# What it Means that there is ‘Life in the Blood’

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/weird-stuff-in-the-bible-6649872/what-it-means-that-there-is-life-in-the-blood.md
Podcast: [Weird Stuff in the Bible](https://stenobird.com/podcast/weird-stuff-in-the-bible-6649872)
Published: 2026-02-27T11:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/936d8cd2
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/936d8cd2/93501156.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/weird-stuff-in-the-bible-6649872/episodes/what-it-means-that-there-is-life-in-the-blood
Duration seconds: 1886

## Resource

When Noah stepped off the Ark, one of the first things God said…was weird. God told Noah things are gonna be different in this new world. First of all, you can eat animals now. However, you gotta do it right. Genesis 9:4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. In other words, drain out all the blood before you consume the animal. And in the previous episode, we talked about why this command was probably given: because the giants of the pre-flood world were said to be cannibalistic and that they regularly consumed blood. By putting this command out there right as Noah got off the Ark, God was saying we don’t want to go back into the mindless violence and chaos of the pre-flood world. We’re not eating blood. And this command is so important, it’s repeated in the Levitical law, and again later in the New Testament. But what I find most fascinating is the Hebrew behind this command. When it said “life” is in the blood, it’s the Hebrew word “nephesh,” and the main way this word is usually translated in the Bible is “soul.” So another way you could say this is that the soul is in the blood. Which I find to be weird. And I’d like to explore what this means throughout the Bible. So if you’d like to hear what I found, turn to Genesis 9, and let’s get weird. Sign up for the weekly newsletter! Get additional insights and Bible study tips for unpacking strange things in scripture. Enter your email here: https://weirdstuffinthebible.beehiiv.com/ Check out the website! www.weirdstuffinthebible.com 0:00 - Introduction 4:30 - An Echo of the Soul 12:15 - The Two Problems with Animal Sacrifices 20:25 - A Better Way 23:30 - So Don’t Eat Blood 28:45 - Closing Thoughts Visit the Weird Stuff store! https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com You can also find a list…

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## Transcript

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