For the life of the flesh is in the blood— In Genesis 9:4 the eating of blood is forbidden. Dr. James upon his plan observes, that it was prohibited for reasons of health, as blood is extremely subject to an alcaline putrefaction, and the juices formed from it are highly alcalescent, and subject to putrefy. For the same reason all animals whatever, killed without being suffered to bleed sufficiently, are improper food. It is well known to common observers, that the more succulent and juicy the flesh of animals is, the more subject it is to putrefaction. But, besides these reasons of health, another is assigned in the text for the prohibition of blood; which is considered not only as the seat of life, (being that to the body which oil is to the lamp,) but also as the appointed means of atonement; as the ransom for the forfeited lives of sinful men. It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul; and this, says Dr. Beaumont, as typifying his blood, who is so often spoken of in the New Testament as the grand atonement for human transgressions, and as cleansing from all sin; Hebrews 10:19. 1 John 1:7. Some have supposed, that another design of the prohibition might be, to raise in the minds of the Israelites an abhorrence of the practice of some idolaters, who drank the blood of the victim as it came reeking from the wound; and that, not only of animal, but, shocking to think! of human sacrifices. And further it may be observed, that blood was by the heathens employed to various superstitious purposes. The magicians, in their inchantments, constantly used it; for ghosts were supposed to be extremely fond of blood, as we learn from a variety of passages in heathen authors: in particular, when Homer describes Ulysses descending to the infernal regions to consult the ghost of Tiresias, he is represented as standing by a trench full of blood, with his sword drawn in his hand, to keep off the ghosts from meddling with him; when Tiresias appearing, says to him, "retire from the trench, and sheath thy poniard, that I may drink the blood, and disclose to thee the hidden truths of futurity." See the 11th Book of the Odyssey, and Mr. Pope's notes, at the beginning.
For it is the blood that maketh an atonement— Spencer paraphrases, this verse thus, "whereas the blood is the life and soul of animals, I have appointed it for the price of your souls, and for most holy use. I have separated it to make an expiation for your sins: therefore honour it with a religious abstinence from it; and do not serve that upon your tables, which I have reserved sacred to my altar. It is not suited to the dignity thereof that you should put the blood to vulgar use, to which you owe my forgiveness, and your own lives; that you should nourish, as it were, your own bodies with the life and safety of your souls." It is the blood that maketh atonement: the blood of the sacrifice, says Clarke, sacramentally and typically, and of Christ really.