Lexical Summary tinshemeth: Mole, chameleon, or owl (depending on context) Original Word: תַּנְשֶׁמֶת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance mole, swan From nasham; properly, a hard breather, i.e. The name of two unclean creatures, a lizard and a bird (both perhaps from changing color through their irascibility), probably the tree-toad and the water-hen -- mole, swan. see HEBREW nasham NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom nasham Definition (an animal) perhaps owl, chameleon NASB Translation chameleon (1), white owl (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs תִּנְשֶׁ֫מֶת noun feminine an animal; — ׳ת Leviticus 11:18, תִּנְשָּׁ֑מֶת Leviticus 11:30; Deuteronomy 14:16: — 1 unclean bird, the ibis, water-hen, ᵐ5. πορφυρίων, (accusative TristrNHB 249); or species of owl (Di Bu SS); pelican (Ges): Leviticus 11:18 = Deuteronomy 14:16. 2 unclean שֶׁרֶץ Leviticus 11:30, lizard (Saad TristrNHB 120), or chameleon (BoHieroz. i. 1078 ff.; ed. Rosenm. ii. 503 ff.), so most; (deriving name from alleged living on air, PlinNH viii. 51; but this not applicable to 1; compare LagBN 130 f.). Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrences and Context• Leviticus 11:18 places the תַּנְשֶׁמֶת among birds that “are detestable” and therefore ineligible for food. In all three passages the creature marks the boundary between holy and common in Israel’s diet, illustrating the Law’s broader call to covenant distinctiveness. Identity and Modern Equivalents Ancient and modern translators have offered two principal identifications: 1. A nocturnal bird—often rendered “white owl,” “barn owl,” or “horned owl.” The association fits the bird lists, and the root נׁשׁם (“to pant, breathe hard”) suits the owl’s hissing exhalations. The dual placement probably reflects functional, not taxonomic, classification. Israelites grouped creatures by observable behavior (flight vs. creeping) and habitat (air vs. ground). A single lexical form could thus name two animals whose heavy breathing or “snorting” sound suggested the same root idea. Historical Background and Cultural Setting Owls and chameleons were familiar in the Levant. Owls nested in ruins and caves (compare Isaiah 34:13–15), embodying desolation. Chameleons, with their sand-colored camouflage, epitomized the elusive life of the wilderness. Both creatures live at the margins—night, waste places, rocky crags—making them fitting emblems of impurity in a code that prized wholeness, vitality, and life near the center of community. Theological and Symbolic Significance 1. Separation unto holiness: By forbidding creatures linked to darkness or stealth, the Law underscored Israel’s vocation to “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7). Scripture Insight Leviticus 11:45 frames the dietary section: “For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, that I might be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.” The prohibition of the תַּנְשֶׁמֶת serves this larger redemptive goal. Practical Ministry Reflections • Teach discernment: God still calls His people to distinguish between what edifies and what corrupts (Philippians 4:8). Key Insights for Study and Teaching 1. The same Hebrew term can describe more than one species when grouped by function rather than strict biology. Forms and Transliterations הַתִּנְשֶׁ֥מֶת התנשמת וְהַתִּנְשָֽׁמֶת׃ והתנשמת׃ hat·tin·še·meṯ hattinšemeṯ hattinShemet vehattinShamet wə·hat·tin·šā·meṯ wəhattinšāmeṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 11:18 HEB: וְאֶת־ הַתִּנְשֶׁ֥מֶת וְאֶת־ הַקָּאָ֖ת NAS: and the white owl and the pelican KJV: And the swan, and the pelican, INT: and the white and the pelican and the carrion Leviticus 11:30 Deuteronomy 14:16 3 Occurrences |
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