John Gill Commentary Proverbs 1:11

"If they say, Come with us, Let us lay wait for blood; Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause;" — Proverbs 1:11 (ASV)

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" ^F18 ; 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" ^F19 as to themselves; and "with impunity" ^F20 , as they promise themselves and one another; all which senses the word used will bear.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F18: "Abscondamus nos", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "abscondamus nosmetipsos", Baynus.
• F19: (Mnx) "gratis", Pagninus, Montanus, Michaelis, Schultens.
• F20: "Impune", Junius & Tremellius, Amama.