Deuteronomy 22:8
When thou buildest a new house, thou shalt make a battlement to the roof round about: lest blood be shed in thy house, and thou be guilty, if any one slip, and fall down headlong.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Cum ædificaveris domum novam, facies murum tecti per circuitum : ne effundatur sanguis in domo tua, et sis reus labente alio, et in præceps ruente.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Ἐὰν οἰκοδομήσῃς οἰκίαν καινήν, καὶ ποιήσεις στεφάνην τῷ δώματί σου· καὶ οὐ ποιήσεις φόνον ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ σου, ἐὰν πέσῃ ὁ πεσὼν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- כִּ֤י תִבְנֶה֙ בַּ֣יִת חָדָ֔שׁ וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ מַעֲקֶ֖ה לְגַגֶּ֑ךָ וְלֹֽא תָשִׂ֤ים דָּמִים֙ בְּבֵיתֶ֔ךָ כִּֽי יִפֹּ֥ל הַנֹּפֵ֖ל מִמֶּֽנּוּ
Haydock's commentary
Battlement. This precaution was necessary, because all their houses had flat tops; and it was usual to walk and to converse together upon them. (Challoner)
King Ochozias had the misfortune to fall from the top of his house, (4 Kings i. 2,) and David saw Bethsabee when he was walking on the roof of his palace, 2 Kings xi. 2. Saul slept at the top of Samuel's house, 1 Kings ix. 25. See Josue ii. 6., and Matthew x. 27. (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Jerome Against the Pelagians, Book I
xxii. 8 . The housetop without a parapet makes a man guilty.