Leviticus 19:26

“Ye shall not eat [anything] with the blood, etc.] Or upon, over, or by the blood f688, for this law seems different from that in (<010904>Genesis 9:4), and from those in (<030317>Leviticus 3:17 7:26 17:10); and is variously interpreted by the Jewish writers; some of not eating flesh, the blood not being rightly let out of it, as not being thoroughly cleared of it f689, and so comes under the notion of things strangled; others of not eating of sacrifices until the blood stands in the basin f690; and others of not eating any flesh whose blood is not sprinkled on the altar, if near the holy place f691 : some think it refers to the custom of murderers who eat over the person slain, that the…”

“shall not eat any thing with the blood--(See on Lev 17:10). neither . . . use enchantment, nor observe times--The former refers to divination by serpents--one of the earliest forms of enchantment, and the other means the observation, literally, of clouds, as a study of the appearance and motion of clouds was a common way of foretelling good or bad fortune. Such absurd but deep-rooted superstitions often put a stop to the prosecution of serious and important transactions, but they were forbidden especially as implying a want of faith in the being, or of reliance on the providence of God.”

“Certain pagan customs, several of them connected with magic, are here grouped together. The prohibition to eat anything with the blood may indeed refer to the eating of meat which had not been properly bled in slaughtering (Leviticus 7:26; Leviticus 17:10, etc.): but it is not improbable that there may be a special reference to some sort of magical or idolatrous rites. Compare Ezekiel 33:25. Leviticus 19:26 Observe times - It is not clear whether the original word refers to the fancied distinction between lucky and unlucky days, to some mode of drawing omens from the clouds, or to the exercise of “the evil eye.” Leviticus 19:27 Round the corners of your heads - This may allude to such a…”

“Any thing with the blood - Any flesh out of which the blood is poured. Neither shall ye use enchantments - It was unpardonable in them, to whom were committed the oracles of God, to ask counsel of the devil. And yet worse in Christians, to whom the son of God is manifested, to destroy the works of the devil. For Christians to have their nativities cast, or their fortunes told, or to use charms for the cure of diseases, is an intolerable affront to the Lord Jesus, a support of idolatry, and a reproach both to themselves, and to that worthy name by which they are called. Nor observe times - Superstitiously, esteeming some days lucky, others unlucky. Leviticus 19:27”

“19:26 blood: See study note on 7:22-27. • Priests were permitted to consult the Urim and Thummim (Exod 28:30) or to cast lots (Lev 16:8) to help decide cases not covered by Mosaic regulations. However, those who practiced fortune-telling or witchcraft were actually consulting a power apart from the Lord, which was forbidden under the first commandment (Exod 20:3).”

“with the blood: Lev 3:17, Lev 7:26, Lev 17:10-14; Deu 12:23 use: Exo 7:11, Exo 8:7; Sa1 15:23; Jer 10:2; Dan 2:10; Mal 3:5 nor: Deu 18:10-14; Kg2 17:17, Kg2 21:6; Ch2 33:6 Leviticus 19:27”