Good News Translation provides one way of understanding the purpose clause at the beginning of this verse. New American Bible follows the same interpretation with “that you may distinguish…” (likewise Moffatt). New International Version has “You must distinguish….” However, another way of understanding the text is to see the implied subject as the “laws” mentioned in the previous verse. The translation will then read “These laws help you to distinguish between what is ritually clean and unclean…” (see Bible en français courant). Similarly, New Jerusalem Bible has “Its [the law’s] purpose is to separate the clean and the unclean….” But the essential meaning is not really different. These laws enable the people of Israel to make the important distinction between what is clean and unclean.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .