Genesis 9:2-4

Back to Genesis 9

2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens; With all wherewith the ground teemeth, and all the fishes of the sea, into your hand are they delivered. 3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you; As the green herb have I given you all. 4 But flesh with the life thereof, `which is' the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

Classification

The Principle

This passage contains a command, framed as an explanation of legal boundaries, directed toward Noah and his descendants: "Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you; As the green herb have I given you all. But flesh with the life thereof, `which is' the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.". It expands on the prior allowance of only vegetation as food for mankind, in Genesis 1:29, with the new limitation being only that mankind should not eat meat with blood still in it.

Categories

This command is part of the Moral Law.

This passage is relevant to an understanding of the Noahic Covenant, Food laws, and blood [which topic, relating to blood, will be determined later as blood-related topics are expanded by other passages].

Fulfillment

This expansion of the food laws is abiding, as Jesus has made all foods clean. [Fulfillment of the prohibition on blood requires further examination.]

Topics

This command/principle has direct relevance to an understanding of the following topics:

• Noahic Covenant
• Food
• Blood