Leviticus 3:17

A perpetual statute forbids Israel from eating fat or blood. The fat belongs to God and the blood represents life, so both are withheld from human consumption.

Cross-references · 27

• Gen 9:4But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it.
• Matt 26:28This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
• Deut 15:23But you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.
• Lev 7:23“Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘You are not to eat any of the fat of an ox, a sheep, or a goat.
• Deut 12:23Only be sure not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.
• Lev 17:7They must no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat demons to which they have prostituted themselves. This will be a permanent statute for them for the generations to come.’
• Lev 3:16Then the priest is to burn the food on the altar as an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma. All the fat is the LORD’s.
• Lev 6:18Any male among the sons of Aaron may eat it. This is a permanent portion from the offerings made by fire to the LORD for the generations to come. Anything that touches them will become holy.”
• Deut 12:16but you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.
• Ezek 44:15But the Levitical priests, who are descended from Zadok and who kept charge of My sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from Me, are to approach Me to minister before Me. They will stand before Me to offer Me fat and blood, declares the Lord GOD.
• Lev 7:36On the day they were anointed, the LORD commanded that this be given them by the sons of Israel. It is a permanent portion for the generations to come.
• Lev 17:10–16If anyone from the house of Israel or a foreigner living among them eats any blood, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from among his people.
• Ezek 33:25Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You eat meat with the blood in it, lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. Should you then possess the land?
• Deut 32:14with curds from the herd and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs, with rams from Bashan, and goats, with the choicest grains of wheat. From the juice of the finest grapes you drank the wine.
• Eph 1:7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
• Acts 15:29You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
• Lev 23:14You must not eat any bread or roasted or new grain until the very day you have brought this offering to your God. This is to be a permanent statute for the generations to come, wherever you live.
• Eph 5:26to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
• Matt 16:24Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
• Ezek 44:7In addition to all your other abominations, you brought in foreigners uncircumcised in both heart and flesh to occupy My sanctuary; you defiled My temple when you offered My food—the fat and the blood; you broke My covenant.
• Acts 15:20–21Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.
• 1 Tim 4:4For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected,
• Lev 16:34This is to be a permanent statute for you, to make atonement once a year for the Israelites because of all their sins.” And all this was done as the LORD had commanded Moses.
• 1 Sam 14:32–34So they rushed greedily to the plunder, taking sheep, cattle, and calves. They slaughtered them on the ground and ate meat with the blood still in it.
• Neh 8:10Then Nehemiah told them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send out portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
• Num 19:21This is a permanent statute for the people: The one who sprinkles the water of purification must wash his clothes, and whoever touches the water of purification will be unclean until evening.
• Lev 7:25–27If anyone eats the fat of an animal from which an offering made by fire may be presented to the LORD, the one who eats it must be cut off from his people.

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