English Standard Version
Leviticus 17:11
11For 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 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (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.
- New King James Version (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.’
- New Living Translation (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.
Context of Leviticus 17:11
9and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it to the Lord, that man shall be cut off from his people. 10"If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. 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. 12Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood. 13"Any one also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth.
Read all of Leviticus 17Leviticus 17:11 word by word
כִּ֣י נֶ֣פֶשׁ הַבָּשָׂר֮ בַּדָּ֣ם הִוא֒ וַאֲנִ֞י נְתַתִּ֤יו לָכֶם֙ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ לְכַפֵּ֖ר עַל־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־הַדָּ֥ם ה֖וּא בַּנֶּ֥פֶשׁ יְכַפֵּֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For the lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
- of the fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
- in the bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- and I have givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- it to you upon the altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
- to make an atonementכִּפֶּרkâphar · to atoneH3722
- for your soulsנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
Cross-references for Leviticus 17:11
- Ecclesiastes 12:6before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern,
- Leviticus 17:14For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.
- Leviticus 8:15And he killed it, and Moses took the blood, and with his finger put it on the horns of the altar around it and purified the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it.
- Leviticus 16:11"Aaron shall present the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. He shall kill the bull as a sin offering for himself.
- Matthew 20:28even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
- Matthew 26:28for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
- Mark 14:24And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.
- Romans 3:25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
- Romans 5:9Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
- Ephesians 1:7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
- Colossians 1:14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
- Hebrews 9:22Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
- Hebrews 13:12So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.
- 1 Peter 1:2according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
- 1 John 1:7But 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.
- 1 John 2:2He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
Commentaries on Leviticus 17:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11For the life of the flesh is in the blood - This sentence, which contains a most important truth, had existed in the Mosaic writings for 3600 years before the attention of any philosopher was drawn to the subject. This is the more surprising, as the nations in which philosophy flourished were those which especially enjoyed the Divine oracles in their respective languages. That the blood actually possesses a living principle, and that the life of the whole…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10-14Verses 10-14 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. Leviticus 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…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-16Verses 10-16 Here is a confirmation of the law against eating blood. They must eat no blood. But this law was ceremonial, and is now no longer in force; the coming of the substance does away the shadow. The blood of beasts is no longer the ransom, but Christ's blood only; therefore there is not now the reason for abstaining there then was. The blood is now allowed for the nourishment of our bodies; it is no longer appointed to make an atonement for the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11the life of the flesh is in the blood: God forbade Israel to consume blood because it symbolized the life given by God (Leviticus 17:10). They set it aside as God's portion of each animal offering. God also designated the sacrificial blood as the way to atone. This means God's grace accepted the life of the animal in exchange for the life of the sinner. In the New Testament, the blood of Christ—representing his life freely given—provides eternal…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. 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--God, as the sovereign author and proprietor of nature, reserved the blood to Himself and allowed men only one use of it--in the way of sacrifices.Read the comment
Topics related to Leviticus 17:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Leviticus 17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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