Leviticus 3:17

Hebrew Bible

15 the two kidneys with the fat on their sinews, and the protruding lobe on the liver (which he is to remove along with the kidneys). 16 Then the priest must offer them up in smoke on the altar as a food gift for a soothing aroma—all the fat belongs to the Lord. 17 This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all the places where you live: You must never eat any fat or any blood.’”

Deuteronomy 12:16

Hebrew Bible

14 for you may do so only in the place the Lord chooses in one of your tribal areas—there you may do everything I am commanding you. 15 On the other hand, you may slaughter and eat meat as you please when the Lord your God blesses you in all your villages. Both the ritually pure and impure may eat it, whether it is a gazelle or an ibex. 16 However, you must not eat blood—pour it out on the ground like water. 17 You will not be allowed to eat in your villages your tithe of grain, new wine, olive oil, the firstborn of your herd and flock, any votive offerings you have vowed, or your freewill and personal offerings. 18 Only in the presence of the Lord your God may you eat these, in the place he chooses. This applies to you, your son, your daughter, your male and female servants, and the Levites in your villages. In that place you will rejoice before the Lord your God in all the output of your labor.

 Notes and References

"... In Genesis 9:4 the prohibition against ingesting blood is given to Noah as the sole restriction on the control of the animal kingdom granted to him and his heirs. It is thus defined as binding on the whole human race, unlike all the other dietary laws, which serve to distinguish Israel from the nations. It is repeated for Israel in the context of the sacrificial rituals (Leviticus 3:17; 7:26-27) and for Israel and resident aliens (Leviticus 17:10-14). This latter passage applies the rule to game as well as domestic animals, including birds (Leviticus 17:13), and offers explanations. Leviticus 7:27 and 17:10, 14 ordain a sanction: Yahweh will “cut off anyone who eats blood.” Leviticus 19:26 is frequently read as speaking of “eating with the blood,” but the literal translation is “on the blood,” and a different practice may be in view (compare 1 Samuel 14:31-34; Ezekiel 33:25). The rule is also found in Deuteronomy 12:16, 23-25; 15:23, where permission is given (as against Leviticus 17) for the secular slaughter of animals. In sacrificial slaughter the blood would have been poured against the altar as the divine portion; its mention here ensures that in the less-controlled secular environment the animal’s blood still does not pass human lips. The texts all speak of eating blood, not drinking it; this probably shows that the issue is one of eating blood as part of the meat ..."

Alexander, T. Desmond, and David W. Baker Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch (pp. 330-331) InterVarsity Press, 2003

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