Deuteronomy 12:16

Deuteronomy 12:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water.
• New International Version (NIV)But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it out on the earth like water.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on the earth like water.

Context of Deuteronomy 12:16

14You may do so only at the place the Lord will choose within one of your tribal territories. There you must offer your burnt offerings and do everything I command you. 15“But you may butcher your animals and eat their meat in any town whenever you want. You may freely eat the animals with which the Lord your God blesses you. All of you, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat that meat, just as you now eat gazelle and deer. But you must not consume the blood. You must pour it out on the ground like water. 17“But you may not eat your offerings in your hometown—neither the tithe of your grain and new wine and olive oil, nor the firstborn of your flocks and herds, nor any offering to fulfill a vow, nor your voluntary offerings, nor your sacred offerings. 18You must eat these in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose. Eat them there with your children, your servants, and the Levites who live in your towns, celebrating in the presence of the Lord your God in all you do.

Deuteronomy 12:16 word by word

רַ֥ק הַדָּ֖ם לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֑לוּ עַל־הָאָ֥רֶץ תִּשְׁפְּכֶ֖נּוּ כַּמָּֽיִם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Only ye shall not eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• the bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• ye shall pourשָׁפַךְshâphak · to pour: pourH8210
• it upon the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
• as waterמַיmayim · waterH4325

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 12:16

• Deuteronomy 12:23But never consume the blood, for the blood is the life, and you must not consume the lifeblood with the meat.
• Deuteronomy 15:23But you must not consume the blood. You must pour it out on the ground like water.
• Genesis 9:4But you must never eat any meat that still has the lifeblood in it.
• Leviticus 7:26No matter where you live, you must never consume the blood of any bird or animal.
• Leviticus 17:10“And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you eats or drinks blood in any form, I will turn against that person and cut him off from the community of your people,
• Acts 15:29You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell.”
• 1 Timothy 4:4Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 12:16

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-32Verses 5-32 The command to bring ALL the sacrifices to the door of the tabernacle, was now explained with reference to the promised land. As to moral service, then, as now, men might pray and worship every where, as they did in their synagogues. The place which God would choose, is said to be the place where he would put his name. It was to be his habitation, where, as King of Israel, he would be found by all who reverently sought him. Now, under the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16The rule against eating blood applied to both sacrificial animals and those killed for food. Blood represented life, so it was holy and belonged only to God. This principle existed from the beginning of creation and came before the law was given (Genesis 4:10–11; 9:4–6; Leviticus 17:11). See also study note on Leviticus 7:26–27.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-2516. ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water--The prohibition against eating or drinking blood as an unnatural custom accompanied the announcement of the divine grant of animal flesh for food (Ge 9:4), and the prohibition was repeatedly renewed by Moses with reference to the great objects of the law (Le 17:12), the prevention of idolatry, and the consecration of the sacrificial blood to God. In regard, however, to the blood of…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 12:16

• Blood
• Sanitation

In the dictionaries

• High place
• Lust
• Rest
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of
• Genesis
• Law in the Old Testament
• Leviticus
• Maccabees, Books of

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 12

• 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
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings