Salmon is one of the most popular and commonly consumed fish around the world. But is it considered clean or unclean according to biblical dietary laws? This is an important question for those seeking to honor God by only eating foods He has designated as fit for consumption in Scripture. After researching biblical texts related to diet and examining modern food lists categorizing clean and unclean animals, the answer is clear – salmon is identified as a clean fish suitable for eating.
What Does the Bible Say About Clean and Unclean Foods?
In Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, God outlines which animals He considers clean and unclean. Land animals must chew their cud and have a divided hoof to be clean. Fish must have fins and scales Birds of prey and scavengers are unclean. Only certain insects like locusts are edible Anything God calls an abomination or detestable should not be eaten.
Scripture explains that unclean animals were not designed to be received as food. Consuming them is harmful for human health and corrupts the body. God is very specific about what He created for nourishment and what should be avoided. As creatures made in His image He wants only the best for us.
How Do We Know Salmon Qualifies as a Clean Fish?
Salmon clearly meets the biblical criteria for a clean fish. It has visible fins and scales. Salmon is the common name for several species of ray-finned fish in the salmonid family. These cold-water fish spawn in freshwater rivers but spend their adult life in the ocean. Popular varieties include Chinook, Coho, Pink, Sockeye, Chum, and Atlantic Salmon.
Modern food lists categorizing clean and unclean animals concur that all salmon species are permissible to eat for those following biblical dietary guidelines. For example, the United Church of God and Lion and Lamb Ministries identify salmon as clean. Messianic teacher Monte Judah includes salmon in his list of clean fish. It is designated as clean on the food list published by Hope of Israel Ministries.
There is consistent agreement across biblical teachers and groups regarding the clean status of salmon based on Scripture. Any fish with fins and scales fits the description of a clean fish in God’s Word.
5 Reasons Why Salmon is Considered Clean
Below are 5 key reasons why salmon is considered clean and acceptable to eat according to biblical food laws:
1. Has Fins and Scales
As an identifying characteristic, salmon has both fins and scales visible to the naked eye. This meets the clear requirement for fish to be clean laid out in Leviticus 11:9 and Deuteronomy 14:9. Any water creature lacking fins and scales is unclean.
2. In Family of Clean Fish
Salmon species are in the family Salmonidae which primarily contains fish considered clean. This family includes salmon, trout, chars, whitefish, ciscoes, graylings and freshwater whitefishes. All members of this family have scales and are designated as clean in biblical food lists.
3. Part of Clean Fish Genus
The genus for salmon is Oncorhynchus which classifies several clean fish including Pacific and Atlantic salmon. Chum, Coho, Sockeye and Chinook salmon are all part of Oncorhynchus showing further scientific alignment with biblically clean fish.
4. Not on Lists of Unclean Fish
Salmon is not included on scriptural, rabbinic or modern lists categorizing unclean fish like catfish, eel, shark and shellfish. One can eat salmon with confidence knowing it has never been prohibited as unclean.
5. Traditionally Eaten by Jews
Though not the ultimate test, Jews have historically consumed salmon as part of a biblically kosher diet. Jewish teaching considers any fish with scales completely removable without tearing skin as clean. Salmon meets this traditional qualification.
Can Salmon Be Eaten Freely With Peace of Mind?
After examining the biblical food laws, salmon’s anatomical features and classification among other clean fish, the answer is definitively yes! Salmon is considered clean and permissible to eat without reservation according to Scripture. God has graciously provided salmon for nourishment and sustenance. Its pink orange flesh contains healthy omega-3s and protein to fuel the body. It can be safely enjoyed baked, grilled, smoked or raw as sashimi or sushi with a clear conscience before God. Those seeking to honor the Lord by obeying His commands regarding clean and unclean animals can fully appreciate salmon as a delicious and nutritious fish option.
Clean Fish Have Fins And Scales
Like the animals (the behemoths) of the earth the Creator says that those things that live in the water which are good for food also have two distinguishing characteristics; they must have both fins and scales.
Pleasing Yehovah in this area of our life is not rocket science. Like the four-footed animals, the behemoth of the earth, the clean fish that Yehovah’s people are to eat, sustain themselves from living food, and not from the bottom of the sea, lakes and rivers where the dead and the filth accumulates. The garbage cans of the waters are primarily shell-fish and other fish that dwell at their bottoms.
Here is one list of clean fish that are acceptable in promoting the Creator’s in the earth and a second list of the abominations which shall not be eaten by His people. Hope this helps you.
Clean Fish (Having both Fins and Scales)
Anchovy Barracuda Bass Black Pomfret (or Monchong) Bluefish Bluegill Carp Cod Crappie Drum Flounder Grouper Grunt Haddock Hake Halibut Hardhead Herring or Alewife Kingfish Mahimahi or Dorado, Dolphinfish [not to be confused with the mammal Dolphin] Marlin Minnow Mullet Perch or Bream Pike or Pickerel or Jack Pollack or Pollock or Boston Bluefish Pollan (Thompson) Rockfish Salmon Sardine or Pilchard Shad Silver Hake or Whiting Smelt or Frostfish or Icefish Snapper or Ebu, Job-fish, Lehi, Onaga, Opakapaka or Uku Sole Steel head Sucker Sunfish Tarpon Tilapia Trout or Weakfish Tuna or Ahi, Aku, Albacore, Bonito or Tombo Turbot [except European Turbot] Whitefish Whiting
[Note: Thousands of people come to this page every year. But few ever stop to investigate this site. PLEASE don’t leave without learning about the Ger and the Ezrach; eating clean is good, but Yehovah never told any Gentile to do so. He told Israel AFTER they left Egypt.]
Unclean things from the waters
Fish
Bullhead Catfish Eel European Turbot Mackerel or Cobia (Some kinds are clean) Monkfish Paddlefish Shark Stickleback Sturgeon (includes most caviar) Swai (Asian catfish) Swordfish
Shell-fish
Abalone Clam Conch Crab Crayfish (Crawfish, Crawdad) Krill Lobster Mussel Oyster Scallop Shrimp (Prawn)
Soft body
Cuttlefish Jellyfish Limpet Octopus Squid (Calamari)
Sea mammals
Dolphin Otter Porpoise Seal Walrus Whale
Meat Sacrificed to Idols (9 Parts) Oh my! We are all doing this, unless we are slaughtering our own animals. Many want to obey Leviticus 11, but completely ignore Leviticus 17. Failure to understand this will get a man (with his family) kicked out of Israel.
Here is a link to 250 other topics on this site. We Are Israel Topic Index
Are you or any of your friends new to the Hebrew roots of the faith that Noah, Abraham and Yeshua (Jesus) lived and taught? Have you been in this walk for a while and want to go deeper? Here is a link with some great, and free programs, that will assist you in your journey. Getting Started
Begin coming out of Babylon today! Here is a series of 12 articles that will aid you in that process. Coming out of Babylon
Men and women have different duties and responsibilities in Yehovah’s kingdom; and failure to understand those differences will change your life now and determine whether or not you live eternally. Here is a great place to begin. “the man”
.. …….Join Israel Today! ………(Click )
Is Fish Healthy? Which fish are Clean or Unclean?
FAQ
Is salmon a clean fish to eat?
No fresh water fish are safe to eat raw. There are parasites in freshwater fish that will migrate to your brain and live there eating it. Only saltwater fish are safe to eat raw, and that includes salmon. Only salmon caught at sea or raised in seawater farms are safe to eat raw.
Can you eat salmon in the Bible?
Simply stated, God explains that: Clean fish must have scales and fins. Bass, cod, flounder, grouper, salmon, snapper, trout and tuna all fit this category. Since catfish, lobsters, crabs, shrimp and many other water creatures do not have fins and scales, God says we should not eat them.
What is the most unclean animal to eat?
The pig is considered an unclean animal as food in Judaism and Islam, and parts of Christianity.
What fish did God say we can eat?
Leviticus 11:9 In-Context
9 You may eat any kind of fish that has fins and scales, 10 but anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales must not be eaten. 11 Such creatures must be considered unclean. You must not eat them or even touch their dead bodies.