God’s Word Translation
Leviticus 17:11
11because blood contains life. I have given this blood to you to make peace with me on the altar. Blood is needed to make peace with me.
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.
- English Standard Version (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.
- 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.’
Context of Leviticus 17:11
9but do not bring them to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer them to the Lord, they must be excluded from the people. 10“If Israelites or foreigners eat any blood, I will condemn them and exclude them from the people, because blood contains life. I have given this blood to you to make peace with me on the altar. Blood is needed to make peace with me. 12That is why I have said to the people of Israel: Neither you nor foreigners should ever eat blood. 13“If Israelites or foreigners hunt any animal or bird that may be eaten, they must pour out the animal’s blood and cover it with dirt.
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 12:6Remember your Creator before the silver cord is snapped, the golden bowl is broken, the pitcher is smashed near the spring, and the water wheel is broken at the cistern.
- Leviticus 17:14This is because the life of any creature is in its blood. So I have said to the people of Israel: Never eat any blood, because the life of any creature is in its blood. Whoever eats blood must be excluded ⌞from the people⌟.
- Leviticus 8:15When it was slaughtered, Moses took the blood and put it on the horns of the altar all around with his finger and cleansed the altar from sins. He poured the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar and declared it holy so that priests could use it to make peace with the Lord.
- Leviticus 16:11“Aaron will bring the bull. He will then slaughter it as his own offering for sin. By doing this he will make peace with the Lord for himself and his family.
- Matthew 20:28It’s the same way with the Son of Man. He didn’t come so that others could serve him. He came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”
- Matthew 26:28This is my blood, the blood of the promise. It is poured out for many people so that sins are forgiven.
- Mark 14:24He said to them, “This is my blood, the blood of the promise. It is poured out for many people.
- Romans 3:25God showed that Christ is the throne of mercy where God’s approval is given through faith in Christ’s blood. In his patience God waited to deal with sins committed in the past.
- Romans 5:9Since Christ’s blood has now given us God’s approval, we are even more certain that Christ will save us from God’s anger.
- Ephesians 1:7Through the blood of his Son, we are set free from our sins. God forgives our failures because of his overflowing kindness.
- Colossians 1:14His Son paid the price to free us, which means that our sins are forgiven.
- Hebrews 9:22As Moses’ Teachings tell us, blood was used to cleanse almost everything, because if no blood is shed, no sins can be forgiven.
- Hebrews 13:12That is why Jesus suffered outside the gates of Jerusalem. He suffered to make the people holy with his own blood.
- 1 Peter 1:2God the Father knew you long ago and chose you to live holy lives with the Spirit’s help so that you are obedient to Jesus Christ and are sprinkled with his blood. May good will and peace fill your lives!
- 1 John 1:7But if we live in the light in the same way that God is in the light, we have a relationship with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from every sin.
- 1 John 2:2He is the payment for our sins, and not only for our sins, 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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