The Meaning of Genesis 9:5 Explained

Genesis 9:5

KJV: And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.

YLT: 'And only your blood for your lives do I require; from the hand of every living thing I require it, and from the hand of man, from the hand of every man's brother I require the life of man;

Darby: And indeed your blood, the blood of your lives, will I require: at the hand of every animal will I require it, and at the hand of Man, at the hand of each the blood of his brother, will I require the life of Man.

ASV: And surely your blood, the blood of your lives, will I require; At the hand of every beast will I require it. And at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of man.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And surely  your blood  of your lives  will I require;  at the hand  of every beast  will I require it,  and at the hand  of man;  at the hand  of every man's  brother  will I require  the life  of man. 

What does Genesis 9:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 9:1-17 - God's Covenant With Noah
As the human race started afresh on its career, God blessed it, as at the first. God always stands with us in a new start. The prohibition against the use of blood in food is often repeated. See Leviticus 17:11; Acts 15:29. In a very deep sense, the blood is the life. When we speak of being redeemed by the blood of Jesus, we mean that we have been saved by His sacrificed life. The blood maketh atonement for the soul. But while animal life might be used for food or sacrifice, human life was surrounded by the most solemn sanctions. A Covenant is a promise or undertaking resting on certain conditions, with a sign or token attached to it. The bow in the cloud, the Lord's Supper, the wedding ring are signs and seals of their respective covenants. Never witness a rainbow without remembering that as God hath sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth, so He will not withdraw His kindness. See Isaiah 54:9. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 9

1  God blesses Noah and his sons, and grants them flesh for food
4  Blood and murder are forbidden
8  God's covenant, of which the rainbow was constituted a pledge
18  Noah's family replenishes the world
20  Noah plants a vineyard,
21  Is drunken, and mocked by his son;
25  Curses Canaan;
26  Blesses Shem;
27  Prays for Japheth, and dies

What do the individual words in Genesis 9:5 mean?

And surely - the blood of your lives will I require [an accounting] from the hand of every beast I will require it and from the hand of man From the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man
וְאַ֨ךְ אֶת־ דִּמְכֶ֤ם לְנַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶם֙ אֶדְרֹ֔שׁ מִיַּ֥ד כָּל־ חַיָּ֖ה אֶדְרְשֶׁ֑נּוּ וּמִיַּ֣ד הָֽאָדָ֗ם מִיַּד֙ אִ֣ישׁ אָחִ֔יו אֶדְרֹ֖שׁ נֶ֥פֶשׁ הָֽאָדָֽם

וְאַ֨ךְ  And  surely 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַךְ  
Sense: indeed, surely (emphatic).
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
דִּמְכֶ֤ם  the  blood 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
לְנַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶם֙  of  your  lives 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
אֶדְרֹ֔שׁ  will  I  require  [an  accounting] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: דַּרְיׄושׁ 
Sense: to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require.
מִיַּ֥ד  from  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
כָּל־  of  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
חַיָּ֖ה  beast 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
אֶדְרְשֶׁ֑נּוּ  I  will  require  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine singular
Root: דַּרְיׄושׁ 
Sense: to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require.
וּמִיַּ֣ד  and  from  the  hand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
הָֽאָדָ֗ם  of  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
מִיַּד֙  From  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אִ֣ישׁ  of  every  man's 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אָחִ֔יו  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
אֶדְרֹ֖שׁ  I  will  require 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: דַּרְיׄושׁ 
Sense: to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require.
נֶ֥פֶשׁ  the  life 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
הָֽאָדָֽם  of  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.