" This was said by a man to another man who had killed someone. The man offered him blood money, but he refused. The first man told this to someone else, who replied, "By God, your brother would gladly be arrested!" meaning, he would gladly accept the blood money. The implication is that his refusal to accept blood money was insincere. This proverb is used to criticize lying.
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The closest English equivalent to this proverb—in terms of condemning feigned zeal or vengeance when one's true inclination is self-interest—is:
Actions speak louder than words.
Another fitting example is:
He talks tough, but means otherwise.
A proverb that best captures the essence of exposing falsehood and pretense is:
His bark is worse than his bite.
This means: His threats are more potent than his actions.
This is because the man feigned refusal of blood money to demonstrate his zeal, while in reality, he would have accepted it had it been offered to him.
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