4 "But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.
4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.
4 Except for meat with its lifeblood still in it - don't eat that.
4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.
4 But you must never eat any meat that still has the lifeblood in it.
26 And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal.
26 Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings.
26 Moreover, you shall eat no blood whatever, whether of fowl or of animal, in any of your dwelling places.
26 And don't eat blood, whether of birds or animals, no matter where you end up living.
26 Moreover you shall not eat any blood in any of your dwellings, whether of bird or beast.
26 No matter where you live, you must never consume the blood of any bird or animal.
(Read Leviticus 7:11-27)
As to the peace-offerings, in the expression of their sense of mercy, God left them more at liberty, than in the expression of their sense of sin; that their sacrifices, being free-will offerings, might be the more acceptable, while, by obliging them to bring the sacrifices of atonement, God shows the necessity of the great Propitiation. The main reason why blood was forbidden of old, was because the Lord had appointed blood for an atonement. This use, being figurative, had its end in Christ, who by his death and blood-shedding caused the sacrifices to cease. Therefore this law is not now in force on believers.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Genesis 9:4
Commentary on Genesis 9:4-7
(Read Genesis 9:4-7)
The main reason of forbidding the eating of blood, doubtless was because the shedding of blood in sacrifices was to keep the worshippers in mind of the great atonement; yet it seems intended also to check cruelty, lest men, being used to shed and feed upon the blood of animals, should grow unfeeling to them, and be less shocked at the idea of shedding human blood. Man must not take away his own life. Our lives are God's, and we must only give them up when he pleases. If we in any way hasten our own death, we are accountable to God for it. When God requires the life of a man from him that took it away unjustly, the murderer cannot render that, and therefore must render his own instead. One time or other, in this world or in the next, God will discover murders, and punish those murders which are beyond man's power to punish. But there are those who are ministers of God to protect the innocent, by being a terror to evil-doers, and they must not bear the sword in vain, Romans 13:4. Wilful murder ought always to be punished with death. To this law there is a reason added. Such remains of God's image are still upon fallen man, that he who unjustly kills a man, defaces the image of God, and does dishonour to him.