A slow-moving lizard that can change colors and catch insects with its sticky tongue; It was considered ceremonially unclean to eat.
About Chameleon
A kind of lizard known for being able to change color quickly. Chameleons can move their eyes separately, so one eye can look up while the other looks down. They live in trees and bushes and use their long tails to hold onto branches.
In the Old Testament, chameleons are listed as ceremonially unclean animals. This means the Israelites were not allowed to eat them (Leviticus 11:30). The Hebrew word translated as “chameleon” may come from a word that means "to pant." This might be because of the way the animal breathes. Some ancient people believed lizards lived by breathing air alone.
Key References
the gecko, the monitor lizard, the common lizard, the skink, and the chameleon.
These animals are unclean for you among all the crawling creatures. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening.
All Scripture References (20)
Genesis (9)
And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, land crawlers, and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so.
God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that crawls upon the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.”
So the LORD said, “I will blot out man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—every man and beast and crawling creature and bird of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.”
Two of every kind of bird and animal and crawling creature will come to you to be kept alive.
they and every kind of wild animal, livestock, crawling creature, bird, and winged creature.
And every living thing on the face of the earth was destroyed—man and livestock, crawling creatures and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth, and only Noah and those with him in the ark remained.
Bring out all the living creatures that are with you—birds, livestock, and everything that crawls upon the ground—so that they can spread out over the earth and be fruitful and multiply upon it.”
Every living creature, every creeping thing, and every bird—everything that moves upon the earth—came out of the ark, kind by kind.
Leviticus (1)
the gecko, the monitor lizard, the common lizard, the skink, and the chameleon.
1 Kings (1)
Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel.
Psalms (1)
wild animals and all cattle, crawling creatures and flying birds,
Ezekiel (2)
So I went in and looked, and engraved all around the wall was every kind of crawling creature and detestable beast, along with all the idols of the house of Israel.
The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that crawls upon the ground, and all mankind on the face of the earth will tremble at My presence. The mountains will be thrown down, the cliffs will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground.
Hosea (1)
And I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will know the LORD.”
Habakkuk (1)
You have made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler.
Acts (2)
It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air.
I looked at it closely and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air.
Romans (1)
and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
James (1)
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man,