^9:5For your lifeblood¹⁰ I will surely exact punishment,¹¹ from¹² every living creature I will exact punishment. From each person¹³ I will exact punishment for the life of the individual¹⁴ since the man was his relative.¹⁵

^9:6“Whoever sheds human blood,¹⁶

by other humans¹⁷

must his blood be shed;

for in God’s image¹⁸

God¹⁹ has made humankind.”

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Footnotes

10 Again the text uses apposition to clarify what kind of blood is being discussed: “your blood, [that is] for your life.” See C. L. Dewar, “The Biblical Use of the Term ‘Blood,’ ” 4 (1953): 204–8.
11 The word “punishment” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification. The verb דָּרָשׁ (darash) means “to require, to seek, to ask for, to exact.” Here it means that God will exact punishment for the taking of a life. See R. Mawdsley, “Capital Punishment in Gen. 9:6,” 18 (1975): 20–25.
12 Heb “from the hand of,” which means “out of the hand of” or “out of the power of” and is nearly identical in sense to the preposition מִן (min) alone.
13 Heb “and from the hand of the man.” The article has a generic function, indicating the class, i.e., humankind.
14 Heb “of the man.”
15 Heb “from the hand of a man, his brother.” The point is that God will require the blood of someone who kills, since the person killed is a relative (“brother”) of the killer. The language reflects Noah’s situation (after the flood everyone would be part of Noah’s extended family), but also supports the concept of the brotherhood of humankind. According to the Genesis account the entire human race descended from Noah.
16 Heb “the blood of man.”
17 Heb “by man,” a generic term here for other human beings.
18 See the notes on the words “humankind” and “likeness” in , as well as J. Barr, “The Image of God in the Book of Genesis—A Study of Terminology,” 51 (1968/69): 11–26.
19 Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

“Whoever sheds the blood of man,

by man shall his blood be shed,

for God made man in his own image.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.

“Whoever sheds human blood,

by humans shall their blood be shed;

for in the image of God

has God made mankind.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

And I will require a penalty for your lifeblood; I will require it from any animal and from any human; if someone murders a fellow human, I will require that person’s life.

Whoever sheds human blood,

by humans his blood will be shed,

for God made humans in his image.

NLTNew Living Translation

“And I will require the blood of anyone who takes another person’s life. If a wild animal kills a person, it must die. And anyone who murders a fellow human must die. If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And your lifeblood I will require; from every animal I will require it. And from the hand of humankind, from the hand of each man to his brother I will require the life of humankind.

“As for the one shedding the blood of humankind,

by humankind his blood shall be shed,

for God made humankind in his own image.

KJV 1900King James Version

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. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

Public Domain