EGW → Biblical Foundation
Select an Ellen White book from the sidebar to see each passage mapped to the Bible verses it amplifies, cites, or echoes.
Scripture Index
Ellen White & Bible Cross-Reference
Leviticus 11:4
"Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you."
"Upon their settlement in Canaan, the Israelites were permitted the use of animal food, but under careful restrictions which tended to lessen the evil results. The use of swine's flesh was prohibited, as also of other animals and of birds and fish whose flesh was pronounced unclean. Of the meats permitted, the eating of the fat and the blood was strictly forbidden. MH 311.3"
This verse outlines the principle of distinguishing between clean and unclean animals, which is the basis for the dietary restrictions mentioned in the passage.
Leviticus 11:7
"And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you."
"Upon their settlement in Canaan, the Israelites were permitted the use of animal food, but under careful restrictions which tended to lessen the evil results. The use of swine's flesh was prohibited, as also of other animals and of birds and fish whose flesh was pronounced unclean. Of the meats permitted, the eating of the fat and the blood was strictly forbidden. MH 311.3"
This verse explicitly prohibits the eating of swine, which directly corresponds to the passage's statement that 'the use of swine's flesh was prohibited'.
Leviticus 11:10
"And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:"
"In many places fish become so contaminated by the filth on which they feed as to be a cause of disease. This is especially the case where the fish come in contact with the sewage of large cities. The fish that are fed on the contents of the drains may pass into distant waters and may be caught where the water is pure and fresh. Thus when used as food they bring disease and death on those who do not suspect the danger. MH 314.3"
Both passages address the consumption of unclean or contaminated food. Leviticus 11:10 prohibits eating aquatic creatures without fins and scales, while the EGW passage warns against eating fish contaminated by sewage.
Leviticus 11:41
"And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten."
"Other laws had been perverted by the rabbis in like manner. In the directions given through Moses it was forbidden to eat any unclean thing. The use of swine's flesh, and the flesh of certain other animals, was prohibited, as likely to fill the blood with impurities, and to shorten life. But the Pharisees did not leave these restrictions as God had given them. They went to unwarranted extremes. Among other things the people were required to strain all the water used, lest it should contain the smallest insect, which might be classed with the unclean animals. Jesus, contrasting these trivial exactions with the magnitude of their actual sins, said to the Pharisees, “Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.” DA 617.2"
While the EGW passage doesn't directly quote Leviticus 11:41, it uses the principle of avoiding unclean things to illustrate how the Pharisees added unnecessary and burdensome restrictions, contrasting it with the 'gnat and camel' saying from Matthew 23:24. The Leviticus verse provides the basis for the discussion of clean and unclean things.
Leviticus 11:44
"For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
"In all the affairs of their daily life, the Israelites were taught the lesson set forth by the Holy Spirit: MH 281.1"
Both passages emphasize holiness and sanctification. While the EGW passage broadens the application to daily life, the underlying principle of striving for holiness as commanded by God is present in both.
"safeguarding of the purity of all foods of dairy origin is a matter of prime importance. While frequent testing of dairy herds, together with thorough pasteurization and refrigeration, serves to this end, such foods, if from uncertain sources, or if carelessly handled, constitute a serious menace to health; for, as stated in U.S. Department of Agriculture Farmers’ Bulletin No. 1705 by a Government expert, Rowena Schmidt Carpenter: “The same chemical constituents and physical properties that recommend milk as a human food make it an excellent food for bacteria.” The reader will understand that the reference to cheese does not include cottage cheese or foods of a similar character, which were ever recognized by the author as wholesome.—Publishers.] MH 302.1"
This verse emphasizes the importance of purity and holiness, which can be seen as a parallel to the safeguarding of food purity mentioned in the passage.
"Flesh was never the best food; but its use is now doubly objectionable, since disease in animals is so rapidly increasing. Those who use flesh foods little know what they are eating. Often if they could see the animals when living and know the quality of the meat they eat, they would turn from it with loathing. People are continually eating flesh that is filled with tuberculous and cancerous germs. Tuberculosis, cancer, and other fatal diseases are thus communicated. MH 313.2"
While Leviticus 11:44 speaks generally about avoiding defilement and maintaining holiness, EGW's statement about diseased meat causing illness can be seen as a specific application of this principle, suggesting that consuming such meat defiles the body. However, the connection is not explicit.
Leviticus 11:47
"To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten."
"Diet The distinction between clean and unclean was made in all matters of diet: MH 280"
The EGW passage directly references the distinction between clean and unclean foods, which is the central topic of Leviticus 11:47. This is a clear and direct allusion.
The order given by God to the children of Israel to place a ribbon of blue in their garments was to have no direct influence on their health, only as God would bless them by obedience, and the ribbon would keep in their memory the high claims of Jehovah and prevent them from mingling with other nations, uniting in their drunken feasts, and eating swine's flesh and luxurious food detrimental to health. God would now have His people adopt the reform dress, not only to distinguish them from the world as His “peculiar people,” but because a reform in dress is essential to physical and mental health. God's people have, to a great extent, lost their peculiarity, and have been gradually patterning after the world, and mingling with them, until they have in many respects become like them. This is displeasing to God. He directs them, as He directed the children of Israel anciently, to come out from the world and forsake their idolatrous practices, not following their own hearts (for their heart…
Both passages deal with the idea of separation and distinction. Leviticus 11:47 focuses on distinguishing between clean and unclean foods, while EGW discusses distinguishing between God's people and the world through dress and lifestyle. The underlying principle of separation for holiness is present in both.
"Both young men and young women should be taught how to cook economically, and to dispense with everything in the line of flesh food. Let no encouragement be given to the preparation of dishes which are composed in any degree of flesh food; for this is pointing to the darkness and ignorance of Egypt, rather than to the purity of health reform. CT 313.1"
Both passages deal with dietary laws and distinctions between what is acceptable and unacceptable to eat. The EGW quote advocates for a vegetarian diet and discourages the consumption of flesh foods, associating it with the 'darkness and ignorance of Egypt.' The Leviticus verse outlines the distinction between clean and unclean animals. The connection is thematic, focusing on dietary principles and their spiritual implications.