1 Kings 21:13-16

21:13 The two villains arrived and sat opposite him. Then the villains testified against Naboth right before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they dragged him ¹  outside the city and stoned him to death. ²  21:14 Then they reported to Jezebel, “Naboth has been stoned to death.” ³ 

21:15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she ⁴  said to Ahab, “Get up, take possession of the vineyard Naboth the Jezreelite refused to sell you for silver, for Naboth is no longer alive; he’s dead.” 21:16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, ⁵  he got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

1 Kings 21:19

21:19 Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Haven’t you committed murder and taken possession of the property of the deceased?”’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “In the spot where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood they will also lick up your blood – yes, yours!”’”

Proverbs 1:19

1:19 Such ⁶  are the ways ⁷  of all who gain profit unjustly; ⁸ 

it ⁹  takes away the life ¹⁰  of those who obtain it! ¹¹ 

Isaiah 26:21

26:21 For look, the Lord is coming out of the place where he lives, ¹² 

to punish the sin of those who live on the earth.

The earth will display the blood shed on it;

it will no longer cover up its slain. ¹³ 

Ezekiel 22:6

22:6 “‘See how each of the princes of Israel living within you has used his authority to shed blood. ¹⁴ 

Ezekiel 22:12-13

22:12 They take bribes within you to shed blood. You engage in usury and charge interest; ¹⁵  you extort money from your neighbors. You have forgotten me, ¹⁶  declares the sovereign Lord. ¹⁷ 

22:13 “‘See, I strike my hands together ¹⁸  at the dishonest profit you have made, and at the bloodshed ¹⁹  they have done among you.

[21:13]  ¹ tn Heb “led him.”

[21:13]  ² tn Heb “and they stoned him with stones and he died.”

[21:14]  ³ tn Heb “Naboth was stoned and he died.” So also in v. 15.

[21:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “Jezebel”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“she”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[21:16]  ⁵ tc The Old Greek translation includes the following words here: “he tore his garments and put on sackcloth. After these things.”

[1:19]  ⁶ tn The exclamation כֵּן (ken, “so; thus; such”) marks a conclusion (BDB 485 s.v.). It draws a comparison between the destruction of the wicked in v. 18 and the concluding statement in v. 19.

[1:19]  ⁷ tc The MT reads אָרְחוֹת (’orkhot, “paths; ways” as figure for mode of life): “so are the ways [or, paths] of all who gain profit unjustly.” The BHS editors suggest emending the text to אַחֲרִית (’akharit, “end” as figure for their fate) by simple metathesis between ח (khet) and ר (resh) and by orthographic confusion between י (yod) and ו (vav), both common scribal errors: “so is the fate of all who gain profit unjustly.” The external evidence supports MT, which is also the more difficult reading. It adequately fits the context which uses “way” and “path” imagery throughout 1:10-19.

[1:19]  ⁸ tn Heb “those who unjustly gain unjust gain.” The participle בֹּצֵעַ (boysea’, “those who unjustly gain”) is followed by the cognate accusative of the same root בָּצַע (batsa’, “unjust gain”) to underscore the idea that they gained their wealth through heinous criminal activity.

[1:19]  ⁹ tn The subject of the verb is the noun בָּצַע (“unjust gain”), which is also the referent of the 3rd person masculine singular suffix on בְּעָלָיו (bÿ’alav, “its owners”). Greed takes away the life of those who live by greed (e.g., 15:27; 26:27). See G. R. Driver, “Problems in the Hebrew Text of Proverbs,” Bib 32 (1951): 173-74.

[1:19]  ¹⁰ tn The term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul”) is used as a metonymy (= soul) of association (= life). The noun נֶפֶשׁ often refers to physical “life” (Exod 21:23; Num 17:3; Judg 5:18; Prov 12:10; BDB 659 s.v. 3.c).

[1:19]  ¹¹ tn Heb “its owners.”

[26:21]  ¹² tn Heb “out of his place” (so KJV, ASV).

[26:21]  ¹³ sn This implies that rampant bloodshed is one of the reasons for divine judgment. See the note at 24:5.

[22:6]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Look! The princes of Israel, each according to his arm, were in you in order to shed blood.”

[22:12]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “usury and interest you take.” See 18:13, 17. This kind of economic exploitation violated the law given in Lev 25:36.

[22:12]  ¹⁶ sn Forgetting the Lord is also addressed in Deut 6:12; 8:11, 14; Jer 3:21; 13:25; Ezek 23:35; Hos 2:15; 8:14; 13:6.

[22:12]  ¹⁷ tn The second person verb forms are feminine singular in Hebrew, indicating that the personified city is addressed here as representing its citizens.

[22:13]  ¹⁸ sn This gesture apparently expresses mourning and/or anger (see 6:11; 21:14, 17).

[22:13]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “the blood which was in you.”