◄ Genesis 9:6 ►
Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.
Study Bible
Whoever sheds the blood of man
This phrase establishes a universal principle of justice. The Hebrew word for "sheds" is "shaphak," which implies a deliberate act of spilling or pouring out, often used in the context of bloodshed or violence. The phrase underscores the sanctity of human life, rooted in the belief that life is a divine gift. Historically, this principle has been foundational in the development of legal systems that value human life and seek to deter murder through the establishment of consequences.

by man his blood will be shed
Here, the text introduces the concept of human responsibility in administering justice. The Hebrew word "adam" for "man" is used, which can refer to humanity collectively or an individual person. This phrase suggests a divinely sanctioned human role in executing justice, reflecting the seriousness with which God views the taking of life. It implies a societal responsibility to uphold justice, which has influenced the development of legal and governmental systems throughout history.

for in His own image
The phrase "in His own image" refers back to Genesis 1:27, where God creates mankind in His image. The Hebrew word "tselem" for "image" signifies a representation or likeness. This theological concept is foundational, affirming the inherent dignity and worth of every human being. It serves as the basis for the sanctity of life, emphasizing that human life is sacred because it reflects God's own nature.

God has made mankind
The act of creation is attributed directly to God, using the Hebrew word "bara," which means to create or bring into existence. This underscores the divine origin and intentionality behind human life. The phrase highlights the unique relationship between God and humanity, as well as the responsibility humans have to honor and protect life. It serves as a reminder of the divine authority over life and death, and the moral obligations that flow from being made in God's image.

Persons / Places / Events
1. God
The divine lawgiver who establishes the covenant with Noah and humanity, emphasizing the sanctity of human life.

2. Noah
The recipient of God's covenant, representing humanity post-flood, tasked with repopulating and stewarding the earth.

3. Mankind
Created in the image of God, highlighting the inherent value and dignity of human life.

4. The Flood
A significant event preceding this command, where God judged the earth for its violence and corruption.

5. Covenant
The divine promise and set of instructions given to Noah, establishing a new order for humanity.
Teaching Points
Sanctity of Human Life
Human life is sacred because it is made in the image of God. This principle should guide our respect for others and our stance on issues like abortion, euthanasia, and capital punishment.

Justice and Accountability
The verse establishes a principle of justice, where wrongdoing, particularly murder, requires accountability. This underscores the importance of a just legal system that upholds the value of life.

Image of God
Recognizing that all people are made in God's image should influence how we treat others, promoting dignity, respect, and love in our interactions.

Role of Government
The passage implies a role for human governance in maintaining justice, suggesting that Christians should engage with and support systems that uphold righteousness and protect life.

Heart Attitude
While the verse addresses the act of murder, Jesus' teaching in the New Testament calls us to examine our hearts, avoiding hatred and anger that can lead to violence.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding that humans are made in the image of God influence your view on contemporary issues like capital punishment and abortion?

2. In what ways can Christians actively promote the sanctity of life in their communities?

3. How does the principle of justice in Genesis 9:6 relate to the role of government and law enforcement today?

4. Reflect on a time when you struggled with anger or hatred. How can Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:21-22 help you address these feelings?

5. How can recognizing the image of God in others transform your daily interactions and relationships?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 1:27
This verse connects to the creation of mankind in God's image, reinforcing the inherent value of human life.

Exodus 20:13
The commandment "You shall not murder" echoes the sanctity of life principle found in Genesis 9:6.

Romans 13:4
Discusses the role of governing authorities as God's servants, bearing the sword to bring punishment on the wrongdoer, which relates to the principle of justice in Genesis 9:6.

Matthew 5:21-22
Jesus expands on the commandment against murder, addressing the heart's intent, which aligns with the value of life emphasized in Genesis 9:6.
Sermons
Capital PunishmentG. Calthrop, M. A.Genesis 9:6
Death for Murder a Divine DecreeG. Venables, S. C. L.Genesis 9:6
Our RelationshipsR. Thomas.Genesis 9:6
Noah a Representative PersonW. Adamson.Genesis 9:1-7
The Divine Benediction on the New HumanityT. H. Leale.Genesis 9:1-7
The New Life of Man on the EarthR.A. Redford Genesis 9:1-7
The New World and its Inheritors -- the Men of FaithP. Fairbairn, D. D.Genesis 9:1-7
People
Ham, Japheth, Noah, Shem
Places
Tigris-Euphrates Region
Topics
Blood, Image, Man's, Shed, Sheddeth, Sheds, Takes
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Genesis 9:6

     1194   glory, divine and human
     1325   God, the Creator
     1347   covenant, with Noah
     4060   nature
     5002   human race, and creation
     5003   human race, and God
     5020   human nature
     5023   image of God
     5034   likeness
     5040   murder
     5061   sanctity of life
     5257   civil authorities
     5483   punishment
     5493   retribution
     7346   death penalty

Genesis 9:1-17

     7203   ark, Noah's

Genesis 9:4-6

     7315   blood, basis of life

Genesis 9:5-6

     4016   life, human
     7318   blood, symbol of guilt

Library
Capital Punishment
Eversley. Quinquagesima Sunday, 1872. Genesis ix. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6. "And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. . . . Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you . . . But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require: at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require …
Charles Kingsley—All Saints' Day and Other Sermons

Noah's Flood
(Quinquagesima Sunday.) GENESIS ix. 13. I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. We all know the history of Noah's flood. What have we learnt from that history? What were we intended to learn from it? What thoughts should we have about it? There are many thoughts which we may have. We may think how the flood came to pass; what means God used to make it rain forty days; what is meant by breaking up the fountains of the great deep. We may …
Charles Kingsley—The Gospel of the Pentateuch

Death.
PSALM CIV. 20, 21. Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. The lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. Let me say a few words on this text. It is one which has been a comfort to me again and again. It is one which, if rightly understood, ought to give comfort to pitiful and tender-hearted persons. Have you never been touched by, never been even shocked by, the mystery of pain and death? I do not speak now of pain and death …
Charles Kingsley—Westminster Sermons

Covenanting Enforced by the Grant of Covenant Signs and Seals.
To declare emphatically that the people of God are a covenant people, various signs were in sovereignty vouchsafed. The lights in the firmament of heaven were appointed to be for signs, affording direction to the mariner, the husbandman, and others. Miracles wrought on memorable occasions, were constituted signs or tokens of God's universal government. The gracious grant of covenant signs was made in order to proclaim the truth of the existence of God's covenant with his people, to urge the performance …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

That the Ruler Should Be, through Humility, a Companion of Good Livers, But, through the Zeal of Righteousness, Rigid against the vices of Evildoers.
The ruler should be, through humility, a companion of good livers, and, through the zeal of righteousness, rigid against the vices of evil-doers; so that in nothing he prefer himself to the good, and yet, when the fault of the bad requires it, he be at once conscious of the power of his priority; to the end that, while among his subordinates who live well he waives his rank and accounts them as his equals, he may not fear to execute the laws of rectitude towards the perverse. For, as I remember to …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

The Doctrine of Non-Resistance to Evil by Force Has Been Professed by a Minority of Men from the Very Foundation of Christianity. Of the Book "What
CHAPTER I. THE DOCTRINE OF NON-RESISTANCE TO EVIL BY FORCE HAS BEEN PROFESSED BY A MINORITY OF MEN FROM THE VERY FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIANITY. Of the Book "What I Believe"--The Correspondence Evoked by it-- Letters from Quakers--Garrison's Declaration--Adin Ballou, his Works, his Catechism--Helchitsky's "Net of Faith"--The Attitude of the World to Works Elucidating Christ's Teaching--Dymond's Book "On War"--Musser's "Non-resistance Asserted"--Attitude of the Government in 1818 to Men who Refused to …
Leo Tolstoy—The Kingdom of God is within you

Original Righteousness.
"For in Him we live and move, and have our being: as certain also of your own poets have said. For we are also His offspring." --Acts xvii. 28. It is the peculiar characteristic of the Reformed Confession that more than any other it humbles the sinner and exalts the sinless man. To disparage man is unscriptural. Being a sinner, fallen and no longer a real man, he must be humbled, rebuked, and inwardly broken. But the divinely created man, realizing the divine purpose or restored by omnipotent grace …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

The Sixth Commandment
Thou shalt not kill.' Exod 20: 13. In this commandment is a sin forbidden, which is murder, Thou shalt not kill,' and a duty implied, which is, to preserve our own life, and the life of others. The sin forbidden is murder: Thou shalt not kill.' Here two things are to be understood, the not injuring another, nor ourselves. I. The not injuring another. [1] We must not injure another in his name. A good name is a precious balsam.' It is a great cruelty to murder a man in his name. We injure others in …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Being Made Archbishop of Armagh, He Suffers Many Troubles. Peace Being Made, from Being Archbishop of Armagh He Becomes Bishop of Down.
[Sidenote: 1129] 19. (12). Meanwhile[365] it happened that Archbishop Cellach[366] fell sick: he it was who ordained Malachy deacon, presbyter and bishop: and knowing that he was dying he made a sort of testament[367] to the effect that Malachy ought to succeed him,[368] because none seemed worthier to be bishop of the first see. This he gave in charge to those who were present, this he commanded to the absent, this to the two kings of Munster[369] and to the magnates of the land he specially enjoined …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

Mosaic Cosmogony.
ON the revival of science in the 16th century, some of the earliest conclusions at which philosophers arrived were found to be at variance with popular and long-established belief. The Ptolemaic system of astronomy, which had then full possession of the minds of men, contemplated the whole visible universe from the earth as the immovable centre of things. Copernicus changed the point of view, and placing the beholder in the sun, at once reduced the earth to an inconspicuous globule, a merely subordinate …
Frederick Temple—Essays and Reviews: The Education of the World

Mount Zion.
"For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them: for they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: but ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Covenanting According to the Purposes of God.
Since every revealed purpose of God, implying that obedience to his law will be given, is a demand of that obedience, the announcement of his Covenant, as in his sovereignty decreed, claims, not less effectively than an explicit law, the fulfilment of its duties. A representation of a system of things pre-determined in order that the obligations of the Covenant might be discharged; various exhibitions of the Covenant as ordained; and a description of the children of the Covenant as predestinated …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Covenanting Predicted in Prophecy.
The fact of Covenanting, under the Old Testament dispensations, being approved of God, gives a proof that it was proper then, which is accompanied by the voice of prophecy, affording evidence that even in periods then future it should no less be proper. The argument for the service that is afforded by prophecy is peculiar, and, though corresponding with evidence from other sources, is independent. Because that God willed to make known truth through his servants the prophets, we should receive it …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

The Promise to the Patriarchs.
A great epoch is, in Genesis, ushered in with the history of the time of the Patriarchs. Luther says: "This is the third period in which Holy Scripture begins the history of the Church with a new family." In a befitting manner, the representation is opened in Gen. xii. 1-3 by an account of the first revelation of God, given to Abraham at Haran, in which the way is opened up for all that follows, and in which the dispensations of God are brought before us in a rapid survey. Abraham is to forsake …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Discourse on Spiritual Food and True Discipleship. Peter's Confession.
(at the Synagogue in Capernaum.) ^D John VI. 22-71. ^d 22 On the morrow [the morrow after Jesus fed the five thousand] the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea [on the east side, opposite Capernaum] saw that there was no other boat there, save one, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples went away alone 23 (howbeit there came boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they ate the bread after that the Lord had given thanks): 24 when the multitude …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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