God’s Word Translation
Leviticus 17:13
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.
Leviticus 17:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust.
- New International Version (NIV)“ ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth,
- English Standard Version (ESV)"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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Whatever man of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who hunts and catches any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust;
Context of Leviticus 17:13
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. 12That is why I have said to the people of Israel: Neither you nor foreigners should ever eat blood. “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. 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⌟. 15“Native Israelites or foreigners who eat the body of an animal that dies naturally or is killed by another animal must wash their clothes and their bodies. They will be unclean until evening. Then they will be clean.
Read all of Leviticus 17Leviticus 17:13 word by word
וְאִ֨ישׁ אִ֜ישׁ מִבְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וּמִן־הַגֵּר֙ הַגָּ֣ר בְּתוֹכָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָצ֜וּד צֵ֥יד חַיָּ֛ה אוֹ־ע֖וֹף אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵאָכֵ֑ל וְשָׁפַךְ֙ אֶת־דָּמ֔וֹ וְכִסָּ֖הוּ בֶּעָפָֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And whatsoever manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- of the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- or of the strangersגֵּרgêr gêyr · sojournerH1616
- that sojournגּוּרgûr · to sojournH1481
- amongתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
- you, which huntethצוּדtsûd · to huntH6679
- and catchethצַ֫יִדtsayid · wild gameH6718
- any beastחַיָּהchay · living thingH2416
- or fowlעוֹף‛ôph · birdH5775
- that may be eatenאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- he shall even pourשָׁפַךְshâphak · to pour: pourH8210
- out the bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- thereof, and coverכָּסָהkâsâh · to coverH3680
- it with dustעָפָר‛âphâr · dustH6083
Cross-references for Leviticus 17:13
- Leviticus 7:26“Never eat the blood of any bird or animal no matter where you live.
- Deuteronomy 12:16But never eat the blood. Pour it on the ground like water.
- Deuteronomy 15:23But never eat the blood. Pour it on the ground like water.
- 1 Samuel 14:32So the troops seized the Philistines’ belongings. They took sheep, cows, and calves, and butchered them on the ground. The troops ate the meat with blood still in it.
- Job 16:18“Earth, don’t cover my blood. Don’t ever let my cry ⌞for justice⌟ be stopped.
- Ezekiel 24:7Blood is still in that city. The blood was poured on a bare rock. It wasn’t poured on the ground where dust would cover it.
Commentaries on Leviticus 17:13
- 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. 13cover it with dirt: This rule stopped hunters from using an animal's blood for food. Like the blood in altar offerings, the blood of wild game also symbolized life. Uncovered blood was a sign of violent crime. Innocent blood defiled the land (Numbers 35:33). It called out to God for justice (Genesis 4:10; see Job 16:18). Covering the blood of a killed animal gave it a symbolic burial. This showed respect for both the animal's life and for God, the giver…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1413-14. whatsoever man ... hunteth--It was customary with heathen sportsmen, when they killed any game or venison, to pour out the blood as a libation to the god of the chase. The Israelites, on the contrary, were enjoined, instead of leaving it exposed, to cover it with dust and, by this means, were effectually debarred from all the superstitious uses to which the heathen applied it.Read the comment
Topics related to Leviticus 17:13
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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