Leviticus 17:14 · Bible study
Leviticus 17:14 Commentary: Life, Blood, and the Penalty of Being Cut Off
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Leviticus 17:14 forbid eating blood?
Research Summary
- Meaning: God forbids eating blood because the life (nefesh) of every creature resides in the blood; the penalty is being cut off from the community.
- Key words: nefesh (soul/life), dam (blood), karat (cut off)
- Main debate: Whether the prohibition is a permanent moral law or a ceremonial law that ended with Christ’s sacrifice.
- Theological theme: The sanctity of life, atonement through blood, and God’s ownership of life.
- Best use: Teaching the value of life as God’s gift, and pointing to Christ’s blood as the ultimate atonement.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
For the life of all flesh is its blood. Therefore I have told the Israelites, ‘You must not eat the blood of any living thing, because the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it must be cut off.’
WEB World English Bible 2000
For as to the life of all flesh, its blood is with its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, “You shall not eat the blood of any kind of flesh; for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.”
KJV King James Version 1769
For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
For as to the life of all flesh, the blood thereof is all one with the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh; for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
for it is the life of all flesh, its blood is for its life; and I say to the sons of Israel, Blood of any flesh ye do not eat, for the life of all flesh is its blood; any one eating it is cut off.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
for as to the life of all flesh, its blood is the life in it; and I have said unto the children of Israel, Of the blood of no manner of flesh shall ye eat, for the life of all flesh is its blood: whoever eateth it shall be cut off.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For the life of all flesh is in the blood. Therefore I said to the children of Israel: you shall not eat the blood of any flesh at all, because the life of the flesh is in the blood, and whosoever eateth it, shall be cut off.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Porque el alma de toda carne, su vida, está en su sangre: por tanto he dicho á los hijos de Israel: No comeréis la sangre de ninguna carne, porque la vida de toda carne es su sangre: cualquiera que la comiere será cortado.
Porque a alma de toda carne, sua vida, está em seu sangue: portanto disse aos filhos de Israel: Não comereis o sangue de nenhuma carne, porque a vida de toda carne é seu sangue; qualquer um que a comer será eliminado.
Car l’ âme de toute chair, c’ est son sang, qui est en elle. C’ est pourquoi j’ ai dit aux enfants d’ Israël: Vous ne mangerez le sang d’ aucune chair; car l’ âme de toute chair, c’ est son sang: quiconque en mangera sera retranché.
Denn des Leibes Leben ist in seinem Blut, solange es lebt; und ich habe den Kindern Israel gesagt: Ihr sollt keines Leibes Blut essen; denn des Leibes Leben ist in seinem Blut; wer es ißt, der soll ausgerottet werden.
Want het is de ziel van alle vlees; zijn bloed is voor zijn ziel; daarom heb Ik tot de kinderen Israels gezegd: Gij zult geens vleses bloed eten; want de ziel van alle vlees, dat is zijn bloed; zo wie dat eet, zal uitgeroeid worden.
perché la vita d’ogni carne è il sangue; nel sangue suo sta la vita; perciò ho detto ai figliuoli d’Israele: Non mangerete sangue d’alcuna specie di carne, poiché il sangue è la vita d’ogni carne; chiunque ne mangerà sarà sterminato.
Bo dusza każdego ciała jest krew jego, która jest miasto duszy jego; przetożem powiedział synom Izraelskim: Krwi wszelkiego ciała jeść nie będziecie; bo dusza wszelkiego ciała jest krew jego; kto by ją kolwiek jadł, wytracony będzie.
ибо душа всякого тела есть кровь его, она душа его; потому Я сказал сынам Израилевым: не ешьте крови ни из какого тела, потому что душа всякого тела есть кровь его: всякий, кто будет есть ее, истребится.
「論到 一切 活 物 的生命，就在 血中。所以我對以色列 人 說：無論甚麼 活物 的血，你們都不可 吃，因為 一切 活物 的血 就是 他的生命。凡 吃了血的，必被剪除。
For the blood is the life of all flesh: and so I have said to the children of Israel, You may not take any sort of blood as food, and any man who does so will be cut of.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Leviticus 17:14
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Leviticus 17:14 repeats the central reason for the blood prohibition: the life (nefesh) of every creature is bound up in its blood. Barnes notes that the blood is the vital fluid, and the soul has its abode in it as long as life lasts. Keil and Delitzsch emphasize that the blood is the vehicle of the animal soul, which God ordained for atonement on the altar. Matthew Henry observes that the prohibition is repeated again and again to stress the sacredness of blood. The penalty of being cut off (karat) is seen as a divine judgment, underlining the seriousness of violating this command. All the supplied commentators treat the identification of blood with life as the foundational reason for the ban.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Ceremonial/temporary view: Points to the new covenant freedom (Romans 14, Colossians 2:16-17) and Gill’s comment that the penalty is not enforced today.
- Perpetual moral view: Appeals to the repetition of the command in the law, its inclusion in the apostolic decree (Acts 15:20, 29), and the unchanging principle that life is sacred.
What is clear: All Christians agree that the blood represents life, that life is sacred to God, and that Christ’s blood is the final and perfect atonement for sin.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of “the life is in the blood” | All traditions affirm that the Bible identifies the blood as the seat of life for living creatures. | Some read this as a literal biological statement; others see it primarily as a theological claim linking life to the sacrificial system. |
| Penalty of being “cut off” | The penalty indicates divine judgment for a serious offense, whether excommunication or premature death. | Interpreters differ on whether ‘cut off’ means excommunication from the community, death by human agency, or direct divine punishment. |
| Applicability for Christians today | The early church (Acts 15) included abstaining from blood in its instructions to Gentile believers. | Some Christians see this as a temporary or culturally specific rule, while others view it as a perpetual moral principle grounded in the sanctity of life. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Leviticus 17 stands at the heart of the Holiness Code, focusing on proper worship and the sanctity of blood. The prohibition against eating blood was not unique to Israel; ancient Near Eastern cultures sometimes consumed blood in religious rituals, often associated with pagan gods or spirit worship. Ellicott's commentary notes that hunters were especially prone to eating blood when hungry, as seen in 1 Samuel 14:32, where the army fell on the spoil and ate flesh with blood. To prevent such outrages, the law required pouring out blood and covering it with dust (v.13).
The penalty of being cut off likely referred to being excluded from the community or put to death by divine action. God Himself would enforce it, as human authorities could not always police this private act. This extended even to foreigners living among Israel, as they voluntarily submitted to Israel's laws. Poole explains that the repetition of the law aimed to instill a deep horror of consuming blood, thereby also teaching respect for human life. The sacrificial system underscored this, as blood was the appointed means of atonement (v.11).
In this context, the law functioned both to separate Israel from surrounding pagan practices and to point forward to Christ's sacrifice, where blood would ultimately atone for sin.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Leviticus 17:14. The verse is consistent across the major Hebrew manuscripts and early translations.
Reception History
Early Christians, following the apostolic decree in Acts 15:20, continued to abstain from blood as part of their witness to Jewish believers. Some church fathers, like Tertullian, wrote against the practice of eating blood, seeing it as a violation of God’s command. In the Reformation, commentators such as Calvin and Luther emphasized the symbolic meaning of blood pointing to Christ’s atonement. Modern scholarship has focused on the cultural and theological significance of the blood-life connection, often noting its role in shaping Jewish and Christian identity.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Blood equals life. The Hebrew word nefesh (soul/life) is directly tied to blood. This is not metaphor; the text states it plainly: the life of all flesh is its blood.
- Blood is sacred and set apart for atonement. God gave blood on the altar to make atonement for souls (Leviticus 17:11). Consuming it would profane what He ordained for worship.
- Disobedience carries severe consequences. Being cut off means removal from God's people, a warning that life and worship are not trivial matters.
Five-point outline
- The prohibition is grounded in the nature of blood as life.
- God reiterates the command multiple times (seven times in the Pentateuch).
- The command applies to both Israelites and resident foreigners.
- Even non-sacrificial animals require the blood to be poured out, treating it with reverence.
- The penalty of being cut off shows God's own enforcement of this boundary.
Illustration hooks
- Think about how we treat blood in medicine, donating blood can save a life. The sacredness of blood in the Bible connects to its power to give or sustain life.
- A child may ask why we don't eat blood when other cultures do. This becomes an opportunity to explain how the Bible views life itself as holy and not to be consumed.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does the Old Testament forbid eating blood, but I rarely hear about it in church today?
- Does the command in Acts 15 still apply to Christians?
- What does it mean that the life is in the blood? Is that a scientific statement or a theological one?
Leading a Discussion
This passage speaks to the deep connection between life and blood. As your group explores it, focus on what God was teaching Israel about the sanctity of life and worship, and consider how those principles carry forward into the New Testament.
Discussion questions
- What does Leviticus 17:14 say about the relationship between blood and life? How does this compare with other biblical passages like Genesis 9:4 and Deuteronomy 12:23?
- Why do you think God repeats the command not to eat blood multiple times in the Pentateuch?
- The penalty for eating blood is being “cut off.” What do you understand that phrase to mean? How does it show the seriousness of this command?
- In verse 11, God gives another reason: blood makes atonement. How does the sacrificial use of blood connect to the prohibition against eating it?
- How does this Old Testament law help you understand the sacrifice of Jesus and the meaning of his blood in the New Testament?
- Some Christians today believe the command still applies; others see it as fulfilled in Christ. What arguments can you find in Scripture for each view? (Consider Acts 15:20, 29 and Romans 14.)
- In your own life, how can you show reverence for the gift of life and the blood that represents it?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 9:4 | But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat. |
| Leviticus 17:11 | For the life of the flesh is in the blood. I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life. |
| Leviticus 17:12 | Therefore I have said to the children of Israel, “No person among you may eat blood, nor may any stranger who lives as a foreigner among you eat blood.” |
| Deuteronomy 12:23 | Only be sure that you don’t eat the blood; for the blood is the life. You shall not eat the life with the meat. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke offers practical and historical reasons against eating blood beyond the moral ones: it spoils quickly in hot climates, is extremely hard to digest and was used as poison in antiquity, and nations that consumed it heavily, like the Scythians and Tartars, were known for their savagery.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes two distinct grounds for the blood prohibition: its nature as the vital fluid of life, and its ordained use for atonement on the altar. He then reinforces the biblical claim with modern physiological authorities, showing that scientific discovery confirms the ancient recognition of blood as the seat and vehicle of life.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This excerpt notes that the passage provides specific instructions for dealing with the blood of animals and birds taken in hunting. The commentator highlights that the same blood-handling rules apply to game caught in the wild, not only to animals slaughtered for sacrifice or food.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes stress that blood is so closely joined with a creature's life that God forbids eating it entirely. Since the life of every living thing is in its blood, consuming it carries the severe penalty of being cut off from God's people.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that the prohibition against eating blood rested on the fact that blood carries the creature's life. He then argues that this law has been set aside, because its penalty, being cut off from Israel, is no longer enforced under the new covenant.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch explains that the law against eating blood rests on blood being the vehicle of the animal's soul, which God appointed for atonement on the altar as a substitute for the human soul. Pouring out blood and covering it with earth returns it to the ground from which God brought animals forth.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees every slaughter of a clean animal for food as a peace offering, brought to the tabernacle to prevent idolatry and unchecked luxury. He argues that blood, as the vehicle of the soul, belongs solely to God and must be used for atonement, not casually eaten. This sanctifies
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry stresses that God repeated the blood prohibition multiple times to impress its seriousness. The command is not new but a restatement of earlier laws, and the repeated emphasis underscores that blood is sacred because God appointed it for atonement on the altar.