For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

LEVITICUS 17:11KJV
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Leviticus 17:11 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 17:11 mean?

Leviticus 17:11 explains that the life of a living being is found in its blood, and God has given blood to be used on the altar to make atonement for people’s lives. The verse teaches that it is the blood, specifically when offered as God instructed, that brings about atonement for a person’s soul.

In this verse, God is speaking to Moses, who is to relay these instructions to the Israelites. The context is about the proper way to offer sacrifices and why blood is central in these rituals. Leviticus 17:11 gives the reason behind the sacrificial system: blood represents life, and God designated it as the means for making things right between Himself and His people.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 17:11

  • life / soul (נֶפֶשׁ, nephesh): This word is used for both “life” and “soul” in the verse, showing that in Hebrew thought, a person’s life and their inner being are closely tied together.
  • blood (דָּם, dam): Blood is seen as carrying the life of the creature. The verse emphasizes that it is not just any ritual, but the giving of blood, that brings atonement.
  • atonement (כָּפַר, kaphar): This word means to cover or make reconciliation. The verse highlights that blood is the means God chose for covering or reconciling a person’s life before Him.
  • altar (מִזְבֵּחַ, mizbeach): The altar is the specific place God appointed for these sacrifices, underscoring that atonement is not just about blood itself, but about following God’s instructions for worship.

Why Leviticus 17:11 matters

  • Leviticus 17:11 clarifies why blood was never to be eaten or treated casually by the Israelites: it had a special, God-given purpose in their relationship with Him.
  • The verse explains the logic behind the sacrificial system, showing that atonement was not a magical act but based on the idea that life (represented by blood) is given in place of life.
  • Leviticus 17:11 connects the ritual of sacrifice to a deeper spiritual meaning, helping readers understand later biblical themes about sacrifice, forgiveness, and the value of life.

Where else these words appear

“atonement” Hebrew H3722 · used in 94 verses

  • Genesis 6:14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
  • Leviticus 14:21 And if he be poor, and cannot get so much; then he shall take one lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make an atonement for him, and one tenth deal of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering, and a log of oil;
  • Numbers 28:22 And one goat for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you.