20
Everyכֹּלwinged insectשֶׁרֶץ הָעוֹףthat walksהַהֹלֵךְonעַלall fours,אַרְבַּעit shall beהוּאa detestable thingשֶׁקֶץfor you.לָכֶם
Leviticus 11:20
Study it in the app“Every winged insect that walks on all fours, it shall be a detestable thing for you.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Leviticus 11:20, word by word
- winged insectשֶׁרֶץsherets
swarming things
A swarm of small animals that move in great numbers: fish, insects, small reptiles.
Where else “sherets” appears- winged insectעוֹףof
winged insect
A small winged creature, like the locust, which the law classifies apart.
Where else “of” appears- that walksהֹלֵךְholech
go
To move on foot from place to place; to set out.
Where else “holech” appears- all foursאַרְבַּעarba
four
Four.
Where else “arba” appears- a detestable thingשֶׁקֶץshekets
detestable thing
A detestable thing: what the Law commands to reject, especially as food.
Where else “shekets” appears
Translation note
“Winged insect” is literally “what swarms with wings.” It can be understood that “on all fours” describes the manner of walking, not an exact count.
The context
19the stork, the heron according to its kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.
20 · This verse (above)
21But these you may eat of all the winged insects that walk on all fours: those that have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth.