BLOOD . Among all primitive races the blood, especially of human beings, has been and is regarded with superstitious, or rather, to be just, religious awe. By the Hebrews also blood was Invested with peculiar sanctity as the seat of the soul ( nephesh ), that is of the principle of life ( Leviticus 17:11 ‘the life [Heb. nephesh ] of the flesh is in the blood’). From this fundamental conception of blood as the vehicle of life may be derived all the manifold social and religious beliefs and practices with regard to it, which play so large a part in Scripture. See Atonement, Clean and Unclean, Covenant, Food, Propitiation, Sacrifice. A. R. S. Kennedy.
Blood. The blood of man is claimed by God; for the 'life is in the blood;' 'the blood is the life.' It therefore must not be eaten; if not offered in sacrifice it must be 'poured upon the earth as water.' "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." The blood also maketh atonement for the soul: it must be poured out upon the altar. Gen. 9:4-6; Lev. 17:10-14; Deut. 12:23-25; Acts 15:29. In the O.T. dispensation everything in the tabernacle, the priests and their dresses were purged and sanctified by blood, everything being sprinkled with blood, including the book of the law and the people. Heb. 9:18, 21. This was typical of the blood of the Lord Jesus, which has accomplished everything for the Christian: with His blood He 'purchased' us, Acts 20:28; 'justified' us, Rom. 5:9; 'redeemed,' Eph. 1:7; 'sanctified,' Heb. 13:12; 'cleanseth us from all sin,' 1 John 1:7; etc.