# Leviticus 17 📖: The Sanctity of Blood [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[-Leviticus Overview]] | [[Leviticus 16]] | [[Leviticus 18]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] > [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]] > [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] > [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]] > [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]] > [[#💬 Discussion Questions]] > [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference]] > [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] > [[#📂 Internal Notes]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) ### The Slaughter of Animals [[#Verse 01.]] The Lord spoke to Moses, [[#Verse 02.]] “Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites, and tell them, ‘This is the word that the Lord has commanded,  [[#Verse 03.]] “Blood guilt will be accounted to any man from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox or a lamb or a goat inside the camp or outside the camp,  [[#Verse 04.]] but 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.  [[#Verse 05.]] This is so that the Israelites will bring their sacrifices that they are sacrificing in the open field to the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent—to the priest—and sacrifice them there as peace-offering sacrifices to the Lord.  [[#Verse 06.]] The priest is to splash the blood on the altar of the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, and offer the fat up in smoke for a soothing aroma to the Lord. [[#Verse 07.]] So the people must no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat demons, acting like prostitutes by going after them. This is to be a perpetual statute for them throughout their generations.”’ [[#Verse 08.]] “You are to say to them: ‘Any man from the house of Israel or from the resident foreigners who live in their midst, who offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice  [[#Verse 09.]] but does not bring it to the entrance of the Meeting Tent to offer it to the Lord—that person will be cut off from his people. ### Prohibition against Eating Blood [[#Verse 10.]] “‘Any man from the house of Israel or from the resident foreigners who live in their midst who eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats the blood, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, [[#Verse 11.]] for the life of every living thing is in the blood. So I myself have assigned it to you on the altar to make atonement for your lives, for the blood makes atonement by means of the life.  [[#Verse 12.]] Therefore, I have said to the Israelites: No person among you is to eat blood, and no resident foreigner who lives among you is to eat blood. [[#Verse 13.]] “‘Any man from the Israelites or from the resident foreigners who live in their midst who hunts a wild animal or a bird that may be eaten must pour out its blood and cover it with soil,  [[#Verse 14.]] for the life of all flesh is its blood. So I have said to the Israelites: You must not eat the blood of any living thing because the life of every living thing is its blood—all who eat it will be cut off. ### Regulations for Eating Carcasses [[#Verse 15.]] “‘Any person who eats an animal that has died of natural causes or an animal torn by beasts, whether a native citizen or a resident foreigner, must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening; then he will be clean.  [[#Verse 16.]] But if he does not wash his clothes and does not bathe his body, he will bear his punishment for his iniquity.’” ## 📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary ###### Overall. ###### Verse 01. ###### Verse 02. ###### Verse 03. ###### Verse 04. ###### Verse 05. ###### Verse 06. ###### Verse 07. ###### Verse 08. ###### Verse 09. ###### Verse 10. ###### Verse 11. ###### Verse 12. ###### Verse 13. ###### Verse 14. ###### Verse 15. ###### Verse 16. ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights 1. Many scholars call Leviticus 17 to 26 the "Holiness Code" because of its repeated call to be holy. 2. The Hebrew word for goat demons, *se'irim*, also appears in 2 Chronicles 11:15, where Jeroboam appoints priests for them. 3. Sacrificing anywhere other than the tabernacle counted as bloodguilt (17:4). 4. These laws applied to foreigners living among Israel as well (17:8, 10). 5. Leviticus 17:11 is the clearest Old Testament explanation of why blood was used for atonement. 6. A hunter had to drain the blood of game and cover it with dust (17:13). 7. Eating an animal that died naturally made a person unclean until evening (17:15). 8. The ban on eating blood goes back to God's words to Noah (Genesis 9:4). 9. The Jerusalem Council asked Gentile believers to abstain from blood (Acts 15:29). 10. Deuteronomy 12:20-21 later allowed ordinary slaughter for food away from the sanctuary once Israel spread out in the land. ## 🧠 Chapter Summary > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter Christ is the One whose blood makes atonement for our lives. The life of every creature is in the blood, given on the altar to make atonement (17:11), and we are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). ## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 💬 Discussion Questions 1. All sacrifices had to be brought to the tent of meeting (17:3-5). Why does God care where and how we worship? 2. Some Israelites were sacrificing to goat demons (17:7). What modern idols tempt God's people toward divided loyalty? 3. Leviticus 17:11 explains why blood matters. How does this verse help you understand the cross (Hebrews 9:22)? ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - 📖 verses 3-4: Sacrifices must be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting. - 📖 verse 7: Israel must no longer offer sacrifices to goat demons. - 📖 verse 11: The life is in the blood, and God gave it on the altar to make atonement. ## 🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference - 🔗 [[Hebrews 09#Verse 22.|Hebrews 9:22]] - Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. - 🔗 [[1 Peter 01#Verse 18.|1 Peter 1:18-19]] - Redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. - 🔗 [[Genesis 09#Verse 04.|Genesis 9:4]] - Do not eat meat with its lifeblood in it. - 🔗 [[Acts 15#Verse 28.|Acts 15:28-29]] - Gentile believers asked to abstain from blood. - 🔗 [[Deuteronomy 12#Verse 23.|Deuteronomy 12:23-25]] - The blood is the life. ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 📂 Internal Notes