Could you please explain: " But you must not eat meat that has its… | Saint Peter & Saint Andrew Coptic Orthodox Church

The question

Could you please explain:
"But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it" (Genesis 9:4).

"And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man" (Genesis 9:5).

"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man?" (Genesis 9:6).

The answer

Before the flood, man was only allowed to eat vegetation. Now God is giving Noah new commandments. Meat may be eaten along with plants. But blood is not to be eaten with meat. Blood represents life. It may be used in sacrifice, because all life belongs to the Lord. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul." (Lev 17:11)

More sacred than the life of an animal is the life of a person. Animals may be slain for food, but no slaying of humans is allowed. Whoever kills a man by man will he be killed. For the image of God (Gen 1:26,27; Gen 5:1) is still in man; sin did not destroy it. God values humans more highly than animal life because only humankind possesses God's image.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 28 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.