Focused Passage

Leviticus 17:13-16

Blood, Life, Sacrifice, and the LORD's Exclusive Altar

The LORD commands that slaughtered sacrificial animals be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting, forbids sacrifice in the open fields or to goat demons, applies the command to Israelites and foreigners, prohibits eating blood because life is in the blood and blood is given for atonement, requires hunters to drain and cover blood, and gives washing instructions for eating animals found dead or torn.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

13 And if any Israelite or foreigner living among them hunts down a wild animal or bird that may be eaten, he must drain its blood and cover it with dirt.

14 For the life of all flesh is its blood. Therefore I have told the Israelites, ‘You must not eat the blood of any living thing, because the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it must be cut off.’

15 And any person, whether native or foreigner, who eats anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening; then he will be clean.

16 But if he does not wash his clothes and bathe himself, then he shall bear his iniquity.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 13

Original words

And if any וְאִ֨ישׁ H376 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular . . . אִ֜ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular Israelite מִבְּנֵ֣י H1121 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct . . . יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular . . . וּמִן־ H4480 Conjunctive waw | Preposition or foreigner הַגֵּר֙ H1616 Article | Noun - masculine singular living הַגָּ֣ר H1481 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular among them בְּתוֹכָ֔ם H8432 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural - אֲשֶׁ֨ר H834 Pronoun - relative hunts down יָצ֜וּד H6679 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular a wild חַיָּ֛ה H2416 Noun - feminine singular animal צֵ֥יד H6718 Noun - masculine singular construct or אוֹ־ H176 Conjunction bird ע֖וֹף H5775 Noun - masculine singular that אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative may be eaten יֵאָכֵ֑ל H398 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular he must drain וְשָׁפַךְ֙ H8210 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker its blood דָּמ֔וֹ H1818 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular and cover וְכִסָּ֖הוּ H3680 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular it with dirt בֶּעָפָֽר׃ H6083 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 14

Original words

For כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction the life נֶ֣פֶשׁ H5315 Noun - feminine singular construct of all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct flesh בָּשָׂ֗ר H1320 Noun - masculine singular is its blood דָּמ֣וֹ H1818 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular בְנַפְשׁוֹ֮ בְנַפְשׁוֹ֮ H5315 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular - הוּא֒ H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular Therefore I have told וָֽאֹמַר֙ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular the Israelites לִבְנֵ֣י H1121 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct . . . יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular You must not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle eat תֹאכֵ֑לוּ H398 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural the blood דַּ֥ם H1818 Noun - masculine singular construct of any כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct living thing בָּשָׂ֖ר H1320 Noun - masculine singular because כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction the life נֶ֤פֶשׁ H5315 Noun - feminine singular construct of all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct flesh בָּשָׂר֙ H1320 Noun - masculine singular is its blood דָּמ֣וֹ H1818 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular whoever הִ֔וא H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular . . . כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct eats it אֹכְלָ֖יו H398 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular must be cut off יִכָּרֵֽת׃ H3772 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 15

Original words

And any וְכָל־ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct person נֶ֗פֶשׁ H5315 Noun - feminine singular whether native בָּאֶזְרָ֖ח H249 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular or foreigner וּבַגֵּ֑ר H1616 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular who אֲשֶׁ֨ר H834 Pronoun - relative eats תֹּאכַ֤ל H398 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular anything found dead נְבֵלָה֙ H5038 Noun - feminine singular or mauled by wild beasts וּטְרֵפָ֔ה H2966 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular must wash וְכִבֶּ֨ס H3526 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular his clothes בְּגָדָ֜יו H899 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular and bathe וְרָחַ֥ץ H7364 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular with water בַּמַּ֛יִם H4325 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural and he will be unclean וְטָמֵ֥א H2930 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular until עַד־ H5704 Preposition evening הָעֶ֖רֶב H6153 Article | Noun - masculine singular then he will be clean וְטָהֵֽר׃ H2891 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 16

Original words

But if וְאִם֙ H518 Conjunction he does not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle wash יְכַבֵּ֔ס H3526 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular his clothes and bathe יִרְחָ֑ץ H7364 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular himself וּבְשָׂר֖וֹ H1320 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular . . . לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle then he shall bear וְנָשָׂ֖א H5375 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular his iniquity עֲוֺנֽוֹ׃פ H5771 Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.