John Gill Commentary Leviticus 11:34

"All food [therein] which may be eaten, that on which water cometh, shall be unclean; and all drink that may be drunk in every [such] vessel shall be unclean." — Leviticus 11:34 (ASV)

Of all meat which may be eaten

Which otherwise is lawful to eat and fit for food, whether herbs, or whether the flesh of clean creatures:

[that] on which [such] water comes shall be unclean ;

that is, such water as is put into an unclean vessel, become so by the fall of any unclean reptile into it; wherefore such water poured out upon any sort of food, clean and fit to eat, or that is put into such water, to be dressed, it becomes unclean and unfit to eat; for the vessel, being unclean, defiles the water, and the water defiles the food: Jarchi interprets this of water in general, which coming upon anything eatable, prepares it for uncleanness;

"we learn (says he) that no food is fit and prepared to receive defilement until water comes upon it once; and after it is come upon it once, it receives defilement for ever, even though it becomes dry;" but the former seems to be the true sense:

and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean ;

whatever otherwise might be lawfully drunk, yet being put into such a vessel, into which any unclean reptile was fallen, or being in it when it fell into it, became unclean and not fit to be drunk; and those liquors which receive uncleanness, and make meats unclean by coming on them, according to the Misnic doctors ^F23 , are these seven, dew, water, wine, oil, blood, milk, and honey.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F23: Misn. Machshirin, c. 6. sect. 4.