Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 1:12
Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
12. the grave ] or, Sheol, R.V. text, LXX., infernus Vulg.
whole ] Some (as R.V. marg. even the perfect) give the Heb. word here the moral sense, which it has elsewhere. But both the parallelism and the force are better preserved by the rendering of A.V. and R.V. text. Let us make away with them in a moment in the full vigour of life, as though Hades should open her mouth and swallow them up (comp. Num 16:30; Num 16:33): yea, let us sweep them from the earth in perfect soundness, as completely as those who go down to the grave are swallowed up by it. The LXX. give a different turn (paraphrase, not translation) to the 2nd clause, , let us take away the remembrance of him from the earth, as though by whole they understood, wholly, leaving not the memory of him behind.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
i. e., We will be as all-devouring as Sheol. The destruction of those we attack shall be as sudden as that of those who go down quickly into the pit. Some render the latter clause, and upright men as those that go down to the pit. Pit here is a synonym for Sheol, the great cavernous depth, the shadow-world of the dead.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 12. Let us swallow them up alive] Give them as hasty a death as if the earth were suddenly to swallow them up. This seems to refer to the destruction of a whole village. Let us destroy man, woman, and child; and then we may seize on and carry away the whole of their property, and the booty will be great.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
As the grave; which speedily covers and consumes dead bodies. See Psa 55:15; 124:3. We shall do our work quickly, easily, and without fear of discovery.
Into the pit; into some deep pit, into which a traveller falls unawares, and is utterly lost, and never discovered.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Let us swallow them up alive as the grave,…. The innocent person, and those that are with him, his servants; our gang is so numerous that we can very easily dispatch him and all his attendants, and bury them out of sight at once, as if they were swallowed up alive in a grave, and so no more to be seen or heard of; and consequently we shall be in the utmost safety and security, there being no traces of what is done, nor any left to make a relation of it, or to give any information of us, or to pursue us;
and whole, as those that go down into the pit; who though whole and in perfect health, shall in a moment be destroyed and cast into the pit, being first plundered of all the riches they have about them; for this swallowing them up alive and whole, which is an allusion to a beast of prey swallowing up another creature all at once, not only intends their cruelty in taking away life, but their rapaciousness in seizing upon their substance.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(12) Alive.Comp. the death of Dathan and Abiram (Num. 16:30).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
12. Swallow as the grave , ( kishol,) “like hell,” hades, orcus, the underworld, a favourite expression of bloodthirsty men in all ages. (See Excursus on Sheol, p. 72.) The strong passions excited by even regular warfare in a good cause afford a temptation to, and, we are sorry to say, often an excuse for, shocking profanity. This is a prominent vice of military men; but it should be left to those who fight in a bad cause and for bad ends. The men here represented are as voracious as the grave. The idea of the verse is that of sudden and complete destruction. Some suppose there is an allusion to the case of Korah and his associates, (Num 16:31-33,) where the earth opened and swallowed them up, “and they went down alive into the pit.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 1:12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
Ver. 12. Let us swallow them up alive. ] As the devil doth. 1Pe 5:8 2Ti 2:26 Homo homini demon. The poor Indians have been heard to say, it had been better that their country had been given to the devils of hell than to the Spaniards; and that if the cruel Spaniards go to heaven when they die, they, for their parts, desire not to come there.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the grave. Hebrew. sheol. App-35.
pit. Hebrew. bor, a hole bored or dug. Hence a dry pit or grave. Compare Gen 37:20.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
grave
Heb. “Sheol,” (See Scofield “Hab 2:5”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
swallow: Psa 35:25, Psa 56:1, Psa 56:2, Psa 57:3, Psa 124:3, Jer 51:34, Lam 2:5, Lam 2:16, Mic 3:2, Mic 3:3
as the: Psa 5:9, Rom 3:13
whole: Num 16:30-33, Num 26:10, Psa 28:1, Psa 143:7
Reciprocal: Gen 27:41 – then Gen 34:23 – General Gen 37:20 – and let Jdg 9:25 – General Jdg 9:48 – What ye Job 20:18 – swallow Job 31:31 – Oh Psa 10:8 – sitteth Psa 83:4 – General Psa 119:110 – wicked Isa 5:14 – opened Isa 49:19 – they that Eze 28:8 – shall bring Eze 36:3 – swallowed Act 23:15 – that he 2Co 2:7 – swallowed
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1:12 Let us swallow them up alive as the {l} grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
(l) As the grave is never satisfied, so the malice of the wicked and their cruelty has no end.