Deuteronomy 12:23-24

12:23 However, by no means eat the blood, for the blood is life itself ¹  – you must not eat the life with the meat! 12:24 You must not eat it! You must pour it out on the ground like water.

Deuteronomy 15:23

15:23 However, you must not eat its blood; you must pour it out on the ground like water.

Genesis 9:4

9:4 But ²  you must not eat meat ³  with its life (that is, ⁴  its blood) in it. ⁵ 

¹ sn The blood is life itself. This is a figure of speech (metonymy) in which the cause or means (the blood) stands for the result or effect (life). That is, life depends upon the existence and circulation of blood, a truth known empirically but not scientifically tested and proved until the 17th century a.d. (cf. Lev 17:11).

² tn Heb “only.”

³ tn Or “flesh.”

⁴ tn Heb “its life, its blood.” The second word is in apposition to the first, explaining what is meant by “its life.” Since the blood is equated with life, meat that had the blood in it was not to be eaten.

⁵ tn The words “in it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.