Four-footed
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The term "four-footed" in the Bible generally refers to animals that walk on four legs. This term is used in various contexts, often to describe creatures that are part of God's creation, and sometimes in discussions about dietary laws and idolatry.

Biblical References:

1. Creation and Dominion:
In the account of creation, four-footed animals are part of the living creatures that God created on the sixth day. Genesis 1:24-25 states, "And God said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.' And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good." Here, four-footed animals are included in the broader category of "livestock" and "wild animals," highlighting their role in the created order.

2. Dietary Laws:
In Leviticus, the dietary laws given to the Israelites distinguish between clean and unclean animals, including four-footed creatures. Leviticus 11:27 specifies, "All the four-footed animals that walk on paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening." This distinction underscores the importance of ritual purity and obedience to God's commandments in the Old Testament.

3. Idolatry:
The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, uses the imagery of four-footed animals to illustrate the folly of idolatry. Romans 1:23 says, "They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles." Here, four-footed animals are part of the created order that some people wrongly worship instead of the Creator, highlighting the sin of idolatry and the turning away from God's truth.

4. Peter's Vision:
In the New Testament, the vision of Peter in Acts 10 includes four-footed animals. Acts 10:12 describes, "It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air." This vision, where Peter is told to "kill and eat," signifies the removal of the dietary restrictions and the opening of the Gospel to the Gentiles, emphasizing the inclusivity of God's salvation plan.

Theological Significance:

The mention of four-footed animals in the Bible serves multiple purposes. It reflects the diversity and richness of God's creation, the specific covenantal laws given to Israel, and the broader theological themes of idolatry and the universality of the Gospel. These references remind believers of the order and purpose inherent in creation, the call to holiness, and the transformative power of the New Covenant in Christ.
Greek
5074. tetrapous -- four-footed
... four-footed animal. From tessares and pous; a quadruped -- fourfooted beast. see
GREEK tessares. see GREEK pous. (tetrapoda) -- 2 Occurrences. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5074.htm - 6k
Strong's Hebrew
702. arba -- four
... 3), 57,400* (2), 64,300* (1), 64,400* (2), 74* (2), 74,600* (2), any of their four
(1), four (167), four things (1), four-fifths* (1), four-footed* (1), fours ...
/hebrew/702.htm - 6k

7272. regel -- foot
... after (1), attended* (1), feet (139), follow (2), followed (2), following (1), foot
(60), footstep* (1), footsteps (1), footstool* (6), four-footed* (1), haunt ...
/hebrew/7272.htm - 6k

Library

The Testament of Abraham. Version I.
... But the chief-captain said, Nay, my Lord, Abraham, let them not bring horses,
for I abstain from ever sitting upon any four-footed beast. ...
/.../unknown/the testament of abraham/the testament of abraham version.htm

And Antony Also was Exceeding Prudent, and the Wonder was that ...
... man partake in the divine and spiritual nature [1121] ; or to liken the divine to
senseless animals and consequently to worship four-footed beasts, creeping ...
/.../athanasius/select works and letters or athanasius/life of antony section 72.htm

Whether Falsity is in the Intellect?
... A definition such as " a reasonable four-footed animal" would be of this kind, and
the intellect false in making it; for such a statement as "some reasonable ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether falsity is in the.htm

On the Work of the Sixth Day (One Article)
... Therefore the words, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature," should rather
have been, "Let the earth bring forth the living four-footed creatures.". ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/on the work of the 4.htm

He Compares the Doctrine of the Platonists Concerning the Logos ...
... the glory of Thy incorruptible nature into idols and divers forms,""into an image
made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and ...
/.../the confessions and letters of st/chapter ix he compares the doctrine.htm

Being About to Prove that the Will, the Calling...
... he had seen in his prayer heaven opened and a certain vessel tied at the four corners,
as it were a sheet in which were all kinds of four-footed beasts and ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter x being about to.htm

Acts x. 4-Jan
... sheet, and let down to the earth: wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of ...
But in that sheet were also "all the four-footed beasts of the earth:" the ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xxii acts x 4-jan.htm

And Bring us not into Temptation but Deliver us from Evil
... they became foolish and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness
of an image of corruptible man and of winged and four footed and creeping ...
//christianbookshelf.org/origen/origen on prayer/chapter xix and bring us.htm

Judging, Therefore, that it Stood Thus with this Matter...
... And herds of four-footed creatures, as well of cattle as of sheep, more numerous
than any of those of old acquired, were made my property. ...
/.../a metaphrase of the book of ecclesiastes/chapter ii judging therefore that.htm

Entire Sanctification as Taught by Paul.
... also were darkened, and in their senselessness they changed the glory of the
incorruptible God into the baser image of "birds and four-footed beasts and ...
/.../clark/the theology of holiness/chapter vii entire sanctification as.htm

Thesaurus
Fourfooted (3 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Having four feet; quadruped; as, fourfooted
beasts. Multi-Version Concordance Fourfooted (3 Occurrences). ...
/f/fourfooted.htm - 7k

Four-footed (7 Occurrences)
Four-footed. Fourfooted, Four-footed. Fours . Multi-Version Concordance
Four-footed (7 Occurrences). ... (BBE). Fourfooted, Four-footed. Fours . Reference
/f/four-footed.htm - 8k

Beasts (241 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Acts 10:12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and
wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. (KJV ASV BBE WBS YLT). ...
/b/beasts.htm - 40k

Creatures (83 Occurrences)
... Acts 10:12 in which were all the four-footed beasts of the earth, and the wild beasts,
and the creeping things, and the fowls of the heaven, (See NAS). ...
/c/creatures.htm - 31k

Crawling (20 Occurrences)
... Crawling (20 Occurrences). Acts 10:12 in which were all kinds of four-footed animals
of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky. (See NAS). ...
/c/crawling.htm - 12k

Creeping (43 Occurrences)
... Acts 10:12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild ... I
had looked intently at it, I considered, and saw the four-footed animals of ...
/c/creeping.htm - 21k

Animals (224 Occurrences)
... (WEB). Acts 10:12 in which were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild
animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky. (WEB WBS NAS RSV NIV). ...
/a/animals.htm - 37k

Fowls (61 Occurrences)
... (KJV WBS YLT). Acts 10:12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth,
and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. ...
/f/fowls.htm - 25k

Disgusting (149 Occurrences)
... ospray; (BBE). Leviticus 11:20 Every winged four-footed thing which goes
on the earth is disgusting to you; (BBE). Leviticus 11:23 ...
/d/disgusting.htm - 38k

Beast (243 Occurrences)
... to man (Psalm 36:6), it denotes a brute creature generally, and when in
contradistinction to creeping things (Leviticus 11:2-7; 27:26), a four-footed animal. ...
/b/beast.htm - 50k

Resources
What does it mean that God makes our feet like the feet of a deer (Habakkuk 3:19)? | GotQuestions.org

What are the four beasts in Daniel chapter 7? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible mean when it refers to the four winds? | GotQuestions.org

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Four-footed (7 Occurrences)

Acts 10:12
in which were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky.
(WEB WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Acts 11:6
When I had looked intently at it, I considered, and saw the four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky.
(WEB WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Romans 1:23
and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things.
(WEB ASV WBS NAS)

Leviticus 11:20
Every winged four-footed thing which goes on the earth is disgusting to you;
(BBE)

Leviticus 11:21
But of the winged four-footed things, those which have long legs for jumping on the earth you may have for food;
(BBE)

Leviticus 11:23
But all other winged four-footed things which go on the earth are disgusting to you.
(BBE NAS)

Leviticus 11:27
Any four-footed beast which goes on the ball of its foot, is unclean to you: anyone touching the dead body of one of these will be unclean till evening.
(BBE)

Subtopics

Four-footed

Related Terms

Swarming (19 Occurrences)

Creeping (43 Occurrences)

Walks (51 Occurrences)

Winged (69 Occurrences)

Insects (17 Occurrences)

Detestable (121 Occurrences)

Locust (25 Occurrences)

Fourscore (33 Occurrences)

Walk (315 Occurrences)

Jointed (1 Occurrence)

Flying (22 Occurrences)

Four-footed (7 Occurrences)

Touches (55 Occurrences)

Moves (30 Occurrences)

Paws (2 Occurrences)

Crawls (2 Occurrences)

Creep (8 Occurrences)

Carcass (30 Occurrences)

Carcasses (30 Occurrences)

Swarm (26 Occurrences)

Sledge (3 Occurrences)

Swarms (18 Occurrences)

Belly (62 Occurrences)

Legs (50 Occurrences)

Hopping (2 Occurrences)

Abomination (78 Occurrences)

Wherewith (182 Occurrences)

Becomes (138 Occurrences)

Hop (1 Occurrence)

Creatures (83 Occurrences)

Evening (163 Occurrences)

Animals (224 Occurrences)

Nonimmersionist

Non-immersionist

View (86 Occurrences)

Baptism (76 Occurrences)

Fourfooted
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