4
Onlyאַךְfleshבָּשָׂרwith its life,בְּנַפְשׁוֹits blood,דָמוֹyou shall notלֹאeat.תֹאכֵלוּ
Genesis 9:4
Study it in the app“Only flesh with its life, its blood, you shall not eat.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 9:4, word by word
- fleshבָּשָׂרbasar
flesh
The body of a person or animal, the soft part covering the bones.
Where else “basar” appears- with its lifeנַפְשׁnafsh
life
Life, when it is at stake.
Where else “nafsh” appears- its bloodדָמdam
blood
The red fluid that runs through the body and carries the life of people and animals.
Where else “dam” appears- eatתֹאכֵלוּtochelu
eat
To bring food to the mouth and swallow it, above all at a shared table.
Where else “tochelu” appears
The context
3Every creeping thing that is alive will be food for you; as the green plants, I give you everything.
4 · This verse (above)
5And surely your blood, for your lives, I will require; from the hand of every animal I will require it, and from the hand of the human being, from the hand of each one for his brother, I will require the life of the human being.
To study Genesis 9 in a group
1. What it says
What sign did Elohim set as a covenant with Noah and every living creature (vv. 12-13)?
2. What it means
What does verse 6 say about the value of human life, and what reason does it give?
3. How I live it
What simple sign can help you remember Elohim’s promises today?