God centralizes all sacrifice at the tent of meeting, prohibiting private slaughter of sacrificial animals. The chapter then delivers the foundational statement of blood theology: "the life of the flesh is in the blood," explaining why blood must never be eaten and why it makes atonement. Even hunted game requires blood to be drained and covered with earth.
Verse 11 is the single sentence that explains why the entire sacrificial system works: blood atones because it carries life, and life given substitutes for life owed. The prohibition of se'irim ("goat-demon") sacrifice (v7) reveals that Israel was tempted to divide its worship between the LORD and desert spirits. Unauthorized slaughter is equated with murder (v4) -- the blood of any animal belongs to God.
The phrase ki nefesh habbasar baddam hi ("the life of the flesh is in the blood") is both a biological observation and a theological claim, and we rendered it to carry both registers. The se'irim ("goat-demons," literally "hairy ones," v7) required a rendering that conveyed the demonic association without importing medieval demonology. The verb shafakh ("shed," v4) is the same verb used for murder in Gen 9:6, and we preserved that verbal connection.
The blood prohibition extends Noah's covenant (Gen 9:4) into the Sinai covenant. The "life is in the blood" principle undergirds every sacrifice from ch 1 onward and is cited in Heb 9:22 ("without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness"). The centralization requirement anticipates Deuteronomy 12:5-14. Acts 15:20 carries the blood prohibition into the apostolic church.
וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
KJV And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
דַּבֵּ֨ר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֜ן וְאֶל־בָּנָ֗יו וְאֶל֙ כׇּל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃
"Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel and say to them: This is what the LORD has commanded.
KJV Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them; This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, saying,
אִ֥ישׁ אִישׁ֙ מִבֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִשְׁחַ֜ט שׁ֥וֹר אוֹ־כֶ֛שֶׂב אוֹ־עֵ֖ז בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה א֚וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִשְׁחַ֔ט מִח֖וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃
Any man of the house of Israel who slaughters an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or who slaughters it outside the camp,
KJV What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp,
וְאֶל־פֶּ֜תַח אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵד֮ לֹ֣א הֱבִיאוֹ֒ לְהַקְרִ֤יב קׇרְבָּן֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה לִפְנֵ֖י מִשְׁכַּ֣ן יְהֹוָ֑ה דָּ֣ם יֵחָשֵׁ֞ב לָאִ֤ישׁ הַהוּא֙ דָּ֣ם שָׁפָ֔ךְ וְנִכְרַ֛ת הָאִ֥ישׁ הַה֖וּא מִקֶּ֥רֶב עַמּֽוֹ׃
and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD — that man shall be held guilty of bloodshed. He has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people.
KJV And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people:
לְמַ֩עַן֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָבִ֜יאוּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֶֽת־זִבְחֵיהֶם֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֵ֣ם זֹבְחִים֮ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַשָּׂדֶה֒ וֶֽהֱבִיאֻ֣ם לַֽיהֹוָ֗ה אֶל־פֶּ֛תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד אֶל־הַכֹּהֵ֑ן וְזָ֨בְח֜וּ זִבְחֵ֧י שְׁלָמִ֛ים לַֽיהֹוָ֖ה אוֹתָֽם׃
This is so that the sons of Israel may bring their sacrifices that they have been sacrificing in the open field and bring them to the LORD, to the priest, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and sacrifice them as peace offerings to the LORD.
KJV To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto the LORD.
וְזָרַ֨ק הַכֹּהֵ֤ן אֶת־הַדָּם֙ עַל־מִזְבַּ֣ח יְהֹוָ֔ה פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וְהִקְטִ֣יר הַחֵ֔לֶב לְרֵ֥יחַ נִיחֹ֖חַ לַיהֹוָֽה׃
The priest shall throw the blood against the altar of the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting and burn the fat as a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
KJV And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savour unto the LORD.
וְלֹא־יִזְבְּח֥וּ עוֹד֙ אֶת־זִבְחֵיהֶ֔ם לַשְּׂעִירִ֕ם אֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥ם זֹנִ֖ים אַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם חֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֛ם תִּֽהְיֶה־זֹּ֥את לָהֶ֖ם לְדֹרֹתָֽם׃
They shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat-demons after which they have prostituted themselves. This shall be an eternal statute for them throughout their generations.
KJV And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.
וַאֲלֵהֶ֣ם תֹּאמַ֔ר אִ֥ישׁ אִישׁ֙ מִבֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּמִן־הַגֵּ֖ר אֲשֶׁר־יָג֣וּר בְּתוֹכָ֑ם אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲלֶ֥ה עֹלָ֖ה אוֹ־זָֽבַח׃
"Say to them: Any man of the house of Israel or any sojourner who lives among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice
KJV And thou shalt say unto them, Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers which sojourn among you, that offereth a burnt offering of sacrifice,
וְאֶל־פֶּ֜תַח אֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ לֹ֣א יְבִיאֶ֔נּוּ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת אֹת֖וֹ לַיהֹוָ֑ה וְנִכְרַ֛ת הָאִ֥ישׁ הַה֖וּא מֵעַמָּֽיו׃
and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it to the LORD — that man shall be cut off from his people.
KJV And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the LORD; even that man shall be cut off from among his people.
וְאִ֨ישׁ אִ֜ישׁ מִבֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וּמִן־הַגֵּר֙ הַגָּ֣ר בְּתוֹכָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֹאכַ֖ל כׇּל־דָּ֑ם וְנָתַתִּ֣י פָנַ֗י בַּנֶּ֙פֶשׁ֙ הָאֹכֶ֣לֶת אֶת־הַדָּ֔ם וְהִכְרַתִּ֥י אֹתָ֖הּ מִקֶּ֥רֶב עַמָּֽהּ׃
"Any man of the house of Israel or any sojourner who lives among them who eats any blood — I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people.
KJV And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.
כִּ֣י נֶ֣פֶשׁ הַבָּשָׂר֮ בַּדָּ֣ם הִוא֒ וַאֲנִ֞י נְתַתִּ֤יו לָכֶם֙ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ לְכַפֵּ֖ר עַל־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־הַדָּ֥ם ה֖וּא בַּנֶּ֥פֶשׁ יְכַפֵּֽר׃
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your lives, for it is the blood that makes atonement by means of the life.
KJV For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
The foundational statement of sacrificial theology. Blood carries life (nefesh). Blood atones because it represents life given in place of life owed. This verse undergirds the entire Levitical sacrificial system and is the theological basis for every blood ritual in the Torah.
The kippur verb with its clearest explanation: blood atones because of the life it contains. Atonement is life-for-life substitution — the blood on the altar represents a life given so that the worshiper's life is spared.
עַל־כֵּ֤ן אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כׇּל־נֶ֥פֶשׁ מִכֶּ֖ם לֹא־תֹ֣אכַל דָּ֑ם וְהַגֵּ֛ר הַגָּ֥ר בְּתוֹכְכֶ֖ם לֹא־יֹ֥אכַל דָּֽם׃
Therefore I have said to the sons of Israel: No person among you shall eat blood, nor shall any sojourner who lives among you eat blood.
KJV Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood.
וְאִ֨ישׁ אִ֜ישׁ מִבְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וּמִן־הַגֵּר֙ הַגָּ֣ר בְּתוֹכָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָצ֜וּד צֵ֥יד חַיָּ֛ה אוֹ־ע֖וֹף אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵאָכֵ֑ל וְשָׁפַךְ֙ אֶת־דָּמ֔וֹ וְכִסָּ֖הוּ בֶּעָפָֽר׃
Any man of the sons of Israel or any sojourner who lives among them who hunts and catches an animal or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth.
KJV And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust.
כִּֽי־נֶ֣פֶשׁ כׇּל־בָּשָׂ֗ר דָּמ֣וֹ בְנַפְשׁוֹ֮ הוּא֒ וָֽאֹמַר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל דַּ֥ם כׇּל־בָּשָׂ֖ר לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֑לוּ כִּ֣י נֶ֤פֶשׁ כׇּל־בָּשָׂר֙ דָּמ֣וֹ הִ֔וא כׇּל־אֹכְלָ֖יו יִכָּרֵֽת׃
For the life of every creature — its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the sons of Israel: You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.
KJV For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.
וְכׇל־נֶ֗פֶשׁ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תֹּאכַ֤ל נְבֵלָה֙ וּטְרֵפָ֔ה בָּאֶזְרָ֖ח וּבַגֵּ֑ר וְכִבֶּ֨ס בְּגָדָ֜יו וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֛יִם וְטָמֵ֥א עַד־הָעֶ֖רֶב וְטָהֵֽר׃
Every person who eats what has died naturally or what has been torn by beasts, whether native or sojourner, shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening; then he shall be clean.
KJV And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.
וְאִם֙ לֹ֣א יְכַבֵּ֔ס וּבְשָׂר֖וֹ לֹ֣א יִרְחָ֑ץ וְנָשָׂ֖א עֲוֺנֽוֹ׃ {פ}
But if he does not wash or bathe his body, he shall bear his iniquity."
KJV But if he wash them not, nor bathe his flesh; then he shall bear his iniquity.