Deuteronomy 12:23
Context12:23 However, by no means eat the blood, for the blood is life itself 1 – you must not eat the life with the meat!
Deuteronomy 12:27
Context12:27 You must offer your burnt offerings, both meat and blood, on the altar of the Lord your God; the blood of your other sacrifices 2 you must pour out on his 3 altar while you eat the meat.
Deuteronomy 19:10
Context19:10 You must not shed innocent blood 4 in your land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, for that would make you guilty. 5
Deuteronomy 21:8
Context21:8 Do not blame 6 your people Israel whom you redeemed, O Lord, and do not hold them accountable for the bloodshed of an innocent person.” 7 Then atonement will be made for the bloodshed.


[12:23] 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
[12:27] 2 sn These other sacrifices would be so-called peace or fellowship offerings whose ritual required a different use of the blood from that of burnt (sin and trespass) offerings (cf. Lev 3; 7:11-14, 19-21).
[12:27] 3 tn Heb “on the altar of the
[19:10] 3 tn Heb “innocent blood must not be shed.” The Hebrew phrase דָּם נָקִי (dam naqiy) means the blood of a person to whom no culpability or responsibility adheres because what he did was without malice aforethought (HALOT 224 s.v דָּם 4.b).
[19:10] 4 tn Heb “and blood will be upon you” (cf. KJV, ASV); NRSV “thereby bringing bloodguilt upon you.”
[21:8] 5 tn Heb “and do not place innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel.”