In contrast with the objects mentioned in the previous verse, an earthen vessel into which an unclean animal falls is considered impossible to be purified and must therefore be destroyed. The words may be rendered “a container made of clay” in some languages. The term earthen implies the molding and baking of the clay, and many languages have special terms for such containers that may be used here.

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 .