Proverbs 29:10
in Proverbs 29Men of bloodshed hate a blameless man, but the upright care for his life.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The bloodthirsty hate him that is perfect; And as for the upright, they seek his life.
KJV
The bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the just seek his soul.
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This verse in Proverbs 29
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThe bloodthirsty hate the upright,.... Cain did Abel; and as the wicked world hate all good men, and persecute them, even unto death; but the just must seek his soul; either the soul of the bloodthirsty, and that either the good of their souls; seek their spiritual welfare, and pray for it, even though they are so cruel and inhuman: or just magistrates will seek after such persons, to punish them for shedding the blood of the upright.
This site's exposition
Mockers inflame a city
on Proverbs 29:8-10
"Mockers inflame a city, but the wise turn away anger" sets mockery and calm speech against each other. Verse 9 warns that some disputes cannot be won. Verse 10 gives the plainest form of the conflict, men of bloodshed hating the blameless man while "the upright care for his life."
This site's exposition
Men of bloodshed hate a blameless man
The Berean text has the upright guarding the blameless man's life. John Gill, reading the older wording, also allows that the upright seek the good of the violent men's own souls. He sets Cain's hatred of Abel as the pattern of the first line.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Seek his soul - i. e., “Care for, watch over, his life” (compare Psa 142:4).
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
seek his soul [This is] an expression of love, and it appears that it is so, as David said to Abiathar (I Sam.:23): “for he who seeks my soul seeks your soul.” He who will deal kindly with me will deal kindly with you.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַנְשֵׁ֣י | ʾanshei | people of | H582 → | 566 times |
| דָ֭מִים | damim | blood<s> | H1818 → | 360 times |
| יִשְׂנְאוּ־ | yisneu- | they hate | H8130 → | 146 times |
| תָ֑ם | tam | a blameless [person] | H8535 → | |
| וִֽ֝ישָׁרִ֗ים | visharim | and upright [people] | H3477 → | 119 times |
| יְבַקְשׁ֥וּ | yevakshu | they seek | H1245 → | 225 times |
| נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ | nafsho | life his | H5315 → | 754 times |
אַנְשֵׁ֣יpeople of
ʾansheiH582 →566 times
דָ֭מִיםblood<s>
damimH1818 →360 times
יִשְׂנְאוּ־they hate
yisneu-H8130 →146 times
תָ֑םa blameless [person]
tamH8535 →
וִֽ֝ישָׁרִ֗יםand upright [people]
visharimH3477 →119 times
יְבַקְשׁ֥וּthey seek
yevakshuH1245 →225 times
נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃life his
nafshoH5315 →754 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Proverbs
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).