Leviticus 11:6
And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
And the hare, because he cheweth the cud,.... Or, "though he chews" it:
but divideth not the hoof, he is unclean to you; and so not to be eaten; so Plutarch {q} says, that the Jews are said to abstain from the hare, disdaining it as a filthy and unclean animal, and yet was in the greatest esteem with the Romans of any four footed beast, as Martial says {r}: Moses, as Bochart {s} and other learned men observe, is the only writer that speaks of the hare as chewing the cud; though they also observe, that Aristotle {t} makes mention of that in common with those that do chew the cud, namely a "coagulum" or "runnet" in its stomach; his words are,
"all that have many bellies have what is called puetia, a coagulum or runnet, and of them that have but one belly, the hare;''
only that: this creature being prone to lust, may be an emblem of lustful persons, who give up themselves to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness, Ephesians 4:19.
(The "hare" is this verse may be an animal that is now is extinct but was alive at the time of Moses. It is only other mentioned in Deuteronomy 14:7. Editor.)
{q} Sympos. l. 9. c. 5.
{r} L. 13. Epigr. 87.
{s} Ut supra, (Hierozoic par. 1. l. 3.) c. 31. col. 977.
{t} De Part. Animal. l. 3. c. 15. & Hist. Animal. l. 3. c. 21.