-15; Nu 19. The division of animals into clean and unclean was probably founded on the practice of sacrifice. It existed before the Flood (Ge 7:2). The regulations regarding such animals are recorded in Le 11 and De 14:1-21.
The Hebrews were prohibited from using as food certain animal substances, such as (1) blood; (2) the fat covering the intestines, termed the caul; (3) the fat on the intestines, called the mesentery; (4) the fat of the kidneys; and (5) the fat tail of certain sheep (Ex 29:13,22; Le 3:4-9; 9:19; 17:10; 19:26).
The chief design of these regulations seems to have been to establish a system of regimen which would distinguish the Jews from all other nations. Regarding the design and the abolition of these regulations the reader will find all the details in Le 20:24-26; Ac 10:9-16; 11:1-10; Heb 9:9-14.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
You are to take with you seven pairs of every clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of the unclean animals, a male and its mate;
You are to take all the fat that covers the entrails, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them and send them up in smoke on the altar.
"You are to take the fat from the ram, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, the right thigh (for it's a ram of ordination),
the two kidneys with the fat on them by the loins, and the fatty mass that surrounds the liver and kidneys. Then Aaron's sons are to burn them on the altar, over the burnt offering that has been placed on the wood over the fire, as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. read more. "If his offering to the LORD is a peace offering from the flock, whether male or female, he is to bring it without defect. If the offering that he is bringing is a lamb, then he is to bring it to the LORD. He is to lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron's sons are to sprinkle the blood on and around the altar. "The presenter is then to bring a gift from the peace offering as an offering made by fire to the LORD. He is to remove the fat the entire fat tail near the spine, the fat that covers the internal organs, all of the fat that is inside the internal organs,
As to the fat from the ox and the ram the tail, the fat covering the kidneys, and the appendage of the liver
"If anyone from the house of Israel or a resident alien who lives among you eats any form of blood, I'll oppose that person who ate the blood and eliminate him from his people,
"You are not to eat anything containing blood, engage in occult practices, or practice fortune telling.
But I've promised you that you'll inherit the land that I'm about to give you as your permanent possession a land flowing with milk and honey. "I am your God. I've separated you from the people. You are to differentiate between the clean animal and the unclean and between the unclean bird and the clean. You are not to make yourselves detestable on account of any animal, bird, or any creeping creature of the ground that I've separated for you as unclean. read more. "You are to be holy toward me, because I, the LORD, am holy. I've separated you from among the people to be mine.
"You are children of the LORD your God. You must not lacerate yourselves or shave your foreheads on account of the dead, because you are a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD chose to make you his precious possession from among all the nations of the earth." read more. "You must not eat any detestable food. These are the animals that you may eat: ox, sheep, goat, deer, gazelle, roebuck, wild goat, ibex, antelope, and mountain sheep. You may eat every animal with a divided hoof those with split cloven hooves that chews the cud. However, you must not eat these animals that chew the cud or have a divided hoof: the camel, hare, and rock badger. Even though they chew the cud, their hooves are not divided. Therefore they are unclean for you. And also the pig, because even though its hoof is divided, it does not chew the cud. It is therefore unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or even touch their carcasses. "You may choose to eat from these creatures in the water: you may eat anything with fin and scale, but you may not eat anything without fin and scale, since it is unclean to you. "You may eat all clean birds. But you must not eat from any of these: the eagle, vulture, osprey, buzzard, any kind of kite, any kind of raven, the ostrich, night hawk, seagull, any kind of falcon, the little owl, the great owl, the horned owl, the pelican, the carrion vulture, the cormorant, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat. Any winged, swarming insect is unclean to you. They must not be eaten. You may eat every bird that is clean. "You must not eat any carcass. But you may give it to the alien in your cities so he may eat it or sell it to a foreigner, for you are a holy people to the LORD your God. "You must not cook a young goat in its mother's milk."
Around noon the next day, while they were on their way and coming close to the town, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became very hungry and wanted to eat, and while the food was being prepared, he fell into a trance read more. and saw heaven open and something like a large linen sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners to the ground. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals, reptiles, and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter! Kill something and eat it." But Peter said, "Absolutely not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean!" Again the voice came to him a second time, "You must stop calling unclean what God has made clean." This happened three times. Then the sheet was quickly taken back into heaven.
Now the apostles and the brothers who were in Judea heard that the gentiles had also accepted the word of God. But when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those who emphasized circumcision disagreed with him. read more. They said, "You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them!" Then Peter began to explain to them point by point what had happened. He said, "I was in the town of Joppa praying when in a trance I saw a vision: Something like a large linen sheet descended down from heaven, lowered by its four corners, and it came right down to me. When I examined it closely, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice telling me, "Get up, Peter! Kill something and eat it.' But I replied, "Absolutely not, Lord, for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth!' Then the voice from heaven answered a second time, "You must stop calling common what God has made clean!' This happened three times. Then everything was pulled back up to heaven.
This illustration for today indicates that the gifts and sacrifices being offered could not clear the conscience of a worshiper, since they deal only with food, drink, and various washings, which are required for the body until the time when things would be set right. read more. But when the Messiah came as a high priest of the good things that have come, he went through the greater and more perfect tent that was not made by human hands and that is not a part of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood he went into the Most Holy Place once for all and secured our eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are unclean purifies them physically, how much more will the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead actions so that we may serve the living God!