· Translation: KJV

Leviticus 17:14For as to the life of all flesh, its blood is with its life: therefore I said to the children of Israel, "You shall not eat the blood of any kind of flesh; for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off."

The setting

Mount Sinai, ~1445 BC. Moses records God's profound statement about the nature of life itself — blood as the carrier of the soul. Modern location: Sinai Peninsula, Egypt.

The emotion here: revealing profound mystery about the nature of existence

The original word

dam (דָּם) — blood, but also guilt, violence, and the essence of mortality

Why it matters

This is the first recorded explanation of why blood is sacred — not just a rule but a theological principle about life itself

Read with care

What most readers miss in Leviticus 17:14

The phrase 'its blood is with its life' means blood doesn't just contain life — it IS life in physical form

Common misconceptionPeople think this is about hemoglobin and oxygen, but it's about the soul — God is saying your physical blood carries your spiritual essence.

Bible Genome reading

Leviticus 17:14 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerGod
Eraexodus
Primary emotionworship
Literary typeteaching
MarkCommand

Emotional genome

Comfort power40%
Quotability70%
Memorability70%
Crisis relevance40%
Standalone50%
Themes:lifebloodtheology

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Leviticus 17

Leviticus 17:14 comes from the book of Leviticus, written during the exodus period. These words are attributed to God. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 40% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the teaching genre of biblical literature. Key themes include life, blood, theology. Notable phrases: life of all flesh; its blood is with its life. This verse contains a command.

Your reflection

What does Leviticus 17:14 mean to you, today?

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