Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 28:17
A man that doeth violence to the blood of [any] person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him.
17. doeth violence to ] Rather, is laden with, R.V. See Gen 9:6.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The case of willful murder, not the lesser crime of manslaughter for which the cities of refuge were appointed. One, with that guilt on his soul, is simply hasting on to his own destruction. Those who see him must simply stand aloof, and let Gods judgments fulfill themselves.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 17. That doeth violence to the blood] He who either slays the innocent, or procures his destruction, may flee to hide himself: but let none give him protection. The law demands his life, because he is a murderer; and let none deprive justice of its claim. Murder is the most horrid crime in the sight of God and man; it scarcely ever goes unpunished, and is universally execrated.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person, that sheddeth any mans blood, or taketh away his life unjustly,
shall flee to the pit; shall speedily be destroyed, being pursued by Divine vengeance, and the horrors of a guilty conscience, and the avengers of blood.
Let no man stay him: so it is a prohibition that no man should endeavour to save the life of a wilful murderer, either by intercession, or by offering satisfaction, or any other way; of which see Gen 9:6; Exo 21:14; Num 35:31. Or, as the ancient and many other interpreters render it, no man shall stay him; none shall desire or endeavour to save him from his deserved punishment; he shall die without pity, being an object of public hatred.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17. doeth violence . . . blood,c.or, that is oppressed by the blood of life (Ge9:6), which he has taken.
to the pitthe grave ordestruction (Pro 1:12 Job 33:18-24;Psa 143:7).
stay himsustain ordeliver him.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
A man that doeth violence to the blood of [any] person,…. That sheds the blood of any in a violent manner; that lays violent hands upon a club, and takes away his life, contrary to the law in Ge 9:6. Or, “that is pressed because of the blood of any person” q; pressed in his own mind; filled with horror, and tortured in his conscience, for the innocent blood he has shed: the letter “daleth” in the word “Adam” is lesser than usual; and Vitringa, on Isa 34:6; observes, that it signifies a man red with blood, oppressed in his conscience, and depressed by God, which this minute letter is a symbol of; and thinks it applicable to Edom or Rome: or it signifies one pressed, pursued, and dose followed by the avenger of blood;
shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him; support or help him. When such a murderer flees, and is pursued, and unawares falls into a pit, or is like to do so, let no man warn him of it, or help him out of it; or if he flees to a pit to hide himself, let no man hold him or detain him there, or suffer him to continue in such a lurking place, but discover him or pluck him out; or, if he is a fugitive and a vagabond all his days, as Cain, the murderer of his brother, was, till he comes to the pit of the grave, let no man yield him any support or sustenance.
q “pressus propter sanguinem animae”, Amama, Cartwright; so R. Joseph Kimchi in D. Kimchii Sepher Shorash rad. .
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
17 A man burdened with the guilt of blood upon his soul
Fleeth to the pit; let no one detain him.
Luther translates: “A man that doeth violence to the blood of any one,” as if he had read the word . Lwenstein persuades himself that may mean “having oppressed,” and for this refers to , having clothed, in the Mishna , , Lat. coenatus, juratus ; but none of all these cases are of the same nature, for always the conduct designated is interpreted as a suffering of that which is done, e.g., the drawing on, as a being clothed; the riding, as a being ridden, etc. Of , in the sense of the oppression of another, there is no such part. pass. as throws the action as a condition back upon the subject. This is valid also against Aben Ezra, who supposes that means oppressing after the forms , , , for of , settled = dwelling, that which has just been said is true; that is equivalent to , cf. regarding it under Pro 30:1, and that , Psa 137:8, is equivalent to , is not true. Kimchi adds, under the name of his father (Joseph Kimchi), also , Jer 9:7 = ; but that “slaughtered” can be equivalent to slaughtering is impossible. Some MSS have the word , which is not inadmissible, but not in the sense of “accused” (Lwenstein), but: persecuted, exposed to war; for signifies to treat hostilely, and post-bibl. generally to aspire after or pursue anything, e.g., , R. (whence Piel contrectare, cf. Isa 23:2, according to which appears to be an intensifying of this ). However, there is no ground for regarding
(Note: Bttcher supposes much rather = ; also, Pro 25:11, = ; but that does not follow from the defectiva scriptio, nor from anything else.)
as not original, nor in the sense of “hard pressed;” for it is not used of avenging persecution, but: inwardly pressed, for Isa 38:14 also signifies the anguish of a guilty conscience. Whoever is inwardly bowed down by the blood of a man whom he has murdered, betakes himself to a ceaseless flight to escape the avenger of blood, the punishment of his guilt, and his own inward torment; he flees and finds no rest, till at last the grave ( according to the Eastern, i.e., the Babylonian, mode of writing ) receives him, and death accomplishes the only possible propitiation of the murderer. The exhortation, “let no one detain him,” does not mean that one should not lay hold on the fugitive; but, since does not mean merely to hold fast, but to hold right, that one should not afford him any support, any refuge, any covering or security against the vengeance which pursues him; that one should not rescue him from the arm of justice, and thereby invade and disturb the public administration of justice, which rests on moral foundations; on the other side, the Book of Prov; Pro 24:11., has uttered its exhortation to save a human life whenever it is possible to do so. The proverb lying before us cannot thus mean anything else than that no one should give to the murderer, as such, any assistance; that no one should save him clandestinely, and thereby make himself a partaker of his sin. Grace cannot come into the place of justice till justice has been fully recognised. Human sympathy, human forbearance, under the false title of grace, do not stand in contrast to this justice. We must, however, render not directly as an admonition against that which is immoral; it may also be a declaration of that which is impossible: only let no one support him, let no one seek to deliver him from the unrest which drives him from place to place. This is, however, in vain; he is unceasingly driven about to fulfil his lot. But the translation: nemine eum sustinente (Fleischer), is inadmissible; a mere declaration of a fact without any subjective colouring is never reven si g seq. fut.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
17 A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him.
This agrees with that ancient law, Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed (Gen. ix. 6), and proclaims, 1. The doom of the shedder of blood. He that has committed murder, though he flees for his life, shall be continually haunted with terrors, shall himself flee to the pit, betray himself, and torment himself, like Cain, who, when he had killed his brother, became a fugitive and a vagabond, and trembled continually. 2. The duty of the avenger of blood, whether the magistrate or the next of kin, or whoever are concerned in making inquisition for blood, let them be close and vigorous in the prosecution, and let it not be bought off. Those that acquit the murderer, or do any thing to help him off, come in sharers in the guilt of blood; nor can the land be purged from blood but by the blood of him that shed it, Num. xxxv. 33.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Punishment For Willful Murder
Verse 17 forbids any help to spare a willful murderer. He . is hastening to the pit which means death and what lies beyond and the stern provisions of Num 35:31; Exo 21:14; Gen 9:6; are to be allowed to take their course.. For examples of the “pit,” see Pro 1:12; Isa 14:15; Isa 14:19; Isa 38:18.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(17) A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person.Rather, that is burdened with his blood, has wilfully murdered any one.
Shall flee to the pit.Fulfilling the curse of Gen. 9:6.
Let no man stay himi.e., attempt to rescue him from the punishment he has deserved.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17. Violence to the blood The first part of this verse is better read: A man burdened with the blood of a person shall flee to the pit the figure of death.
Let no man stay him Muenscher reads: “That he may not be taken.” So Conant, substantially: “He will rush on to self-destruction, rather than fall into the hands of the avenger of blood.” Our Authorized Version, however, is justifiable. He is hasting to his doom. “Let murder have its due.” Comp. Gen 9:6; Exo 21:14.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 28:17. A man that doeth violence Houbigant has it, If any man is an oppressor, and a lier in wait for blood, when he flieth to a pit, no man shall stop him. That is, according to Grotius, “Whoever oppresses others, so as to shed innocent blood, will not be withheld or stopped, if he should fly towards covered pitfalls; for the enormity of his crimes will steel every one’s breast against him, and no one will shew the least pity towards him.”
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Pro 28:17 A man that doeth violence to the blood of [any] person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him.
Ver. 17. A man that doth violence unto the blood. ] The Hebrew word Adam, here rendered man, hath one letter in the original less than the rest, Hebrew Text Note to show that a blood shedder is not worthy to be called man. a
Shall flee to the pit, let no man stay him,
a Buxtorf.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the blood of any person = the blood of a soul.
person. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.
pit = the grave. Hebrew. bor.
no man = none: i.e. A man oppressed with the guilt of murder (compare Gen 9:4, Gen 9:5) will flee to the pit [of destruction]: let none lay hold on him; there is no occasion for it; he is his own tormentor, and will probably be his own executioner, or will deliver himself up to justice.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 28:17
Pro 28:17
“A man that is laden with the blood of any person Shall flee unto the pit; let no man stay him.”
“If a man is burdened with the blood of another, let him be a fugitive until death; let no one help him. This version is better because it makes it clear that it is a sin to aid murderers fleeing to avoid punishment for their crime.
Pro 28:17. Clarke: He who…slays the innocent…may flee to hide himself: but let none given him protection. The law demands his life, because he is a murderer; and let none deprive justice of its claim. Murder is the most horrid crime. What law did Clarke have in mind? Whoso sheddeth mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed (Gen 9:6); He that smiteth a man, so that he dieth, shall surely be put to death (Exo 21:14); Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be slain…Moreover ye shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer, that is guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death…Blood, it polluteth the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it (Num 35:30-33).
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Gen 9:6, Exo 21:14, Num 35:14-34, 1Ki 21:19, 1Ki 21:23, 2Ki 9:26, 2Ch 24:21-25, Mat 27:4, Mat 27:5, Act 28:4
Reciprocal: Gen 42:21 – we saw Gen 44:16 – God hath Num 35:20 – if he thrust Deu 19:11 – But if any Deu 21:1 – General 2Sa 3:30 – slew Abner 2Sa 13:34 – Absalom fled 1Ki 2:6 – let 1Ki 2:31 – that thou 2Ki 15:13 – a full month 2Ch 18:34 – he died Psa 140:10 – into deep Pro 1:18 – General Jer 41:15 – escaped Eze 28:8 – shall bring Hab 2:17 – because Mat 2:16 – and slew 1Ti 1:9 – manslayers
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 28:17. A man that doeth violence, &c. That sheds any mans blood, or takes away his life by any unjust proceedings; shall flee to the pit Shall speedily be destroyed, being pursued by divine vengeance, the horrors of a guilty conscience, and the avengers of blood; let no man stay him None should desire or endeavour to save him from his deserved punishment.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
28:17 A man that doeth violence to the blood of [any] person shall flee to the pit; let no man {i} sustain him.
(i) No one will be able to deliver him.