Deuteronomy 15:23 kjv
Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.
Deuteronomy 15:23 nkjv
Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it on the ground like water.
Deuteronomy 15:23 niv
But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.
Deuteronomy 15:23 esv
Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it out on the ground like water.
Deuteronomy 15:23 nlt
But you must not consume the blood. You must pour it out on the ground like water.
Deuteronomy 15 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 9:4 | But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. | Earliest divine prohibition against blood consumption. |
| Lev 3:17 | It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations... that ye eat neither fat nor blood. | General and perpetual law against eating blood and fat. |
| Lev 7:26-27 | Ye shall eat no manner of blood... whosoever eateth any manner of blood... that soul shall be cut off. | Reiteration of prohibition with severe penalty. |
| Lev 17:10 | ...I will even set My face against that soul that eateth blood... | God's strong judgment against blood consumption. |
| Lev 17:11 | For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls... | Theological basis: Blood contains life, is for atonement. |
| Lev 17:12 | Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood... | Reinforcement for Israelites not to consume blood. |
| Lev 17:13 | Whatsoever man... hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl... he shall even pour out the blood thereof... | Command for draining and covering blood of hunted animals. |
| Deut 12:16 | Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water. | Direct parallel, emphasizing common disposal outside cultic eating. |
| Deut 12:23 | Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life... | Reinforces blood's sacredness as life, reiterates prohibition. |
| 1 Sam 14:32-34 | And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen... and did eat them with the blood. | Example of disobedient blood consumption and its sinfulness. |
| Ezek 33:25 | Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols... and shall ye possess the land? | Condemnation of idolaters who also ate blood. |
| Acts 15:20 | But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. | Apostolic decree for Gentile converts to abstain from blood. |
| Acts 15:29 | That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication... | Second reiteration of the Apostolic decree on blood. |
| Acts 21:25 | As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. | Confirmation of the decree to abstain from blood for Gentile believers. |
| Matt 26:28 | For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. | Jesus' blood inaugurates New Covenant, links to ultimate atonement. |
| Heb 9:12 | Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. | Christ's blood as superior, effective, and eternal sacrifice. |
| Heb 9:22 | And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. | Universal principle of atonement requiring blood, foreshadowing Christ. |
| 1 Pet 1:19 | But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: | Christ's perfect, purifying blood. |
| Rev 1:5 | And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness... unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, | Redemption and cleansing through Christ's blood. |
| Rev 5:9 | For thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred... | Global redemption achieved through Christ's shed blood. |
| 2 Sam 23:16 | And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem... Nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. | Illustrates a consecrated pouring out (different purpose than Deut 15:23, but showing significance of pouring out liquid). |
Deuteronomy 15 verses
Deuteronomy 15 23 Meaning
Deuteronomy 15:23 establishes a clear and strict prohibition against consuming the blood of an animal. It mandates that animal blood, the essence of life, is not to be ingested but rather returned to the ground. This commandment underscores the sacredness of life, asserting that life belongs to God and thus its vital essence, the blood, is not for human sustenance. Instead, it is to be disposed of in a common, unceremonious manner, emphasizing its removal from human interaction rather than its ritualistic elevation for personal use outside of divine ordinances for atonement.
Deuteronomy 15 23 Context
Deuteronomy 15 is largely concerned with socio-economic regulations for Israel, focusing on the sabbatical year (shemitah), the release of debts, the care of the poor and bondservants, and the consecration of the firstborn of flocks and herds. The verses immediately preceding 15:23 (vv. 19-22) specifically deal with the annual dedication of every firstborn male animal to the Lord, to be eaten by the offeror's family at the tabernacle/temple. Verse 23 acts as an addendum or a critical detail regarding the consumption of these sanctified animals (or any animal for food). While clean animals can be eaten freely (Deut 12:20-22), their blood remains forbidden. This context places the blood prohibition within the practical laws of daily living and sacred observance, underscoring its broad application beyond formal sacrificial rites, impacting even the most common act of preparing food. Historically, this law served to distinguish Israel from surrounding pagan nations who often consumed blood in their idol worship or magical rites, associating it with life force manipulation or communion with deities.
Deuteronomy 15 23 Word analysis
- Only: The Hebrew word for "only," אֶפֶס (ʾephes), here conveys exclusivity and strong prohibition. It signals that this specific prohibition is the singular exception to the general permission of eating clean meat, highlighting its extreme importance. It leaves no room for ambiguity or alternative interpretations.
- the blood: דָּם (dam), the most frequently used Hebrew word for "blood." In the biblical worldview, blood is consistently identified as the life force of the creature. This is a foundational concept (Lev 17:11). Therefore, handling blood correctly is about respecting life and its Creator. Its sanctity prevents common consumption.
- thereof: Refers back to the animal whose flesh may be eaten. This pronoun specifically links the prohibition to the very meat that is otherwise permissible for consumption.
- thou shalt not eat: לֹא תֹאכֵל (lo to'khel). This is a strong negative command. The act of eating implies consumption, incorporation into the body, which for blood is explicitly forbidden. This command separates Israel's culinary practices from those of neighboring cultures.
- thou shalt pour it: תִּשְׁפְּכֶנּוּ (tishpĕkh-énnu), from שָׁפַךְ (shapakh), meaning "to pour out," "shed," or "spill." This denotes a complete and definitive draining. The action prescribed is a practical method of disposal, ensuring no remnant is left for consumption and indicating the life returns to the earth from which all flesh came.
- upon the ground: עַל־הָאָרֶץ (ʿal-ha'aretz). The ground is where life ultimately returns and also where things that are discarded or unclean are put. Pouring blood upon the ground ensures it is not treated as a holy substance for altar ritual, nor is it desecrated by consumption, but rather returned to its neutral element, the earth.
- as water: כַּמַּיִם (kammaim), a powerful simile. Water, while essential, is common and unceremonious when poured out on the ground—it's not gathered or preserved. This emphasizes that blood, despite its sacredness as the bearer of life, is to be treated as ordinary liquid in terms of disposal, ensuring it is neither consumed nor subjected to pagan rites or even unauthorized Israelite rituals. It prevents treating blood as something for personal use or manipulation.
Deuteronomy 15 23 Bonus section
- The repetitive nature of this prohibition (found in Genesis, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, and reaffirmed in the New Testament book of Acts) underscores its enduring significance and critical theological weight throughout redemptive history.
- The consistency of this command across different covenantal phases (Noaic, Mosaic, Apostolic Decree) points to a deep, underlying principle about life's sanctity and God's sovereignty, transcending specific ceremonial laws that might otherwise change.
- For a people constantly battling polytheistic influences, this specific law served as a distinctive boundary marker, emphasizing that their relationship with the divine was based on revelation and obedience, not on pagan forms of assimilation or magical control through consumption of life essence.
- The phrase "as water" intentionally demystifies the act of disposal, preventing any development of ritualistic handling of blood outside the tabernacle/temple framework, thus ensuring the altar remains the singular, divinely appointed place for blood's sacred application for atonement.
Deuteronomy 15 23 Commentary
Deuteronomy 15:23 reiterates one of the oldest and most fundamental dietary laws given to humanity: the prohibition against consuming blood. This is not merely a hygienic rule but a profound theological statement. Because "the life of the flesh is in the blood" (Lev 17:11), the consumption of blood is forbidden as an act of asserting control over, or appropriation of, life which belongs exclusively to God. Its mandated disposal by pouring it "upon the ground as water" serves multiple purposes: it demonstrates respect for the divine source of life, it detaches the Israelites from the pagan practices of their neighbors who often used blood in ritualistic eating to commune with their false deities or for magical purposes, and it highlights that blood, in its sanctity as life-essence, is set apart from common human consumption. The instruction to pour it "as water" underscores that this act of disposal is practical and unceremonious, not a sacrifice or ritual in itself, ensuring it is neither hallowed nor defiled in a way that infringes upon God's ownership of life.