In a social media group, I saw an atheist post about how the Bible says insects have four legs. On some level, you can see why someone may think the Bible teaches this because some translations, though they make a distinction between the legs that walk on the ground and the hind legs of insects, it can be pretty easy to miss. In this discussion, I am dealing with an atheist that is very hostile toward the faith. I start off by explaining to him that the Bible counted legs differently than modern taxonomy. I then gave an explanation in English for why I believe this. When he still insisted that the Bible says insects had four legs, I went into the Hebrew (I am learning ancient Hebrew at my Messianic Synagogue) and show that the Hebrew text makes it very clear that the Bible classified legs that are used for walking and hind legs separately. I also give additional arguments for why it is silly to think that Moses was incapable of counting the legs of insects.
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Atheist:
Leviticus 11:20“ ‘All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be regarded as unclean by you. 21There are, however, some flying insects that walk on all fours that you may eat: those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground. 22Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper. 23But all other flying insects that have four legs you are to regard as unclean.
Lol…Someone should tell God how many legs the insects he created have.
Me:
This is a matter of confusion of semantics. The Bible counts what we call “legs” differently than modern taxonomy.
Atheist:
Where exactly did you get this knowledge from other than concluding it must be the case since the Bible author who wrote insects have four legs is mistaken?
Me:
The Bible itself details how the legs were counted when discussing dietary laws.
Atheist:
Please quote those verses.
Me:
“All flying insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you.
Yet you may eat from all winged creeping things that go on all fours, which have legs above their feet, with which to hop on the earth. You may eat from any kind of locust, any kind of katydid, any kind of cricket and any kind of grasshopper. But all winged creeping things that have four feet are loathsome to you.”–Leviticus 11:20-23
This passage makes a distinction between walking legs and the hind legs (4+2=6).
It is also worth mentioning that the Hebrews (including Moses) knew how to count because the Hebrew letters also have numerical values, and we knew that Moses made use of these numerical values in Genesis and Exodus (again showing that he knew how to count). So, the Hebrews did know how to count, and this is evidenced by the Hebrew language and its usage in the Bible.
Atheist:
Leviticus 11 “You may eat those that have legs with joints above their feet so they can jump.” It says plain as day that they are legs. No insects have four legs. It makes that mistake over and over with different insects such as ones with wings. If they were counting “hopping legs” as not legs then flying insects and others without them would be said to have six legs. The text would read all creeping things which go on six legs except ones that have joints above two legs.
Me:
Before you continue down this path, Aaron. There are certain rules to the Bible that one must follow when interpreting it (Also bear in mind that I actually am learning Ancient Hebrew). These rules have been used even by the prophets, and they were systematized about a hundred years before Yeshua was born. The context of the passage is not a definitive classification of insects. The purpose of the passage was to inform the Israelites of what was expected of them regarding dietary laws. Another part of proper hermeneutics is to watch for distinctions in passages. When the Bible makes a distinction, it is important to pay attention. This is one such case.
By insisting that the Bible is trying to give definitive classifications to all insects, you are violating hermeneutical principles by losing the plain meaning of the passage (the plain meaning is derived from the intent of the passage). This is not the way the Bible is meant to be interpreted, and if you interpret it outside of this framework, you are misrepresenting the Bible.
I have also made an argument that clearly shows that the Hebrews knew how to count. The notion that Moses didn’t know how to count after making extensive use of numerical values to tell the Israelites how to build the tabernacle is a stretch, to say the least. In fact, it goes beyond mere argument, it goes to prove that Moses knew how to count. You can repeat your position ad nauseum if you wish, but I think you can make better use of your time.
Atheist:
They may have known how to count but they sure weren’t concerned with accurately describing insects. It’s clear the authors weren’t entomologist and mistakenly classified insects as having four legs. There’s no way around this fact. It written plain as day. A grasshoppers hind legs were counted as legs. So they thought a grasshopper had two hind legs and two front legs.
Me:
Because the Bible makes a distinction between the four walking legs and two hind legs in that passage–the legs were meant to be counted separately. If the Israelites read the passage as you did, they never would have eaten locusts because they would have assumed they were not kosher because they had more than four legs.
This is why knowing how the Bible is meant to be interpreted is very important. You must pay very careful attention to distinctions. If you come to the Bible and just try to read it from a western lens, you will make mistakes such as these. This isn’t directed toward you specifically, many Americans make this mistake.
Atheist:
There’s no way around this fact. It written plain as day. A grasshoppers hind legs were counted as legs. So they thought a grasshopper had two hind legs and two front legs.
Me:
It is not if you look at the Hebrew. The two Hebrew words to describe these legs are כָּרָע and רֶגֶל. They both have very distinct definitions. One refers to feet (four feet) and the other refers to legs (two legs). It is very clear that a distinction is being made here. It would not be so obvious in some English translations, but the Hebrew makes it very clear that the two hind legs and the four legs that are meant for walking on the ground are distinct from one another in this passage.
Atheist:
No it doesn’t make a distinction between 4 walking legs and two hopping legs. You made that up. It’s says they have four legs and describes edible insects as ones with legs with joints above their feet.
Me:
I went into the Hebrew, and I can go further. The Hebrew word for four, אַרְבַּע, is only used for the Hebrew word ‘רֶגֶל (which means foot).’ This (אַרְבַּע only modifying רֶגֶל) is how we know that רֶגֶל and כָּרָע are meant to be counted separately. Furthermore, if the two distinct words were meant to be modified by four together, there would have been a conjunction prior to כָּרָע. Otherwise, אַרְבַּע could not modify both words.
When you look at the Hebrew, the meaning of the text is quite clear. I also think the notion that I could travel in time and write the Torah scrolls that contain the dietary guidelines for the Israelites is a bit of a stretch.
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