Deuteronomy 12:24
New International Version
You must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.

New Living Translation
Instead, pour out the blood on the ground like water.

English Standard Version
You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the earth like water.

Berean Standard Bible
You must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.

King James Bible
Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water.

New King James Version
You shall not eat it; you shall pour it on the earth like water.

New American Standard Bible
You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the ground like water.

NASB 1995
“You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the ground like water.

NASB 1977
“You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the ground like water.

Legacy Standard Bible
You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the ground like water.

Amplified Bible
You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the ground like water.

Christian Standard Bible
Do not eat blood; pour it on the ground like water.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Do not eat blood; pour it on the ground like water.

American Standard Version
Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it out upon the earth as water.

English Revised Version
Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it out upon the earth as water.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Never eat blood. Pour it on the ground like water.

Good News Translation
Do not use the blood for food; instead, pour it out on the ground like water.

International Standard Version
You must not consume it; instead, pour it on the ground as you would water.

Majority Standard Bible
You must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.

NET Bible
You must not eat it! You must pour it out on the ground like water.

New Heart English Bible
You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the earth as water.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt not eat it: thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water.

World English Bible
You shall not eat it. You shall pour it out on the earth like water.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
you do not eat it—you pour it on the earth as water;

Young's Literal Translation
thou dost not eat it, on the earth thou dost pour it as water;

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou shalt not eat it: upon the earth thou shalt pour it as water.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water,

Catholic Public Domain Version
Instead, you shall pour it upon the ground like water,

New American Bible
Do not eat of the blood, therefore, but pour it out on the ground like water.

New Revised Standard Version
Do not eat it; you shall pour it out on the ground like water.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
You shall not eat it; but you must pour it out on the earth like water.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
You shall not eat it but pour it on the ground like water.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it out upon the earth as water.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Ye shall not eat it; ye shall pour it out on the ground as water.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
One Place for Worship
23Only be sure not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat. 24 You must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water. 25Do not eat it, so that it may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD.…

Cross References
Leviticus 17:10-14
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. / For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul. / Therefore I say to the Israelites, ‘None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner living among you eat blood.’ ...

Genesis 9:4
But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it.

Acts 15:20
Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.

Acts 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.

Leviticus 3:17
This is a permanent statute for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.”

Leviticus 7:26-27
You must not eat the blood of any bird or animal in any of your dwellings. / If anyone eats blood, that person must be cut off from his people.’”

1 Samuel 14:32-34
So they rushed greedily to the plunder, taking sheep, cattle, and calves. They slaughtered them on the ground and ate meat with the blood still in it. / Then someone reported to Saul: “Look, the troops are sinning against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it.” “You have broken faith,” said Saul. “Roll a large stone over here at once.” / Then he said, “Go among the troops and tell them, ‘Each man must bring me his ox or his sheep, slaughter them in this place, and then eat. Do not sin against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it.’” So that night everyone brought his ox and slaughtered it there.

Ezekiel 33:25
Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You eat meat with the blood in it, lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. Should you then possess the land?

Acts 21:25
As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality.”

1 Corinthians 10:20-21
No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons. / You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot partake in the table of the Lord and the table of demons too.

Hebrews 9:22
According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Matthew 26:28
This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

John 6:53-56
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life in you. / Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. / For My flesh is real food, and My blood is real drink. ...

Colossians 1:20
and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.

Revelation 7:14
“Sir,” I answered, “you know.” So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.


Treasury of Scripture

You shall not eat it; you shall pour it on the earth as water.

Deuteronomy 12:16
Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water.

Deuteronomy 15:23
Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.

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Deuteronomy 12
1. Monuments of idolatry to be destroyed
4. The place of God's service to be kept
15. Blood is forbidden
17. Holy things must be eaten in the holy place
19. The Levite is not to be forsaken
20. Blood is again forbidden
26. and holy things must be eaten in the holy place
29. Idolatry is not to be enquired after














You must not eat the blood
This command is rooted in the Hebrew word "דָּם" (dam), meaning blood. In the ancient Near Eastern context, blood was considered the life force of a creature, as stated in Leviticus 17:11, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood." The prohibition against consuming blood underscores the sanctity of life and the recognition that life belongs to God alone. This commandment is a call to respect the divine order and acknowledge God's sovereignty over life and death. In a broader theological sense, it foreshadows the sacrificial system and ultimately points to the sacrificial blood of Christ, which brings eternal life to believers.

pour it on the ground like water
The act of pouring blood on the ground symbolizes the return of life to God, from whom it originates. The Hebrew verb "שָׁפַךְ" (shafakh), meaning to pour or spill, conveys a deliberate act of reverence and obedience. In ancient Israelite practice, this act was a form of ritual purification, ensuring that the people remained holy and set apart for God. The imagery of pouring blood "like water" emphasizes the natural and necessary return of life to the earth, reinforcing the idea that life is a sacred gift. This practice also served as a constant reminder of the covenant relationship between God and His people, where obedience to His commands was a demonstration of faith and devotion. In the New Testament, this concept is fulfilled in the sacrificial death of Jesus, whose blood was poured out for the redemption of humanity, symbolizing the ultimate act of obedience and love.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You must not eat [the blood];
תֹּאכְלֶ֑נּוּ (tō·ḵə·len·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

pour
תִּשְׁפְּכֶ֖נּוּ (tiš·pə·ḵen·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8210: To spill forth, to expend, to sprawl out

it on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the ground
הָאָ֥רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

like water.
כַּמָּֽיִם׃ (kam·mā·yim)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 12:24 You shall not eat it (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 12:23
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