Genesis 9:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What does this mean? Is the essence of a person found in the blood? No, this is not the message God intends to convey. Rather, He has chosen to communicate in this manner, using a familiar expression, as if one individual were to tell another, 'I have your blood in my possession,' instead of saying, 'I have the authority to take your life.' Regarding the idea that the human soul is not made up of blood, we can turn to Christ's words: 'Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but of those who cannot kill the soul' (Matthew 10:28).

In addition, a promise is made regarding a resurrection where blood will be extracted from all creatures. The Lord requires blood both in this life and in the life to come. In this present age, He demands it through the sentence of death imposed on the murderer, which is why He instructed that even an ox that kills a person should be stoned (Exodus 21:28). At the culmination of time, He will also demand it, for on the resurrection day, animals will give back the human flesh they have consumed. Furthermore, I will seek the soul of man from the hands of others, from the hand of his brother, as I previously established the consequence for Cain concerning Abel's blood (See Genesis 4:10-15). The intent of these words is clear: whoever takes the life of another, their own blood will be required from them by their fellow man.

The meaning of the preceding statement is further clarified by the following words, as God declares, "I will call for your blood also... I will also call for your blood.... I will call for it from every beast... I will also call for it from the hand of man." The wrongdoing of humanity is likened to the malice found in animals, yet it is deemed even more grievous, particularly when He states, "From the hand of man, from the hand of his brother." Animals, by their very nature, are not akin to us and lack the bonds of brotherhood. When they take human life, they do so in a manner that appears foreign to them, not breaching the natural order or the concept of kinship.

The commandments of the law illuminate this concept further, stating, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood" (Leviticus 17:11). Thus, consuming meat without blood is akin to partaking in inanimate objects, similar to eating vegetables; however, when blood is present, one partakes in the life within it. Hence, it is clear that it was declared, “You must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it; I will require the blood of your lives" (Genesis 9:4-5). This declaration foreshadows the resurrection—not a gathering and judgment of animals for harming humanity, but rather the restoration of human bodies consumed by beasts. The entire creation is under His dominion (Psalms 94:4), and it is not beyond His power to reclaim our bodies from anywhere they may be. This idea is conveyed in a veiled manner here; however, through the prophet Ezekiel, the doctrine of resurrection is articulated with greater clarity (Ezekiel 37:1-14).

The Sacred Scriptures affirm the reality of bodily resurrection. Indeed, God speaks to Noah following the flood, declaring, "I have given you all things as a herbal potion. But the meat in the blood of your souls you shall not eat. And of the blood of your souls will I take it out of the hand of every beast: and of the hand of every man his brother will I take it out. He that sheddeth man's blood, into his place shall he shed it: for in the image of God have I made man" (Gen. 9:3-6). How else will He take the blood of man from the hands of all creatures, if not by resurrecting the bodies of those who have died? For animals shall not perish in place of humanity.

I will also seek out your blood. The regulations concerning animal sacrifice might seem at odds with the truth that these animals do not hesitate to spill human blood, and the reality that all living beings survive through the demise of others. Consequently, the Lawgiver explicitly correlates the mandate against the killing of humans by animals with the command that prohibits murder among people. This latter command, being the ultimate aim of the two earlier directives, is presented almost as an incidental remark. This structure serves the purpose of minimizing the presumption of actual wrongdoing, making the offense appear more dreadful and shocking when it is least anticipated.

The intention behind the prohibition against cruelty and bloodshed in the consumption of animals is primarily to discourage people from exhibiting violence and brutality towards one another. The Lord reinforces this prohibition by imposing the threat of swift consequences for the act of taking a human life. Even an unintelligent creature that causes the death of a human will not escape retribution. The Lord will hold it accountable for the blood of man that has been shed, ensuring that there is justice for such an offense, even if it was carried out without awareness of wrongdoing. The Law given to Moses prescribed that an ox that fatally gored a person should be executed (Exodus 21:29-32), while other nations permitted individuals to kill such animals without fear of punishment.