Charles Ellicott Commentary Leviticus 11:42

"Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all fours, or whatsoever hath many feet, even all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination." — Leviticus 11:42 (ASV)

In explanation of the general statement made in the preceding verse, three classes of creeping things are here presented:

1. Whatsoever goeth upon the belly: those which move by the aid of the under part of the stomach, here described as going upon the belly, as serpents and serpentine worms.

2. And whatsoever goeth upon all four: Those which have four legs and yet move like reptiles, as scorpions, beetles, etc.

3. Or whatsoever hath more feet: Better, whatsoever hath many feet; that is, those which have a number of such short feet that they cannot easily be discerned by the naked eye, and appear to crawl about upon their stomachs, as caterpillars, centipedes, millipedes, etc.