Proverbs 29:10

“The bloodthirsty hate the upright, etc.] 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. Or else the meaning is, that just persons seek the soul of the upright, and make inquisition for the blood of such, to punish for it; which comes to the same sense, as Aben Ezra observes: or rather, such seek to defend and preserve the soul or life of upright…”

“bloodthirsty--(Compare Margin), murderers (Psa 5:6; Psa 26:9). hate, &c.-- (Pro 1:11; Gen 3:4). seek . . . soul--that is, to preserve it.”

“Seek his soul - i. e., “Care for, watch over, his life” (compare Psalms 142:4). return to 'Top of Page'”

“Seek - To preserve it. Proverbs 29:15”

“The bloodthirsty: Heb. Men of bloods, Gen 4:5-8; Sa1 20:31-33, Sa1 22:11-23; Kg1 21:20, Kg1 22:8; Ch2 18:7; Mar 6:18, Mar 6:19, Mar 6:24-27; Joh 15:18, Joh 15:19; Jo1 3:12, Jo1 3:13 but: Sa1 15:11; Jer 13:15-17, Jer 18:20, Jer 40:14-16; Luk 23:34; Joh 5:34; Act 7:60; Rom 10:1 Proverbs 29:11”

“We now group together Pro 29:10-14. Of these, Pro 29:10 and Pro 29:11 are alike in respect of the tense used; Pro 29:12-14 have in common the pronoun pointing back to the first member. 10 Men of blood hate the guiltless And the upright; they attempt the life of such The nearest lying translation of the second line would certainly be: the upright seek his soul (that of the guiltless). In accordance with the contrasted ישׂנאו, the Aram. understand the seeking of earnest benevolent seeking, but disregarding the נפשׁ in לנפשׁו; (Note: The Targum translates תם, guiltlessness, and the Venet. (μισοῦσι) γνῶσιν, turning to Pro 1:22.) Symmachus (ἐπιζητήσουσι), Jerome (quaerunt), and Luther thus…”