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1 Samuel 14 · a question people ask

Why was eating "with the blood" a sin?

In the text

Because the Law forbade it. "You shall not eat any meat with the blood still in it" (Leviticus 19:26). "You shall not eat the blood of any kind of flesh; for the life of all flesh is its blood" (Leviticus 17:14). "Only be sure that you don’t eat the blood; for the blood is the life" (Deuteronomy 12:23). The command goes back to Noah: "But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat" (Genesis 9:4). In this chapter the people, "very faint" (14:31), "killed them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood" (14:32). Saul was told, "Behold, the people are sinning against the LORD, in that they eat meat with the blood" (14:33). He said, "Roll a large stone to me today!" (14:33), and sent word: "kill them here, and eat; and don’t sin against the LORD in eating meat with the blood" (14:34). "All the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and killed them there" (14:34). The chapter doesn't explain how the stone kept them from the sin; it says only what Saul told them to do, and that they did it.

The verses

““‘You shall not eat any meat with the blood still in it. You shall not use enchantments, nor practice sorcery.”
Leviticus 19:26 · World English Bible
“For as to the life of all flesh, its blood is with its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, “You shall not eat the blood of any kind of flesh; for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.””
Leviticus 17:14 · World English Bible
“Only be sure that you don’t eat the blood; for the blood is the life. You shall not eat the life with the meat.”
Deuteronomy 12:23 · World English Bible
“But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat.”
Genesis 9:4 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of 1 Samuel 14

1 Samuel 14: By many or by few

Saul's oath put a curse on eating (14:24), and the lot took his son, who never heard it (14:27, 14:42). The people refused to let him die: "he has worked with God today!" (14:45). In Hebrew, "rescued" (14:45) is padah, the verb the Law uses for redeeming the firstborn (Exodus 13:13).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions