Albert Barnes Commentary Leviticus 11:5

"And the coney, because he cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, he is unclean unto you." — Leviticus 11:5 (ASV)

The coney - The Old English name for a rabbit. The animal meant is the Hyrax Syriacus. It bears some resemblance to the guinea pig or the marmot, and in its general appearance and habits (Proverbs 30:26; Psalms 104:18), it might easily be mistaken for a rodent. But Cuvier discovered that, in its anatomy, it is a true pachyderm, allied to the rhinoceros and the tapir, though inferior to them in size.

He chews the cud - The Hyrax has the same habit as the hare, the rabbit, the guinea pig, and some other rodents, of moving its jaws when it is at rest as if it were masticating. These rodents were familiarly spoken of as ruminating animals, just as the bat was considered among birds because it flies , and as whales and their relatives are spoken of as fish when scientific precision is not necessary.