I've been chewing on an old verse lately, Proverbs 11:30. The King James says "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he that winneth souls is wise".
We always used that verse as an Old Testament confirmation of the New Testament to injunction to witness. But the concept of evangelization did not exist in Solomon's day. Jews spread "righteousness" by wiping out or subjugating all their "heathen" neighbors. So it got me thinking, is it even possible for it mean what we always took it to mean?
I haven't been able to find much on the subject, since soulwinning Christians always apply the verse the same way we did. But there are some hints in the original Hebrew, and in some other English translations. It is particularly interesting to me that several versions put the second part of the verse in opposition to the first:
"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, but violence results in the taking of life." (Revised English Bible)
"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, but violence (or lawlessness) takes lives away." (New Revised Standard Version)
Moffatt says "Life thrives like a tree on generosity, but grasping greed is death to men."
What do you guys think?