Deuteronomy 12:16

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

Deuteronomy 12:16 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 12:16

Only ye shall not eat the blood
All manner of blood being forbidden, of fowl or of beasts, whether slain for sacrifice or for common food:

ye shall pour it out upon the earth as water;
which cannot be gathered up again for use, but is swallowed up in the earth.

Deuteronomy 12:16 In-Context

14 but in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes; there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.

15 Notwithstanding, thou may kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, according to the desire of thy soul, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he has 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.

17 Thou may not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy grain or of thy wine or of thy oil or the firstborn of thy cows or of thy sheep nor any of thy vows which thou hast promised nor thy freewill offerings or the heave offerings of thy hands.

18 But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall have chosen, thou and thy son and thy daughter and thy manslave and thy maidslave and the Levite that is within thy gates; and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all the work of thy hands.