Topical Bible: Beasts: Unclean: Hare

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the biblical context, the hare is classified among the unclean animals, as outlined in the dietary laws given to the Israelites. The primary scriptural reference to the hare is found in the Book of Leviticus and the Book of Deuteronomy, where it is explicitly mentioned in the list of animals that the Israelites were forbidden to consume.

Scriptural References:

1. Leviticus 11:6 : "The hare, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you."

2. Deuteronomy 14:7 : "But of those that chew the cud or have split hooves, you are not to eat the following: the camel, the rabbit, or the hare."

In these passages, the hare is described as an animal that "chews the cud" but does not have a split hoof, which is a requirement for an animal to be considered clean according to Mosaic Law. The phrase "chews the cud" is understood to mean that the animal appears to chew food in a manner similar to ruminants, although scientifically, hares do not ruminate in the same way as true cud-chewing animals like cows or sheep.

Cultural and Historical Context:

The classification of the hare as unclean is part of the broader dietary laws that were given to the Israelites to set them apart from other nations and to promote holiness and obedience to God's commandments. These laws served both a spiritual and practical purpose, guiding the Israelites in their daily lives and worship.

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, dietary restrictions were not uncommon, and the Israelites' adherence to these laws was a distinctive feature of their identity. The prohibition against eating hares, along with other unclean animals, was a tangible expression of their covenant relationship with God.

Symbolic and Theological Implications:

From a theological perspective, the dietary laws, including the prohibition against eating hares, can be seen as a means of teaching the Israelites about purity, obedience, and the importance of distinguishing between the holy and the common. The distinction between clean and unclean animals is often interpreted as a metaphor for moral and spiritual discernment.

In the New Testament, the dietary laws are re-evaluated in light of the new covenant established through Jesus Christ. In Acts 10, Peter's vision of a sheet containing all kinds of animals, clean and unclean, signifies the abolition of these dietary restrictions for Christians, emphasizing that what God has made clean should not be called unclean (Acts 10:15).

Modern Considerations:

While the specific dietary laws regarding the hare are not binding on Christians today, they continue to hold historical and theological significance. They serve as a reminder of the distinctiveness of God's people and the call to live a life set apart in holiness and obedience. The study of these laws provides insight into the cultural and religious practices of ancient Israel and the continuity and fulfillment of God's plan through the ages.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Leviticus 11:6
And the hare, because he chews the cud, but divides not the hoof; he is unclean to you.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Deuteronomy 14:7
Nevertheless these you shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean to you.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Clean and the Unclean
... hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ... be not,
I pray you, like the timid hare, lest you be found among the unclean! ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 9 1863/the clean and the unclean.htm

Argument. --And Thus Unclean Animals are not to be Reproached ...
... avoided in men which the law had condemned even in beasts. ... men; while those that
are without scales are unclean; because trifling ... Or when it forbids the hare? ...
/.../novatian/on the jewish meats/chapter iii argument and thus unclean.htm

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners Or, a Brief Relation of ...
... that were the people of God; but the unclean, types of ... Now I read, that the clean
beasts chewed the cud; that is ... though we did chew the cud, as the hare; yet if ...
/.../bunyan/grace abounding to the chief of sinners/grace abounding to the chief.htm

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
... that were the people of God; but the unclean, types of ... Now, I read that the clean
beasts chewed the cud; that is ... though we did chew the cud as the hare, yet if ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/grace abounding to the chief.htm

Memoir of John Bunyan
... with much bitterness"'The Ranters are unclean beasts"their maxim ... division of God's
creatures into clean and unclean. ... to chew the cud like the hare"nor to ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/memoir of john bunyan.htm

Mr. Bunyan's Last Sermon:
... shall see the holy virgins with their golden harps; there we shall see men, that
by the world were cut in pieces, burnt in flames, eaten of beasts, drowned in ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/mr bunyans last sermon .htm

The Strait Gate;
... placed there by God, to look that none that are unclean in anything ... as slaying with
the sword, stoning, sawing asunder, flames, wild beasts, banishments, hunger ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the strait gate.htm

part ii
... you go for a walk in the fresh air, think of the pure and of the unclean heart ... We
should truly have been like the beasts, and should have exterminated each other ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part ii.htm

The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9. <. ...
/.../chapter iithe last days of 2.htm