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Commentary on Genesis 9 verses 1–7
We read, in the close of the foregoing chapter, the very kind things which God said in his heart, concerning the remnant of mankind which was now left to be the seed of a new world. Now here we have these kind things spoken to them. In general, God blessed Noah and his sons (Gen 9:1), that is, he assured them of his good-will to them and his gracious intentions concerning them. This follows from what he said in his heart. Note, All God's promises of good flow from his purposes of love and the counsels of his own will. See Eph 1:11, Eph 3:11, and compare Jer 29:11. I know the thoughts that I think towards you. We read (Gen 8:20) how Noah blessed God, by his altar and sacrifice. Now here we find God blessing Noah. Note, God will graciously bless (that is, do well for) those who sincerely bless (that is, speak well of) him. Those that are truly thankful for the mercies they have received take the readiest way to have them confirmed and continued to them.
Now here we have the Magna Charta - the great charter of this new kingdom of nature which was now to be erected, and incorporated, the former charter having been forfeited and seized.
I. The grants of this charter are kind and gracious to men. Here is,
1.A grant of lands of vast extent, and a promise of a great increase of men to occupy and enjoy them,. The first blessing is here renewed: Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth (Gen 9:1), and repeated (Gen 9:7), for the race of mankind was, as it were, to begin again. Now, (1.) God sets the whole earth before them, tells them it is all their own, while it remains, to them and their heirs. Note, The earth God has given to the children of men, for a possession and habitation, Psa 115:16. Though it is not a paradise, but a wilderness rather; yet it is better than we deserve. Blessed be God, it is not hell. (2.) He gives them a blessing, by the force and virtue of which mankind should be both multiplied and perpetuated upon earth, so that in a little time all the habitable parts of the earth should be more or less inhabited; and, though one generation should pass away, yet another generation should come, while the world stands, so that the stream of the human race should be supplied with a constant succession, and run parallel with the current of time, till both should be delivered up together into the ocean of eternity. Though death should still reign, and the Lord would still be known by his judgments, yet the earth should never again be dispeopled as now it was, but still replenished, Act 17:24-26.
2.A grant of power over the inferior creatures, Gen 9:2. He grants, (1.) A title to them: Into your hands they are delivered, for your use and benefit. (2.) A dominion over them, without which the title would avail little: The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast. This revives a former grant (Gen 1:28), only with this difference, that man in innocence ruled by love, fallen man rules by fear. Now this grant remains in force, and thus far we have still the benefit of it, [1.] That those creatures which are any way useful to us are reclaimed, and we use them either for service or food, or both, as they are capable. The horse and ox patiently submit to the bridle and yoke, and the sheep is dumb both before the shearer and before the butcher; for the fear and dread of man are upon them. [2.] Those creatures that are any way hurtful to us are restrained, so that, though now and then man may be hurt by some of them, they do not combine together to rise up in rebellion against man, else God could by these destroy the world as effectually as he did by a deluge; it is one of God's sore judgments, Eze 14:21. What is it that keeps wolves out of our towns, and lions out of our streets, and confines them to the wilderness, but this fear and dread? Nay, some have been tamed, Jam 3:7.
3.A grant of maintenance and subsistence: Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you, Gen 9:3. Hitherto, most think, man had been confined to feed only upon the products of the earth, fruits, herbs, and roots, and all sorts of corn and milk; so was the first grant, Gen 1:29. But the flood having perhaps washed away much of the virtue of the earth, and so rendered its fruits less pleasing and less nourishing, God now enlarged the grant, and allowed man to eat flesh, which perhaps man himself never thought of, till now that God directed him to it, nor had any more desire to than a sheep has to suck blood like a wolf. But now man is allowed to feed upon flesh, as freely and safely as upon the green herb. Now here see, (1.) That God is a good master, and provides, not only that we may live, but that we may live comfortably, in his service; not for necessity only, but for delight. (2.) That every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, Ti1 4:4. Afterwards some meats that were proper enough for food were prohibited by the ceremonial law; but from the beginning, it seems, it was not so, and therefore is not so under the gospel.
II. The precepts and provisos of this character are no less kind and gracious, and instances of God's good-will to man. The Jewish doctors speak so often of the seven precepts of Noah, or of the sons of Noah, which they say were to be observed by all nations, that it may not be amiss to set them down. The first against the worship of idols. The second against blasphemy, and requiring to bless the name of God. The third against murder. The fourth against incest and all uncleanness. The fifth against theft and rapine. The sixth requiring the administration of justice. The seventh against eating of flesh with the life. These the Jews required the observance of from the proselytes of the gate. But the precepts here given all concern the life of man.
1.Man must not prejudice his own life by eating that food which is unwholesome and prejudicial to his health (Gen 9:4): "Flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof (that is, raw flesh), shall you not eat, as the beasts of prey do." It was necessary to add this limitation to the grant of liberty to eat flesh, lest, instead of nourishing their bodies by it, they should destroy them. God would hereby show, (1.) That though they were lords of the creatures, yet they were subjects to the Creator, and under the restraints of his law. That they must not be greedy and hasty in taking their food, but stay the preparing of it; not like Saul's soldiers (Sa1 14:32), nor riotous eaters of flesh, Pro 23:20. (3.) That they must not be barbarous and cruel to the inferior creatures. They must be lords, but not tyrants; they might kill them for their profit, but not torment them for their pleasure, nor tear away the member of a creature while it was yet alive, and eat that. (4.) That during the continuance of the law of sacrifices, in which the blood made atonement for the soul (Lev 17:11), signifying that the life of the sacrifice was accepted for the life of the sinner, blood must not be looked upon as a common thing, but must be poured out before the Lord (Sa2 23:16), either upon his altar or upon his earth. But, now that the great and true sacrifice has been offered, the obligation of the law ceases with the reason of it.
2.Man must not take away his own life: Your blood of your lives will I require, Gen 9:5. Our lives are not so our own as that we may quit them at our own pleasure, but they are God's and we must resign them at his pleasure; if we in any way hasten our own deaths, we are accountable to God for it.
3.The beasts must not be suffered to hurt the life of man: At the hand of every beast will I require it. To show how tender God was of the life of man, though he had lately made such destruction of lives, he will have the beast put to death that kills a man. This was confirmed by the law of Moses (Exo 21:28), and I think it would not be unsafe to observe it still. Thus God showed his hatred of the sin of murder, that men might hate it the more, and not only punish, but prevent it. And see Job 5:23.
4.Wilful murderers must be put to death. This is the sin which is here designed to be restrained by the terror of punishment (1.) God will punish murderers: At the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man, that is, "I will avenge the blood of the murdered upon the murderer." Ch2 24:22. When God requires the life of a man at the hand of him that took it away unjustly, the murderer cannot render that, and therefore must render his own in lieu of it, which is the only way left of making restitution. Note, The righteous God will certainly make inquisition for blood, though men cannot or do not. One time or other, in this world or in the next, he will both discover concealed murders, which are hidden from man's eye, and punish avowed and justified murders, which are too great for man's hand. (2.) The magistrate must punish murderers (Gen 9:6): Whoso sheddeth man's blood, whether upon a sudden provocation or having premeditated it (for rash anger is heart-murder as well as malice prepense, Mat 5:21, Mat 5:22), by man shall his blood be shed, that is, by the magistrate, or whoever is appointed or allowed to be the avenger of blood. There are those who are ministers of God for this purpose, to be a protection to the innocent, by being a terror to the malicious and evildoers, and they must not bear the sword in vain, Rom 13:4. Before the flood, as it should seem by the story of Cain, God took the punishment of murder into his own hands; but now he committed this judgment to men, to masters of families at first, and afterwards to the heads of countries, who ought to be faithful to the trust reposed in them. Note, Wilful murder ought always to be punished with death. It is a sin which the Lord would not pardon in a prince (Kg2 24:3, Kg2 24:4), and which therefore a prince should not pardon in a subject. To this law there is a reason annexed: For in the image of God made he man at first. Man is a creature dear to his Creator, and therefore ought to be so to us. God put honour upon him, let not us then put contempt upon him. Such remains of God's image are still even upon fallen man as that he who unjustly kills a man defaces the image of God and does dishonour to him. When God allowed men to kill their beasts, yet he forbade them to kill their slaves; for these are of a much more noble and excellent nature, not only God's creatures, but his image, Jam 3:9. All men have something of the image of God upon them; but magistrates have, besides, the image of his power, and the saints the image of his holiness, and therefore those who shed the blood of princes or saints incur a double guilt.
And He changed the food of men, giving them leave to eat flesh: for from Adam the first-formed until the Flood men ate only of seeds and the fruit of trees, and to eat flesh was not permitted to them. But since the three sons of Noah were the beginning of a race of men, God blessed them for multiplication and increase; saying: "Increase and multiply, and replenish the earth and rule it; and the fear and dread of you shall be upon every living thing of animals and upon all the fowls of the air; and they shall be to you for meat, even as the green herb: but the flesh with the blood of life ye shall not eat: for your blood also will I require at the hand of all beasts and at the hand of man. Whoso sheddeth a man’s blood, in return for his blood shall it be shed." For He made man the image of God; and the image of God is the Son, after whose image man was made: and for this cause He appeared in the end of the times that He might show the image (to be) like unto Himself. According to this covenant the race of man multiplied, springing up from the seed of the three.
God requires the blood now and in the future. He requires it now in the case of a death that he decreed for a murderer, and also a stoning with which a goring bull is to be stoned. At the end, at the time of the resurrection, God will require that animals return all they ate from the flesh of man. God said, “From the hand of a man and of his brother I will require the life of a man,” just as satisfaction for the blood of Abel was required from Cain, that is, “whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed.”
Indeed, I will require your blood, and the blood of your souls from all beasts, and from the hand of man (Gen. IX, 5). He compared it to bestial malice, or rather even accumulated the wickedness of man beyond the ferocity of beasts, by saying: From the hand of the brother of man. Indeed, beasts have nothing in common with us in nature, and they are not bound by any brotherly right. If they harm humans, they harm them as strangers. They do not violate the laws of nature; they do not forget the bond of kinship. Therefore, a person sins more gravely if they plot against their brother. And the Lord promised that He would seek the blood of a man from the hand of his brother, saying: 'I will require the blood of a man from the hand of his brother.' Is not a brother someone whom a rational nature has brought forth from a certain womb, and the same mother's generation has joined us together? For the same nature is the mother of all humans, and therefore we are all brothers, generated from the same mother, and bound by the same right of kinship.
“Whoever sheds someone’s blood, his own will be shed in payment for that person’s blood, because I have made the human person in God’s image.” Consider, I ask you, how much fear he struck in them with that remark. He is saying even if you are not restrained from murderous hands by kinship or by a sense of fellowship of nature, and even if you thrust aside all brotherly feeling and become completely committed to a bloody murder, you must think twice. Consider the fact that the person has been created in God’s image. Mark the degree of honor accorded him by God! Think on the fact that he has received authority over all creation. Then you will give up your murderous intent. So what does he mean? If someone has committed countless murders and shed so much blood, how can he give adequate satisfaction simply by the shedding of his own blood? Do not have these thoughts, human being that you are. Instead you do well to consider in advance that you will receive an immortal body that will have the capacity to undergo constant and everlasting punishment.
For I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it and from man, from his fellow man I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed. For in a typological sense, lifeblood refers to that vital essence by which humans are animated, sustained, and live in the flesh through the soul, just as the hand of beasts typologically refers to the act of devouring by which they kill a man. For who in sound mind would truly believe that the blood of man pertains to the substance of the soul? Although the same legislator seems to say more clearly elsewhere: For the life of every creature is its blood (Leviticus 17:14). Thus it is said in the same way as it is said And the rock was Christ, not that it was, but that it signified. The law was not without purpose in wanting to signify the soul through the blood, that is, an invisible thing through a visible thing, except that blood, diffused through all veins from the heart itself, predominates in our body more than other fluids, so that wherever a wound may be inflicted, no other fluid but itself emerges. Thus the soul, which invisibly prevails over all that we consist of, is better signified by that which visibly prevails over all that we consist of. It is clear to understand how God seeks the soul of man from the hand of man, demanding retribution from him who has sinned; but it can indeed be reasonably asked how it is also required from beasts, which lack reason, unless perhaps we can understand here the mystery of the future resurrection intimated to us, when all the bodies of the human race, which have either been consumed by wild beasts or destroyed in any other way, or corrupted, are restored incorrupt, and all souls of humans, separated from their bodies by any manner of death, are restored to their bodies, so that they may obtain either eternal life for their good deeds, or eternal death for their bad deeds, in judgment with those same bodies. It is aptly added:
Moreover, sacred Scripture, too, testifies to the fact that there will be a resurrection of the body. Indeed, God already had said to Noah after the flood, “Even as the green herbs have I delivered them all to you: saving that flesh with blood of its life you shall not eat. And I will require your blood of your lives, at the hand of every beast I will require it. And at the hand of every man I will require the life of his brother. Whosoever shall shed man’s blood, for that blood his blood will be shed: for I made man to the image of God.” How can he require the blood of men at the hand of every beast, unless he raises the bodies of those who die? For beasts will not die in the place of human beings.
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SUMMARY
Genesis 9:5 stands as a foundational decree in the post-Flood world, unequivocally establishing God's absolute demand for accountability concerning the shedding of human life. This verse declares that the Creator Himself will meticulously "require" the "blood of your lives" from both animal and human perpetrators, thereby emphasizing the profound sanctity of human life as uniquely created in His image and laying the groundwork for the divine mandate against murder and the establishment of justice.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Genesis 9:5 is situated within the immediate aftermath of the global Flood, specifically within the covenant God establishes with Noah and his descendants. Following the divine promise never again to destroy all life by flood (Genesis 9:11), God reiterates His original blessing for humanity to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 9:1). A significant shift in human diet is introduced, permitting the consumption of meat, a departure from the pre-Flood vegetarian diet (Genesis 9:3). However, this new allowance is immediately qualified by a crucial prohibition: the consumption of blood is forbidden because "the life of the flesh is in the blood" (Genesis 9:4). Verse 5 then builds directly upon this concept of blood as the seat of life, extending the divine concern for life from dietary restrictions to the profound sacredness of human life itself, setting the stage for the principle of capital punishment articulated in the very next verse (Genesis 9:6).
Historical & Cultural Context: The immediate historical context is the dawn of a new era for humanity after the catastrophic Flood, with Noah and his family as the sole survivors. God is re-establishing the terms of human existence on a cleansed earth. Culturally, this period predates any formal human legal systems or organized governments as we know them. Therefore, God's direct declaration in Genesis 9:5 serves as the primordial legal and moral foundation for all future human societies regarding the value of life. It establishes a universal principle, applicable to all humanity, not just a specific nation or group. The concept of "blood" as synonymous with "life" was a pervasive ancient Near Eastern understanding, but here it is divinely affirmed and imbued with theological significance, linking the physical act of bloodshed to a spiritual violation against the Creator.
Key Themes: This verse contributes significantly to several overarching themes in Genesis and the broader biblical narrative. Foremost is the Sanctity of Human Life, rooted in the doctrine of the Imago Dei (the image of God), which is explicitly mentioned as the rationale in the subsequent verse (Genesis 9:6). This theme underscores that human life possesses intrinsic value because it reflects the divine nature. Another key theme is Divine Justice and Accountability, as God Himself declares His intention to "require" life for life, establishing a precedent for righteous judgment against those who unjustly shed innocent blood. This sets the stage for God's ongoing involvement in upholding moral order in creation. Furthermore, the verse subtly introduces the theme of Covenantal Law, as these stipulations are part of the broader Noahic Covenant, which applies universally to all mankind. The prohibition against consuming blood and the demand for accountability for human life foreshadow the more elaborate legal codes found later in the Pentateuch, such as those in Leviticus and Numbers.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several powerful Literary Devices. The most prominent is Repetition, specifically of the phrase "will I require" (Hebrew: dârash) and "at the hand of." This repetition serves to emphasize God's unwavering commitment to justice and accountability for human life, reinforcing the certainty and universality of this divine decree. The use of "blood of your lives" is a form of Merism, where "blood" represents the entire person or the very essence of life, highlighting the sacredness of the whole individual. There is also a clear progression from the general ("every beast") to the specific ("man," then "every man's brother"), creating a sense of escalating responsibility and a widening scope of accountability, culminating in the most heinous act: fratricide or the murder of a fellow human. This structure lends a sense of divine authority and comprehensive coverage to the pronouncement.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Genesis 9:5 is a cornerstone for understanding the sanctity of human life and the divine imperative for justice. It establishes that human life is uniquely valuable, not merely because of its utility or societal contribution, but because it is inherently sacred to God. This verse lays the theological groundwork for the prohibition against murder, asserting God's active role as the ultimate arbiter of justice for the shedding of innocent blood. It underscores that life is a divine gift, and its unlawful termination is an affront to the Creator, demanding a divine response.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Genesis 9:5 continues to resonate with profound implications for contemporary society, underpinning the intrinsic value of every human being, regardless of age, ethnicity, ability, or social status. This divine declaration mandates that societies establish and uphold systems of justice that hold individuals accountable for violence, particularly murder, recognizing that the pursuit of justice for victims of homicide aligns with God's own righteous character. It reminds us that God is a God of justice who cares deeply about the innocent and will ultimately hold all accountable for their actions, offering comfort to those who suffer from violence and injustice, even if earthly justice is delayed or incomplete. Furthermore, it calls believers to champion the cause of life, advocating for the vulnerable and opposing any ideology or practice that devalues human existence, from conception to natural death.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does God require blood from animals for taking human life?
Answer: God's requirement of blood from animals (e.g., if an ox gores a person to death) underscores the absolute and universal sanctity of human life. It demonstrates that the value of human life is so immense that even creatures without moral agency are held accountable for its destruction. This principle, later codified in Mosaic Law in passages like Exodus 21:28, served to instill a profound reverence for human life in society, emphasizing that its shedding, even accidentally by an animal, was a serious matter before God. It highlights that the sanctity of human life transcends human legal systems and is a divine mandate, reinforcing the idea that all life belongs to God.
Does Genesis 9:5 explicitly command capital punishment?
Answer: While Genesis 9:5 does not explicitly state "you must execute the murderer," it lays the foundational principle for capital punishment by declaring that God will "require the life of man" from the one who takes it. The immediate subsequent verse, Genesis 9:6, clarifies this by stating, "Whoso shedeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." Together, these verses establish the divine mandate for human governments to exact the life of a murderer as a just consequence for taking a life made in God's image. This is understood as the initial biblical warrant for capital punishment for murder, based on the Imago Dei.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Genesis 9:5, with its profound emphasis on the sacredness of human life and the divine requirement for justice concerning its shedding, finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ. While this verse institutes a principle of justice for the taking of physical life, Christ's sacrifice on the cross addresses the deeper spiritual death caused by sin, which is the root of all violence and injustice. His shed blood, unlike the blood of animals or the blood required for human justice, is the perfect and final atonement, satisfying God's ultimate requirement for life and providing remission for sins (Hebrews 9:22). The justice God demands for the shedding of innocent blood is perfectly met in the crucifixion of the innocent Lamb of God (John 1:29), whose blood cleanses from all sin and offers eternal life to those who believe (1 John 1:7). Furthermore, Christ, as the righteous judge, will ultimately bring perfect justice to all who have shed innocent blood, and His coming kingdom will be characterized by the complete cessation of violence and the full flourishing of life in His image, where "they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain" (Isaiah 11:9).