When an animal dedicated for a sacred purpose develops a physical blemish, it undergoes a profound shift in status. It transitions from a holy offering to everyday food, creating a complex legal reality. Although the meat is now permitted for regular consumption, fundamental restrictions remain.
The primary approach among commentators is that an explicit warning against consuming the animal's blood is necessary to prevent a serious misunderstanding. Because the animal has moved from a restricted, holy state to a permitted one—where it is slaughtered outside the Temple and eaten freely—a person might mistakenly assume that its blood is also permitted since it is no longer fit for the altar. Therefore, the rule clarifies that the strict prohibition against consuming blood remains firmly in place [רש״י, רבנו בחיי, ביאור יש״ר].
Beyond this, the specific nature of a blemished holy animal requires its own distinct rule. Generally, the blood of domestic animals is forbidden because it is destined for the altar, while the blood of wild animals or birds is forbidden due to their untamed nature. A blemished holy animal does not fit neatly into either category, making an independent command essential to forbid its blood. Alternatively, another approach suggests that since the restriction on blood is already established elsewhere, this specific instruction actually serves to teach that the animal's fat remains forbidden to eat [העמק דבר].
The phrasing used to introduce this restriction is deliberate, expressing a complete separation rather than a partial exception. Rather than comparing the permitted and forbidden parts of the animal, two entirely independent rules are established: the blemished animal may be eaten, and, as a completely separate matter, its blood is forbidden [הכתב והקבלה].
Finally, the instruction to pour the blood on the ground like water serves to prevent another mistaken comparison to wild animals. Because the meat of a blemished dedicated animal is compared to that of a wild deer or gazelle, one might assume that its blood must be covered with dirt, as is required for wild game. To correct this, the instruction emphasizes that the blood should simply be poured onto the earth just like water, with no obligation to cover it [בכור שור].