Leviticus 17:11 kjv
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: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
Leviticus 17:11 nkjv
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.'
Leviticus 17:11 niv
For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.
Leviticus 17:11 esv
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
Leviticus 17:11 nlt
for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the LORD. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible.
Leviticus 17 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 9:4 | "But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood." | Prohibits consuming blood; life in blood. |
| Lev 3:17 | "It shall be a perpetual statute... that you eat neither fat nor blood." | Reiterates prohibition on blood consumption. |
| Lev 4:20 | "Thus the priest shall make atonement for them... and they shall be forgiven." | Blood ritual for sin offering. |
| Lev 16:15 | "...take the blood of the goat... and sprinkle it on the mercy seat..." | Day of Atonement, blood application. |
| Num 16:46-48 | "Take a censer... and make atonement for them..." | Atonement by divinely appointed means. |
| Ex 30:10 | "Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year with the blood..." | Altar's annual atonement by blood. |
| Deut 12:23 | "Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life..." | Direct parallel affirming life in blood. |
| Heb 9:7 | "...into the second [tent] only the high priest goes once a year, and never without blood..." | References Old Covenant blood rituals. |
| Heb 9:12 | "He entered once for all... not by means of the blood of goats... but by means of his own blood..." | Christ's superior, personal blood sacrifice. |
| Heb 9:22 | "Indeed, under the law almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." | Universal principle of blood for cleansing/forgiveness. |
| Heb 10:4 | "For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." | Old Covenant blood was symbolic, not perfect. |
| Rom 3:25 | "God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood..." | Christ as propitiation by His blood. |
| Eph 1:7 | "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses..." | Redemption and forgiveness through Christ's blood. |
| Col 1:20 | "...making peace by the blood of his cross." | Reconciliation through Christ's shed blood. |
| 1 Pet 1:18-19 | "You were ransomed... with the precious blood of Christ..." | Ransomed by Christ's valuable blood. |
| 1 John 1:7 | "...the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." | Ongoing cleansing by Christ's blood. |
| Rev 1:5 | "...Jesus Christ... who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood..." | Freedom from sin by Christ's blood. |
| Rev 5:9 | "...by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe..." | Purchased humanity for God by His blood. |
| Matt 26:28 | "for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." | Instituting New Covenant with His blood. |
| John 6:53 | "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you." | Symbolic: Union with Christ, partaking in His sacrifice. |
| Acts 15:29 | "...abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood..." | Apostolic counsel re-affirming blood prohibition. |
| Acts 20:28 | "...church of God, which he obtained with his own blood." | Church purchased by Christ's precious blood. |
Leviticus 17 verses
Leviticus 17 11 Meaning
Leviticus 17:11 proclaims a foundational divine truth: the very essence of life resides within the blood. God explicitly declares that He has ordained and consecrated this blood for a singular, sacred purpose: to be poured out upon the altar to achieve atonement—a covering and expiation—for the souls of humanity. The verse profoundly reiterates that it is uniquely the blood, by virtue of bearing and representing life, that possesses the power and efficacy to reconcile sinful people with a holy God under the terms of the Old Covenant sacrificial system.
Leviticus 17 11 Context
Leviticus Chapter 17 opens by delineating stringent regulations for sacrifices, mandating that all sacrificial animals be presented exclusively at the entrance of the tent of meeting (Lev 17:1-9). This directive centralized Israelite worship, distinguishing it from surrounding pagan practices and preventing unauthorized, localized offerings. Following this, the chapter immediately addresses the solemn prohibition against consuming blood (Lev 17:10-14). Leviticus 17:11 functions as the profound theological bedrock for this prohibition, explaining why blood is sacred and thus forbidden for ordinary consumption. It reveals that blood contains life and, crucially, has been divinely set apart as the sole instrument for ritual atonement. This immediate context highlights both the meticulous nature of God's ceremonial laws and their deeper spiritual purpose of enabling fellowship between a holy God and His people through a divinely provided means of covering sin.
Leviticus 17 11 Word analysis
- "For the life":
- Hebrew: nephesh (נֶפֶשׁ). Denotes more than mere biological vitality; it refers to the living being, the soul, the essence of individual existence. It emphasizes the profound value and sacredness of created life.
- "of the flesh":
- Hebrew: basar (בָּשָׂר). Pertains to the physical, corporeal aspect of a creature. It identifies the body as the dwelling place for this life force.
- "is in the blood":
- Hebrew: dam (דָּם). This is a theological declaration, not solely a scientific observation. Blood is divinely appointed as the vessel, symbol, and essence of life itself, distinguishing it from inert matter.
- "and I have given it to you":
- Hebrew: natatti (נָתַתִּי), "I have given." Highlights God's absolute sovereignty and initiative in establishing this provision. Atonement by blood is a divine institution, a gracious act from God to humanity, not a human invention or a practice adopted from other cultures.
- "upon the altar":
- Hebrew: mizbeach (מִזְבֵּחַ). The specially consecrated place for sacrifice. This specifies the only permissible and holy context for blood application in atonement, underscoring its sacred handling.
- "to make atonement":
- Hebrew: kaphar (כָּפַר). Means "to cover," "to expiate," "to purge," "to appease," "to reconcile." This core purpose describes the act of pacifying divine wrath against sin and restoring relationship between God and His people. It points to a covering of sin rather than its absolute eradication under the Old Covenant.
- "for your souls":
- Hebrew: nafshoteikem (נַפְשׁוֹתֵיכֶם), plural of nephesh. Refers to the lives, persons, or beings of the Israelites. The atonement directly addresses their sin and guilt, offering spiritual purification and reconciliation. This highlights the substitutionary principle: one life offered for another.
- "for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life.":
- Hebrew: banephesh (בַּנֶּפֶשׁ), literally "in the life" or "with the life." This concluding clause strongly reiterates and clarifies the mechanism of atonement. The effectiveness of the blood for atonement derives from the life it embodies and represents. It is not the physical fluid itself but the value of the surrendered life within it that is presented to God as a substitute for the life of the one making atonement, aligning with the principle of "life for life." This also underlines the distinction between a merely physical substance and its theological significance.
Leviticus 17 11 Bonus Section
The profound sacredness attributed to blood in Leviticus 17:11 profoundly shaped Israel's worldview and served as a powerful polemic against surrounding pagan cults. While many ancient societies consumed blood or used it irreverently in their rituals, associating it with life forces for magic, divination, or personal strength, Israel was strictly forbidden from doing so. This absolute prohibition reinforced that life, represented by blood, belongs exclusively to God and is to be used only in the context He prescribed for His holy purpose of atonement. This commanded reverence for blood not only established clear boundaries between Israel and the nations but also foreshadowed the profound holiness and uniqueness of the perfect, undefiled sacrifice of Christ, whose blood perfectly fulfilled the Law's requirements and offers complete purification from sin.
Leviticus 17 11 Commentary
Leviticus 17:11 stands as a foundational theological statement regarding the nature of life, the gravity of sin, and the divine provision for reconciliation. It teaches that life, particularly as represented by blood, is inherently sacred and belongs to God. In His wisdom and grace, God commanded that this blood, symbolizing a forfeited life, be brought to the altar for atonement. This ritual act provided a temporary covering for sins, mediating fellowship between a holy God and His sinful people. The principle "life for life" established here undergirds the entire Old Testament sacrificial system, pointing forward to its ultimate and perfect fulfillment. This pivotal truth culminates in the New Testament with the perfect, sinless life of Jesus Christ, whose precious blood, shed once and for all on the cross, constitutes the ultimate and eternal atonement, providing true and lasting forgiveness and cleansing from sin for all who believe, forever negating the need for further animal sacrifices.