The Cry of Blood: Genesis 9:6 and the Value of Life from Conception
Introduction
Many believe abortion is a modern issue, but Scripture addresses it from the very beginning. Genesis 9:6, a central verse in God’s covenant with Noah after the flood, contains a profound teaching about the value of human life—even life within the womb.
Genesis 9:6: A Universal Command
The text reads:
“Whoever sheds the blood of man in man, his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man.” (literal Hebrew rendering).
The crucial phrase is “in man” (ba’adam), which rabbinic scholars interpreted as “a person within a person,” that is, the fetus in the mother’s womb. From this, they concluded that abortion is the shedding of blood forbidden not only to Israel but to all humanity under the Noahide laws.
Life as the Image of God
The foundation of this command is that mankind was created “in the image of God” (tselem Elohim). This is not merely an ethical concept, but a spiritual reality: every human being, born or unborn, bears that divine image. To terminate a life in gestation is to strike against the very work of the Creator.
Evidence in the Torah and the Writings
Other passages confirm this truth:
1. Exodus 21:22–25 teaches that if men fight and injure a pregnant woman, causing harm either to the child or the mother, the law demands “life for life.”
2. Psalm 139:16 declares: “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me.” David affirms that even in embryonic form, God knows, sees, and ordains the human life.
Rabbinic Confirmation
The Talmud (Sanhedrin 57b) records the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael: even a descendant of Noah is liable for killing a fetus. Tosafot further confirms that the wording of Genesis 9:6 explicitly includes abortion as an act of bloodshed.
Numerical and Symbolic Dimension
The verse itself seems structured with reference to gestation:
· It contains 40 letters, symbolizing the 40 weeks of traditional pregnancy.
· It consists of 12 words (6+6), reflecting fullness and completion.
· Its total numerical value is 2,085, whose digital root is 6, the number of man created on the sixth day.
This strengthens the interpretation that the verse does not only address homicide in general, but specifically life in the womb.
Prophetic and Cultural Context
Abortion is not new. In antiquity, pagan cultures sacrificed embryos and children to deities like Molech or fertility goddesses such as Ishtar and Astarte. Today, humanity repeats these same patterns, promoting the destruction of innocent life under ideological justifications. Jesus warned: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:37). Violence against life in the womb is part of that prophetic parallel.
A Call to All Humanity
When God established His covenant with Noah, He was not speaking only to Israel but to all mankind. Genesis 9:6 is a universal command: the life of the unborn belongs to God and is protected by Him. Abortion is not merely a social or political issue; it is a spiritual one—it is rebellion against the image of God in mankind.
Conclusion
Genesis 9:6 reveals that God clearly and universally forbids abortion. Human life, from conception, is under His protection because it reflects His own image. In a world that trivializes human worth, Scripture reminds us that every life matters and that the shed blood of the innocent cries out for justice before the Creator.
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