1005. And surely your blood with your souls will I require. That this signifies that violence inflicted upon charity will punish itself, and that “blood” is violence, and “souls” they who inflict violence, is evident from what precedes and what follows, as also from the signification of “blood” in the opposite sense, and from the signification of “soul” in the opposite sense. From what precedes, because in the preceding verse the eating of blood is treated of, by which is signified profanation, as has been shown. From what follows, as the next verse treats of the shedding of blood; and therefore here the subject is the state and punishment of him who mingles what is sacred with what is profane. From the signification of “blood” in the opposite sense, because in the genuine sense “blood” signifies what is celestial, and in reference to the regenerate spiritual man charity, which is his celestial; but in the opposite sense “blood” signifies violence inflicted upon charity, consequently what is contrary to charity, and therefore all hatred, revenge, cruelty, and especially profanation, as may be seen from the passages in the Word cited above n. 374, 376). From the signification of “soul” in the opposite sense, since “soul” in the Word signifies in general life, thus every man who lives; but since such as man is such is his life, it signifies also the man who brings violence, as may be confirmed by many passages from the Word, but here only by this from Moses:

He that eateth blood, I will set My faces against the soul that eateth blood, and I will cut it off from among his people; for the soul of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that will make atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:10-11, 14).

Here the “soul” denotes the life in a threefold sense, as often elsewhere. That violence inflicted upon charity will bring punishment on itself, will be evident from what follows.