Proverbs 1:11 - John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Bible Comments

If they say, come with us,.... Leave your father's house, and the business of life in which you are; make one of us, and become a member of our society, and go along with us upon the highway;

let us lay wait for blood; lie in ambush under some hedge or another, waiting till a rich traveller comes up and passes that way, and then rise and shed his blood in order to get his money; and the same word signifies both "blood" and "money", and wait is laid for one for the sake of the other;

let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause; or "let us hide" q, the Vulgate Latin version adds "snares"; so Vatablus and others, as the fowler does for birds; or "let us hide ourselves" r; in some private place, waiting "for the innocent", the harmless traveller, who has done no injury to any man's person or property; thinks himself safe, and is not aware of any design upon him; going about his lawful business, and having done nothing to provoke such miscreants to attempt his life or take away his property: and which they do "without cause" as to him; "freely" s as to themselves; and "with impunity" t, as they promise themselves and one another; all which senses the word used will bear.

q נצפנה "abscondamus", Michaelis. r "Abscondamus nos", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius Tremellius, Piscator "abscondamus nosmetipsos", Baynus. s חנם "gratis", Pagninus, Montanus, Michaelis, Schultens. t "Impune", Junius & Tremellius, Amama.

Proverbs 1:11

11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: