The term "blood-stained" in the biblical context often symbolizes guilt, violence, and the consequences of sin. It is a vivid image used throughout Scripture to convey the severity of human actions and the need for divine intervention and redemption.

Old Testament References

In the Old Testament, the imagery of being blood-stained is frequently associated with violence and murder. For instance, in Isaiah 1:15, God addresses the people of Israel, saying, "When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood." . Here, the blood-stained hands symbolize the guilt of the Israelites due to their acts of injustice and violence, which have rendered their worship unacceptable to God.

The concept of blood-stained garments is also used metaphorically to describe the judgment and wrath of God against the nations. In Isaiah 63:3, the Lord declares, "I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me. I trampled them in My anger and trod them down in My wrath; their blood spattered My garments, and I stained all My clothing." . This passage portrays the divine judgment executed by God, where the blood-stained garments signify the destruction of the wicked.

New Testament References

In the New Testament, the theme of being blood-stained is less frequent but carries significant theological implications. The imagery shifts from human guilt to the redemptive power of Christ's sacrifice. In Revelation 19:13, the returning Christ is described as "dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God." . This depiction highlights the victory of Christ over sin and evil, with His blood-stained robe symbolizing the atoning sacrifice He made on the cross.

The concept of blood in the New Testament is primarily associated with the sacrificial death of Jesus, which cleanses believers from sin. Hebrews 9:14 states, "How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God!" . Here, the blood of Christ is not a mark of guilt but a means of purification and redemption.

Theological Significance

Theologically, the imagery of being blood-stained underscores the gravity of sin and the necessity of atonement. In the biblical narrative, blood is both a symbol of life and a testament to the cost of sin. The Old Testament sacrificial system, with its emphasis on blood offerings, foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose blood was shed for the remission of sins.

From a conservative Christian perspective, the blood-stained imagery serves as a reminder of humanity's fallen state and the profound need for salvation through Christ. It calls believers to repentance and faith, recognizing that only through the blood of Jesus can one be cleansed and reconciled to God.

A Poem on the Passion of the Lord
... Behold and see my locks clotted with blood, and my blood-stained neck under my very
hair, and my head drained [2082] with cruel thorns, and pouring down like ...
/.../of the manner in which the persecutors died/a poem on the passion.htm

The Death of Christ
... No; the blood-stained page of that book, the page which makes both past and future
glorious with golden words,"that blood-stained page, I say, was as much ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the death of christ.htm

The Temptation
... His mission and work. By fasting and prayer He was to brace Himself for
the bloodstained path He must travel. But Satan knew that ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 12 the temptation.htm

Letter i. To Innocent.
... Shortly after an attempt was made to elicit the truth by torture, and when the
blood-stained hook smote the young man's livid flesh and tore furrows in his side ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter i to innocent.htm

Acts of Peter and Andrew.
... thy prayers; but the men of that city have done me many mischiefs, for they dragged
me through their street three days, so that my blood stained the whole ...
/.../unknown/acts of peter and andrew/acts of peter and andrew.htm

Charity and Conflict.
... suspicion. But what then? Must we give in? Must we decline to tread in the
bloodstained footsteps of the Captain of our salvation? Must ...
//christianbookshelf.org/booth/godliness/chapter v charity and conflict.htm

Hiram, the Inspired Artificer
... He was a man of war, and blood-stained hands were not to build the temple of peace
and righteousness. Solomon was the providential man for such an undertaking. ...
/.../milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/hiram the inspired artificer.htm

Moreover, it is Right that Thou Shouldest Fear God While Thou Art ...
... speak with the weakest voice, like the tiniest bird; and all the impure women shall
sink into the earth; and cities and their blood-stained governments shall ...
/.../a metaphrase of the book of ecclesiastes/chapter xii moreover it is.htm

Hymn Before Meat
... grace fills His people's need With these mercies ever fresh: Far from us be that
foul greed, Gluttony that loves to feed On slain oxen's bloodstained flesh. ...
/.../prudentius/the hymns of prudentius/iii hymn before meat.htm

On the Taking Down from the Cross.
... With what motherly love did I receive His lifeless arms, with what sighs of love
did I not press them to my blood-stained cheeks, and when He was lowered down ...
/.../suso/a little book of eternal wisdom/chapter xix on the taking.htm

Blood-stained (1 Occurrence)
Blood-stained. Bloodshot, Blood-stained. Bloodstains . Multi-Version
Concordance Blood-stained (1 Occurrence). 2 Samuel ...
/b/blood-stained.htm - 6k

Priest (500 Occurrences)
... He had a blood-stained ear that he might hear and obey the divine injunctions, that
he might understand the word of Yahweh and interpret it to the people. ...
/p/priest.htm - 88k

Bloodstains (1 Occurrence)

/b/bloodstains.htm - 6k

Bloodshot (1 Occurrence)

/b/bloodshot.htm - 6k

Zimri (16 Occurrences)
... Thus came to an ignominious end the short reign which remained as a blot even upon
the blood-stained record of the deeds of violence that ushered in the change ...
/z/zimri.htm - 18k

Shechem (61 Occurrences)
... To the Southwest of the city is a small mosque on the spot where Jacob is
said to have mourned over the blood-stained coat of Joseph. ...
/s/shechem.htm - 38k

Who was Naboth in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of Agnus Dei? | GotQuestions.org

What is the significance of Gibeah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus