Bible/Deuteronomy/15

Deuteronomy 15:23

15:22 Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.
Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.

KJV

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Only you shall not eat its blood. You shall pour it out on the ground like water.

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

Only you shall not eat the blood thereof; you shall pour it on the ground as water.

What does Deuteronomy 15:23 mean?

Deuteronomy 15:23 is a verse in the book of Deuteronomy, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include אָכַל (ʼâkal), דָּם (dâm), שָׁפַךְ (shâphak). It connects to 13 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

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Only
thou
shalt
not
eatאָכַלʼâkal/aw-kal'/H398to eat (literally or figuratively)
the
bloodדָּםdâm/dawm/H1818blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed (i.e. drops of blood)
thereof;
thou
shalt
pourשָׁפַךְshâphak/shaw-fak'/H8210to spill forth (blood, a libation, liquid metal; or even a solid, i.e. to mound up); also (figuratively) to expend (life, soul, complaint, money, etc.); intensively, to sprawl out
it
upon
the
groundאֶרֶץʼerets/eh'-rets/H776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
as
water.מַיִםmayim/mah'-yim/H4325water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen

Commentary on Deuteronomy 15:23

CLARKE · whole chapter
Deu 15:6-11 . Of the Hebrew servant who has served six years, and who shall be dismissed well furnished, Deu 15:12-15 . The ceremony of boring the ear, when the servant wishes to continue with his master, Deu 15:16-18 . Of the firstlings of the flock and herd, Deu 15:19 , Deu 15:20 . Nothing shall be offered that has any blemish, Deu 15:21 . The sacrifice to be eaten both by the clean and unclean, except the blood, which is never to be eaten, but poured out upon the ground, Deu 15:22 , Deu 15:23 . Verse 1 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release - For an explanation of many things in this chapter, see the notes on Exodus 21 (note), Exodus 23 (note), and Leviticus 25 (note). Verse 4 There shall be no poor - That is, comparatively; see Deu 15:11 . Verse 8 Thou shalt open thine hand wide - Thy benevolence shall be in proportion to his distress and poverty, and thy ability. Thou shalt have no other rule to regulate thy charity by. Verse 9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart - לבבך בליעל lebabecha beliyaal, thy belial heart, that is, thy good-for-nothing or unprofitable heart; See on Deu 13:13 (note). And thine eye be evil - An evil eye signifies a covetous disposition. See the same form of expression used by our Lord in the same sense, Mat 6:23 . If thine eye be evil - If thou be a covetous person. Evil eye is by our Lord opposed to single eye, i. e., a person of a liberal, benevolent mind. Covetousness darkens the soul; liberality and benevolence enlighten it. And he cry unto the Lord against thee - What a consolation to the poor and the oppressed, that they have a sure friend in God, who will hear their cry and redress their grievances! Verse 11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land - To this passage our Lord appears to allude Mar 14:7 : For ye have the poor with you always. God leaves these in mercy among men to exercise the feelings of compassion, tenderness, mercy, etc. And without occasions afforded to exercise these, man would soon become a Stoic or a brute. Verse 13 Thou shalt not let him go away empty - Because during the time he served thee, he made no property for himself, having been always honest towards thee; and now when he leaves thee, he has nothing to begin the world with. Verse 14 Thou shalt furnish him - out of thy flock - Thou shalt give him some cattle to breed with; out of thy floor - some corn for seed and for bread; and out of thy wine press - an adequate provision of wine for present necessity. Verse 17 Thou shalt take an awl - See the note on Exo 21:6 . Verse 20 Thou shalt eat it - in the place which the Lord shall choose - Thus God in his mercy made their duty and interest go hand in hand. And in every case God acts thus with his creatures; well, therefore, might Satan ask, Doth Job serve God for naught? No! nor does God design that any man should. Verse 21 If there be any blemish - See the notes on Lev 22:20 . God will have both a perfect priest and a perfect offering. Introduction The month of Abib to be observed, Deu 16:1 . The feast of the passover and of unleavened bread, Deu 16:2-8 . The feast of weeks,
HENRY_FULL · Deuteronomy 15:19–23
19 All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep. 20 Thou shalt eat it before the Lord thy God year by year in the place which the Lord shall choose, thou and thy household. 21 And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the Lord thy God. 22 Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart. 23 Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water. Here is, 1. A repetition of the law concerning the firstlings of their cattle, that, if they were males, they were to be sanctified to the Lord ( v. 19 ), in remembrance of, and in thankfulness for, the sparing of the first-born of Israel, when the first-born of the Egyptians, both of man and beast, were slain by the destroying angel ( Exod. xiii. 2 , 15 ); on the eighth day it was to be given to God ( Exod. xxii. 30 ), and to be divided between the priest and the altar, Num. xviii. 17, 18 . 2. An addition to that law, for the further explication of it, directing them what to do with the firstlings, (1.) That were females: "Thou shalt do no work with the female firstlings of the cow, nor shear those of the sheep" ( v. 19 ); of them the learned bishop Patrick understands it. Though the female firstlings were not so entirely sanctified to God as the males, nor so early as at eight days old, yet they were not to be converted by the owners to their own use as the other cattle, but must be offered to God as peace-offerings, or used in a religious feast, at the year's end, v. 20 . Thou shalt eat it before the Lord thy God, as directed ch. xii. 18 . (2.) But what must they do with that which was blemished, ill-blemished? v. 21 . Were it male or female, it must not be brought near the sanctuary, nor used either for sacrifice or for holy feasting, for it would not be fit to honour God with, nor to typify Christ, who is a Lamb without blemish; yet it must not be reared, but killed and eaten at their own houses as common food ( v. 22 ), only they must be sure not to eat it with the blood, v. 23 . The frequent repetition of this caution intimates what need the people had of it, and what stress God laid upon it. What a mercy it is that we are not under this yoke! We are not dieted as they were; we make no difference between a first calf, or lamb, and the rest that follow. Let us therefore realize the gospel meaning of this law, devoting ourselves and the first of our time and strength to God, as a kind of first-fruits of his creatures, and using all our comforts and enjoyments to his praise and under the direction of his law, as we have them all by his gift.

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Exodus 32:10

Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

Exodus 32:32

Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

Exodus 32:33

And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

Numbers 14:11

And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

Numbers 14:12

I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.

Deuteronomy 29:20

The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.

Psalms 9:5

Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.

Proverbs 10:7

The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.

Jeremiah 14:11

Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good.

Jeremiah 15:1

Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.

Luke 11:7

And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

Luke 18:1

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Revelation 3:5

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Topics

FirstbornSanitation

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Deuteronomy 15:23.

Exodus 29:12

And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.

Exodus 4:9

And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land. shall become: Heb. shall be and shall be

Genesis 1:10

And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:2

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Genesis 1:20

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. moving: or, creeping life: Heb. soul fowl: Heb. let fowl fly open: Heb. face of the firmament of heaven

Genesis 1:22

And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

Genesis 37:22

And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

Genesis 6:17

And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

Frequently asked questions

What does Deuteronomy 15:23 say?

Deuteronomy 15:23 (King James Version) reads: "Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water."

Is Deuteronomy 15:23 in the Old or New Testament?

Deuteronomy 15:23 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Deuteronomy.

Reflect

As you read Deuteronomy 15:23, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

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