Leviticus 17

Blood for Atonement

1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2 "Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel and say to them, 'This is what * the LORD has commanded, saying,
3 "Any man from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or who slaughters it outside * the camp,
4 and 1has not brought it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD, bloodguiltiness is to be reckoned to that man. He has shed blood and that man shall be cut off from among his people.
5 "The reason is so that the sons of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they were sacrificing in the open field, that they may bring them in to the LORD, at the doorway of the tent of meeting to the priest, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the LORD.
6 "The priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and 2offer up the fat in smoke as a soothing aroma to the LORD.
7 "3They shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat demons with which they play the harlot. This shall be a permanent statute to them throughout their generations."'
8 "Then you shall say to them, 'Any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice,
9 and 4does not bring it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to offer it to the LORD, that man also shall be cut off from his people.
10 '5And any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who eats any blood, 6I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people.
11 'For 7the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for 8it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.'
12 "Therefore * I said to the sons of Israel, 'No * person among you may eat blood, nor may any alien who sojourns among you eat blood.'
13 "So when any man from the sons of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, in hunting catches a beast or a bird which may be eaten, 9he shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth.
14 "10For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, 'You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.'
15 "11When any person eats an animal which dies or is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or an alien, he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and remain unclean until evening; then he will become clean.
16 "But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, then 12he shall bear his guilt."

Cross References 12

  • 1. Deuteronomy 12:5-21
  • 2. Numbers 18:17
  • 3. Exodus 22:20; Exodus 32:8; Exodus 34:15; Deuteronomy 32:17; 2 Chronicles 11:15; Psalms 106:37; 1 Corinthians 10:20
  • 4. Exodus 20:24; Leviticus 17:4
  • 5. Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 3:17; Leviticus 7:26, 27; Deut 12:16, 23-25; 1 Samuel 14:33
  • 6. Leviticus 20:3, 6; Jeremiah 44:11
  • 7. Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:14
  • 8. Hebrews 9:22
  • 9. Deuteronomy 12:16
  • 10. Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:11
  • 11. Exodus 22:31; Leviticus 7:24; Leviticus 22:8; Deuteronomy 14:21
  • 12. Numbers 19:20

Footnotes 11

Leviticus 17 Commentaries

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