Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

GENESIS 9:6KJV
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Genesis 9:6 (KJV)

What does Genesis 9:6 mean?

Genesis 9:6 says that anyone who takes a human life (“sheds man’s blood”) will have their own life taken by another person, because humans are made in the image of God. This verse sets a serious warning against murder and highlights the unique value of human life.

God is speaking to Noah and his sons after the flood, giving them new instructions for how to live in the world. Genesis 9:6 explains why human life is sacred: people are made in God's “image,” which means every person has special worth. The verse introduces the idea that taking a life is not just a crime against another person, but also against God’s own creation.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 9:6

  • “sheddeth” (שָׁפַךְ, shafakh): This word means to pour out or spill, often used for blood in violent contexts. It emphasizes the act of intentionally causing death.
  • “image” (צֶלֶם, tselem): This word means a likeness or representation. Here, it stresses that humans reflect something of God’s own nature, which is why human life is so valuable.
  • “God” (אֱלֹהִים, Elohim): This is the general Hebrew word for God, used here to show that the value of human life is rooted in God’s creative act, not just social agreement.
  • “man” (אָדָם, adam): This word can mean “man,” “human,” or “mankind.” Its repetition in the verse underlines that the law applies to all people, not just a specific group.

Why Genesis 9:6 matters

  • Genesis 9:6 clarifies that the reason for protecting human life is not just social order, but the belief that every person bears God’s image.
  • The verse connects the value of life to creation, not just to later laws or customs, making this a foundational statement for the rest of the Bible.
  • This verse helps explain why the Bible treats murder as a particularly serious wrong, setting it apart from other kinds of violence or wrongdoing.

Where else these words appear

“image” Hebrew H6754 · used in 15 verses

  • Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
  • 1 Samuel 6:5 Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
  • Psalms 73:20 As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.

“sheddeth” Hebrew H8210 · used in 111 verses

  • Genesis 37:22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.
  • Psalms 22:14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
  • Ezekiel 16:36 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them;