Leviticus 17:15
in Leviticus 17And any person, whether native or foreigner, who eats anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening; then he will be clean.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And every soul that eateth that which dieth of itself, or that which is torn of beasts, whether he be home-born or a sojourner, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.
KJV
And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.
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This verse in Leviticus 17
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd every soul that eateth that which died of itself,.... Through any disease upon it, or by means of any other creature seizing upon it and worrying it, or was not lawfully killed; if a man ate ever so little of it, even but the quantity of an olive, it was a breach of this law; which is connected with the preceding, there being a similarity between them, because such creatures must have their blood in them, not being regularly let out, and so eating of them would offend against the above law.
This site's exposition
every soul that eateth that which died of itself
on Leviticus 17:15-16
The chapter closes with the lightest penalty in it. A carcase that died of itself or was torn still holds its blood, so eating it defiles, and the remedy is washing the clothes, bathing, and uncleanness until the even. The heavier sentence falls on the man who refuses the washing, and of him the text says he shall bear his iniquity. Acts 15:20 sets things strangled beside blood in one clause, which is this case, and Ezekiel 44:31 lays the same rule on the priests by name.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
That eateth - Through ignorance or inadvertency; for if it was done knowingly, it was more severely punished. A stranger - Who is a proselyte to the Jewish religion: other strangers were allowed to eat such things, Deut. xiv, 21, out of which the blood was either not drawn at all, or not regularly.
), for the blood was either not at all, or not regularly, drawn out of them. God would have them to be curious in their diet, not with the curiosity that gratifies the sensual appetite, but with that which checks and restrains it.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
The pollution was ceremonial, so was the purification from it; but if a man slighted the prescribed method of cleansing, or would not submit, he thereby contracted moral guilt.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
This law appears to be grounded on the fact that the body of an animal killed by a wild beast, or which has died of itself, still retains a great portion of its blood. The importance ascribed to this law in later times may be seen in 1Sa 14:32-35; Eze 4:14; Eze 44:31, and still more in the apostolic decision regarding “things strangled,” which are pointedly connected with blood Act 15:20.
That which died of itself, or that which was torn - Because, in both cases, the blood was retained in the body; hence the council at Jerusalem forbade things strangled as well as blood, because in such beasts the blood was coagulated in the veins and arteries. See Act 15:28-29. Every thing considered, surely there is as little propriety in eating of blood as there is necessity to do it. They who will do otherwise must bear their iniquity. If blood eating be no offense, then they have no sin to answer for. The principal subjects of this chapter have been already so amply handled in the notes, that there is no need to add any thing by way of reflection or improvement.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
THE BLOOD THEREOF IS ‘B’NAFSHO’ (ALL ONE WITH THE LIFE THEREOF). “Its blood represents its life, since life is dependent upon the blood.” This is Rashi’s language. But it is not correct.
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
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| נֶ֗פֶשׁ | nefesh | person | H5315 → | 754 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תֹּאכַ֤ל | tokhal | it will eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| נְבֵלָה֙ | nevelah | a carcass | H5038 → | 48 times |
| וּטְרֵפָ֔ה | uterefah | and a torn animal | H2966 → | 9 times |
| בָּאֶזְרָ֖ח | baezrach | among the native-born | H249 → | 17 times |
| וּבַגֵּ֑ר | uvager | and among the sojourner | H1616 → | 92 times |
| וְכִבֶּ֨ס | vekhibes | and he will wash | H3526 → | 51 times |
| בְּגָדָ֜יו | begadav | garments his | H899 → | 217 times |
| וְרָחַ֥ץ | verachatz | and he will wash | H7364 → | 72 times |
| בַּמַּ֛יִם | bamayim | with <the> water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| וְטָמֵ֥א | vetame' | and he will be unclean | H2930 → | 162 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הָעֶ֖רֶב | haerev | the evening | H6153 → | 134 times |
| וְטָהֵֽר׃ | vetaher | and he will be pure | H2891 → | 94 times |
וְכָל־and every
vekholH3605 →5413 times
נֶ֗פֶשׁperson
nefeshH5315 →754 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
תֹּאכַ֤לit will eat
tokhalH398 →810 times
נְבֵלָה֙a carcass
nevelahH5038 →48 times
וּטְרֵפָ֔הand a torn animal
uterefahH2966 →9 times
בָּאֶזְרָ֖חamong the native-born
baezrachH249 →17 times
וּבַגֵּ֑רand among the sojourner
uvagerH1616 →92 times
וְכִבֶּ֨סand he will wash
vekhibesH3526 →51 times
בְּגָדָ֜יוgarments his
begadavH899 →217 times
וְרָחַ֥ץand he will wash
verachatzH7364 →72 times
בַּמַּ֛יִםwith <the> water
bamayimH4325 →581 times
וְטָמֵ֥אand he will be unclean
vetame'H2930 →162 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הָעֶ֖רֶבthe evening
haerevH6153 →134 times
וְטָהֵֽר׃and he will be pure
vetaherH2891 →94 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
Revelation 7:14“Sir,” I answered, “you know.” So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the…
it leads to
- 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.
- Revelation 22:14
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates.
- Hebrews 13:12
And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate, to sanctify the people by His own blood.
- 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…
- Revelation 12:11
They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.
- 1 John 1:7
Through
Deuteronomy 14:21You are not to eat any carcass; you may give it to the foreigner residing within your gates, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are…
it leads to
- Leviticus 22:8
He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, which would make him unclean. I am the LORD.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 23:19
Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
- Leviticus 22:8
Through
Exodus 22:31You are to be My holy people. You must not eat the meat of a mauled animal found in the field; you are to throw it to the dogs.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 44:31
The priests may not eat any bird or animal found dead or torn by wild beasts.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 44:31
Where this verse is studied
About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.