Deuteronomy 12:16
14 you must offer them only in the place the LORD will choose in one of your tribal territories, and there you shall do all that I command you.
15 But whenever you want, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your gates, according to the blessing the LORD your God has given you. Both the ceremonially clean and unclean may eat it as they would a gazelle or deer,
but you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.
17 Within your gates you must not eat the tithe of your grain or new wine or oil, the firstborn of your herds or flocks, any of the offerings that you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts.
18 Instead, you must eat them in the presence of the LORD your God at the place the LORD your God will choose—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates. Rejoice before the LORD your God in all you do,
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- but you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.
- KJV
- Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water.
- WEB
- Only you shall not eat the blood. You shall pour it out on the earth like water.
- ASV
- Only ye shall not eat the blood; thou shalt pour it out upon the earth as water.
- DARBY
- Only, ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water.
- BLB
- Only the blood you⁺ shall not eat; you shall pour it on the earth like water.
- ÅB
- Men blodet må dere ikke etedere skal helle det ut på jorden slik som vann.
- OTB
- Men dere må ikke konsumere blodet; hell det ut på jorden som vann.
- B1930
- Men blodet må I ikke ete; I skal helle det ut på jorden likesom vann.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Genesis 9:4
But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 15:23
But you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.
Read in contextActs 15:29
You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 12:23–24
Only be sure not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.
Read in context1 Timothy 4:4
For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected,
Read in contextLeviticus 17:10–13
If anyone from the house of Israel or a foreigner living among them eats any blood, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from among his people.
Read in contextLeviticus 7:26–27
You must not eat the blood of any bird or animal in any of your dwellings.
Read in context