Leviticus 17:10
in Leviticus 17If anyone from the house of Israel or a foreigner living among them eats any blood, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from among his people.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them, that eateth any manner of blood, I will set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.
KJV
And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.
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This verse in Leviticus 17
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The prohibition to eat blood is repeated in seven places in the Pentateuch, but in this passage two distinct grounds are given for the prohibition: first, its own nature as the vital fluid; secondly, its consecration in sacrificial worship. Lev 17:11 Rather, For the soul of the flesh is in the blood; and I have ordained it for you upon the altar, to make atonement for your souls, for the blood it is which makes atonement by means of the soul.
This site's exposition
that eateth any manner of blood
on Leviticus 17:10-11
Verse 10 carries the only threat in the chapter that God executes in the first person, I will even set my face against that soul, with no court and no priest in between. Verse 11 gives the reason, and it is the one place in the Torah where the sacrificial system states its own ground: the life of the flesh is in the blood, God has given it upon the altar, and it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Genesis 9:4 had withheld blood from Noah before there was an altar or a priesthood, and this verse is where that restriction is finally explained. Hebrews 9:22 takes the sentence up as without shedding of blood is no remission.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), which perhaps was one reason why it was thought advisable, for a time, to forbid blood to the Gentile converts, Acts xv. The penalty annexed to this law is very severe (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel,....
This statute obliged all the people of Israel to bring all their sacrifices to God's altar, to be offered there. And as to this matter we must consider, I. It was allowed to all people to build altars, and offer sacrifices to God, where they pleased.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The Zabians, or worshippers of the heavenly host, were accustomed, in sacrificing animals, to pour out the blood and eat a part of the flesh at the place where the blood was poured out (and sometimes the blood itself) believing that by means of it, friendship, brotherhood, and familiarity were contracted between the worshippers and the deities.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
כל דם [WHATSOEVER MAN THERE BE … THAT EATETH] ANY BLOOD — Since Scripture states (v. 11) “[for it is the blood] with the life that maketh expiation", I might think that one is liable only for eating the blood of consecrated animals, (i. e. sacrifices), for it is only the blood of such animals that makes expiation.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאִ֨ישׁ | veish | and a person | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אִ֜ישׁ | ʾish | a person | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מִבֵּ֣ית | mibeit | from [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וּמִן־ | umin- | and of | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַגֵּר֙ | hager | the sojourner[s] | H1616 → | 92 times |
| הַגָּ֣ר | hagar | who sojourns | H1481 → | 97 times |
| בְּתוֹכָ֔ם | betokham | in midst of them | H8432 → | 418 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יֹאכַ֖ל | yokhal | he will eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| דָּ֑ם | dam | blood | H1818 → | 360 times |
| וְנָתַתִּ֣י | venatati | and I will set | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| פָנַ֗י | fanai | face my | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| בַּנֶּ֙פֶשׁ֙ | banefesh | on the person | H5315 → | 754 times |
| הָאֹכֶ֣לֶת | haokhelet | who eats | H398 → | 810 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדָּ֔ם | hadam | <the> blood | H1818 → | 360 times |
| וְהִכְרַתִּ֥י | vehikhrati | and I will cut off | H3772 → | 288 times |
| אֹתָ֖הּ | ʾotah | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִקֶּ֥רֶב | mikerev | from among | H7130 → | 227 times |
| עַמָּֽהּ׃ | ʾamah | people its | H5971 → | 1873 times |
וְאִ֨ישׁand a person
veishH376 →1663 times
אִ֜ישׁa person
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מִבֵּ֣יתfrom [the] house of
mibeitH1004 →2046 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וּמִן־and of
umin-H4480 →1188 times
הַגֵּר֙the sojourner[s]
hagerH1616 →92 times
הַגָּ֣רwho sojourns
hagarH1481 →97 times
בְּתוֹכָ֔םin midst of them
betokhamH8432 →418 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יֹאכַ֖לhe will eat
yokhalH398 →810 times
כָּל־any
kol-H3605 →5413 times
דָּ֑םblood
damH1818 →360 times
וְנָתַתִּ֣יand I will set
venatatiH5414 →2011 times
פָנַ֗יface my
fanaiH6440 →2123 times
בַּנֶּ֙פֶשׁ֙on the person
banefeshH5315 →754 times
הָאֹכֶ֣לֶתwho eats
haokheletH398 →810 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדָּ֔ם<the> blood
hadamH1818 →360 times
וְהִכְרַתִּ֥יand I will cut off
vehikhratiH3772 →288 times
אֹתָ֖הּ<obj.> it
ʾotahH853 →10935 times
מִקֶּ֥רֶבfrom among
mikerevH7130 →227 times
עַמָּֽהּ׃people its
ʾamahH5971 →1873 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Leviticus 17:11For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement…
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:22
According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
- 1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
- Romans 3:25
God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.
- Revelation 1:5
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by…
- Mark 14:24
He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.
- Hebrews 9:22
Through
Leviticus 3:17This is a permanent statute for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.”
it leads to
- Genesis 9:4
But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 15:23
But you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 9:4
Through
Deuteronomy 12:23Only be sure not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.
it leads to
- Leviticus 17:11
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement…
- Leviticus 17:11
Where this verse is studied
About Leviticus
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andrew Bonar, A Commentary on Leviticus; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Sir Robert Anderson, Types in Hebrews.