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Profane and Sacred Slaughter. 15 [a]However, in any of your communities you may slaughter and eat meat freely, according to the blessing that the Lord, your God, has given you; the unclean as well as the clean may eat it, as they do the gazelle or the deer.(A) 16 [b]Only, you shall not eat of the blood, but must pour it out on the ground like water.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 12:15 At this point a distinction is being made between cultic sacrifice and slaughter of animals for food. In any of your communities: lit., “within your gates.”
  2. 12:16 The blood was understood to be the source or vehicle of life and so was not to be consumed. Cf. Gn 9:4.

15 Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.

16 Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water.

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