Matthew Poole Commentary - Genesis 9:4 - 9:4

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Matthew Poole Commentary - Genesis 9:4 - 9:4


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:





With the life thereof, i.e. whilst it lives, or taken from the creature before it be quite dead; which was an ancient practice, and an effect either of luxury or cruelty.



Which is the blood thereof, i.e. which life or soul hath its seat in and its support from the blood, and the spirits contained in it. It is certain blood is the thing which is here principally minded and forbidden, and so the words may be thus translated and understood:



But flesh, i.e. the flesh of living creatures hereby allowed you,



with the life thereof, that is to say, with the blood thereof, wherein its life consists; or, flesh whilst it hath in it its life or soul, or, which is all one, its blood, shall you not eat. God thought fit to forbid this, partly that by this respect shown to the blood of beasts it might appear how sacred a thing the blood of man was, and how much God abhorred the sin of murder; and principally because the blood was reserved and consecrated to God, and was the means of atonement for man, (which reason God himself gives, Lev_17:11-12), and did in a special manner represent the blood of Christ, which was to be shed for the redemption of mankind.