BLOODGUILT
“Hands that are shedding innocent blood” have been one of the most detestable things to Jehovah ever since righteous Abel’s blood cried out from the ground before 3896 B.C.E. (Prov. 6:16, 17; Gen. 4:10; Ps. 5:6) Men also have long been aware of the sacredness of blood; when Noah and his family came out of the ark they were informed of the dire consequences befalling those upon whom there was bloodguilt.—Gen. 9:6; 37:21, 22; 42:22.
In due time laws were published, spelling out what constituted crimes worthy of death, and, in this way, everyone could avoid doing that which would bring bloodguilt upon his own head. Other legislation was enacted as preventive safeguard to protect people from spilling innocent blood. Parapets had to be built around the edge of the flat-topped houses so people would not fall off. (Deut. 22:8) A man had to provide safeguards to prevent his bull from goring people. (Ex. 21:29) If a thief was killed while breaking in at night, there was no bloodguilt; but if he was killed during the daylight, it was a different matter. (Ex. 22:2, 3) Cities of refuge were set up to protect the accidental manslayer from the avenger of blood. (Num. 35:25; Deut. 19:9, 10; Josh. 20:2, 3) If Ezekiel failed in his duty as a watchman to Israel, the blood of the inhabitants would be upon him. (Ezek. 3:18, 20; 33:6, 8) With this in mind we find understandable what the apostle Paul meant when he said that he was innocent of bloodguilt.—Acts 18:6; 20:26.
The Bible lists both those that were free and those that were not free of bloodguilt, and these well serve as warning examples. There was Saul, who at one time escaped bloodguilt because he refrained from killing David; yet later Saul brought bloodguilt upon his whole household when he foolishly killed off some of the Gibeonites. (1 Sam. 19:5, 6; 2 Sam. 21:1) There were others too that became stained with bloodguilt. (Judg. 9:24; 2 Sam. 1:16; 4:6-12) David, on the other hand, escaped such guilt when he heeded Jehovah’s warning sent to him through Abigail. (1 Sam. 25:24-26, 31, 33) The city of Jerusalem was destroyed in 607 B.C.E. because of gross bloodguilt. (Ezek. 22:2-4; 23:37, 45) The false religious leaders of Jesus’ day could not deny their bloodguiltiness any more than the leaders of Jeremiah’s time, for, in both instances, their skirts were crimson red with the blood of Jehovah’s faithful ones. (Jer. 2:34; Matt. 23:35, 36; 27:24, 25; Luke 11:50, 51) The great “harlot” Babylon the Great is so bloodguilty she is said to be drunk with the blood of Jehovah’s people.—Rev. 17:5, 6; 18:24.
Truly such bloodguilty ones are not worth living half their lives, as David said. (Ps. 55:23) As David did, all should likewise pray that Jehovah will deliver them both from bloodguiltiness and from the bloodguilty ones. (Ps. 51:14; 59:2; 139:19) As the Revelation prophecy foretold, the time will shortly come when a mighty chorus of praise will ascend to Jehovah because the last elements of Babylon the Great will have been destroyed and the blood of all these innocent ones will have been forever avenged.—Rev. 19:1, 2.
See AVENGER OF BLOOD.