New English Translation
Genesis 9:6
6“Whoever sheds human blood, by other humans must his blood be shed; for in God’s image God has made humankind.”
Genesis 9:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
- New International Version (NIV)“Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.
Context of Genesis 9:6
4But you must not eat meat with its life (that is, its blood) in it. 5For your lifeblood I will surely exact punishment, from every living creature I will exact punishment. From each person I will exact punishment for the life of the individual since the man was his relative. “Whoever sheds human blood, by other humans must his blood be shed; for in God’s image God has made humankind.” 7But as for you, be fruitful and multiply; increase abundantly on the earth and multiply on it.” 8God said to Noah and his sons,
Read all of Genesis 9Genesis 9:6 word by word
שֹׁפֵךְ֙ דַּ֣ם הָֽאָדָ֔ם בָּֽאָדָ֖ם דָּמ֣וֹ יִשָּׁפֵ֑ךְ כִּ֚י בְּצֶ֣לֶם אֱלֹהִ֔ים עָשָׂ֖ה אֶת־הָאָדָֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Genesis 9:6
- Exodus 21:12“Whoever strikes someone so that he dies must surely be put to death.
- Exodus 22:2“If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no blood guilt for him.
- Leviticus 17:4but has not brought it to the entrance of the Meeting Tent to present it as an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord. He has shed blood, so that man will be cut off from the midst of his people.
- Leviticus 24:17“‘If a man beats any person to death, he must be put to death.
- Numbers 35:25The community must deliver the slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the community must restore him to the town of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the consecrated oil.
- 1 Kings 2:5“You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me – how he murdered two commanders of the Israelite armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. During peacetime he struck them down like he would in battle; when he shed their blood as if in battle, he stained his own belt and the sandals on his feet.
- Matthew 26:52Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place! For all who take hold of the sword will die by the sword.
- Romans 13:4for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be in fear, for it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God’s servant to administer retribution on the wrongdoer.
- Revelation 13:10If anyone is meant for captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed by the sword, then by the sword he must be killed. This requires steadfast endurance and faith from the saints.
- Genesis 1:26Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth.”
- Genesis 5:1This is the record of the family line of Adam. When God created humankind, he made them in the likeness of God.
- Psalms 51:4Against you – you above all – I have sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. So you are just when you confront me; you are right when you condemn me.
- James 3:9With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people made in God’s image.
Commentaries on Genesis 9:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood - Hence it appears that whoever kills a man, unless unwittingly, as the Scripture expresses it, shall forfeit his own life. A man is accused of the crime of murder; of this crime he is guilty or he is not: if he be guilty of murder he should die; if not, let him be punished according to the demerit of his crime; but for no offense but murder should he lose his life. Taking away the life of another is the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-7Verses 1-7 - The Blessing of Noah 2. מורא môrā' “fear, reverence, awful deed.” חת chat “dread, breaking of the courage.” Noah is saved from the deluge. His life is twice given to him by God. He had found grace in the sight of the Lord, and now he and his family have been graciously accepted when they approached the Lord with burnt-offerings. In him, therefore, the race of man is to be begun anew. Accordingly, as at the beginning, the Lord proceeds to…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-7Verses 4-7 The main reason of forbidding the eating of blood, doubtless was because the shedding of blood in sacrifices was to keep the worshippers in mind of the great atonement; yet it seems intended also to check cruelty, lest men, being used to shed and feed upon the blood of animals, should grow unfeeling to them, and be less shocked at the idea of shedding human blood. Man must not take away his own life. Our lives are God's, and we must only give…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6for in His own image God has made mankind: God made human beings in his own image. That is why this passage gives a theological reason for the death penalty in the Old Testament. Human beings have a unique place in creation because they bear God’s image (1:26–28). If someone murders another person, that person destroys a life that reflects God in a special way. Because of that, the murderer must receive the highest penalty. See also Exodus 21:23–25. This…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. Whoso sheddeth man's blood ... for in the image of God made he man--It is true that image has been injured by the fall, but it is not lost. In this view, a high value is attached to the life of every man, even the poorest and humblest, and an awful criminality is involved in the destruction of it.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 9:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 9
- 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
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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