Proverbs 24:11

If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; IF THOU FORBEAR TO DELIVER (THEM THAT ARE) DRAWN UNTO DEATH, AND (THOSE THAT ARE) READY TO BE (LITERALLY, WAVERING ON, THE VERGE OF BEING) SLAIN. The Hebrew order is, 'to deliver etc., if thou forbear.' The duty is laid down first, then the failure to discharge it; and the penal consequent of this follows in Proverbs 24:12, "Doth not He that pondereth the heart consider it?" Gesenius takes the Hebrew particle [ 'im (H518)] "if" to be used as a formula of oath, equivalent to 'Do not (through indolence or cowardice) forbear to deliver, etc. So the good Samaritan, Luke 10:30, etc.;...

Verse Proverbs 24:11. _IF THOU FORBEAR TO DELIVER_] If thou seest the innocent taken by the hand of lawless power or superstitious zeal, and they are about to be put to death, thou shouldst rise up in their behalf, boldly plead for them, testify to their innocence when thou knowest it; and thus thou wilt not be _guilty of blood_; which thou wouldst be, if, through any pretense, thou shouldst neglect to save the life of a man unjustly condemned....

Literally: “Deliver those that are drawn unto death, And those who totter to the slaughter - if Thou withdraw ...” i. e., “O withdraw them,” save them from their doom; in contrast to Proverbs 24:10. The structure and meaning are both somewhat obscure; but the sentence is complete in itself, and is not a mere hypothesis concluded in the following verses....

EXPOSITION PROVERBS 24:1 We return here to the more usual form, the tetrastich. BE NOT THOU ENVIOUS AGAINST EVIL MEN (see on Proverbs 23:17, where a similar warning is given, and comp. Proverbs 23:19 below). "Men of wickedness," wholly given over to evil. NEITHER DESIRE TO BE WITH THEM. Their company is pollution, and association with them makes you a partner in their sinful doings. The Septuagint prefaces the paragraph with the personal address, υἱέ_ _"son." PROVERBS 24:2 For their heart studie

IF THOU FORBEAR TO DELIVER [THEM THAT ARE] DRAWN UNTO DEATH,.... Or "taken for or unto death" h, in a violent way; who are taken by thieves and robbers, and used in a barbarous manner, as the man in the parable, whom the priest and Levite took no notice of, and was helped by the good Samaritan; or who are unjustly sentenced and appointed to death by the civil magistrate; if any know their innocency, it becomes them to do all they can to save their lives, by bearing a testimony for them; for "a true witness delivereth souls", Proverbs 14:25; or by interceding for them, and giving counsel and advice concerning them, or by any lawful way they can; as Reuben delivered Joseph, Jonathan interceded for David, and Ahikam and Ebedmelech for Jeremiah. Life is valuable, and all means should be taken to save it, and to prevent the shedding of innocent blood; and a man should not forbear

CHAPTER 24 INSTRUCTIONS CONTINUED In the final instructions of this chapter we find first a description of the evil men. Their heart studieth destruction; their lips talk mischief. This theme is repeatedly referred to in this chapter. In Proverbs 24:15 the evil man is addressed not to lay wait for the righteous and not to spoil his resting place. The Lord takes care of the righteous; he may be overcome by misfortunes seven times, yet will he rise again. Different it is with the wicked when he falls into mischief. Yet there must be no rejoicing over the fall of the enemy, nor gladness when he stumbled. This displeaseth the Lord. Still higher is the command of the New Testament, “Love your enemies; ... recompense no man evil for evil; ... overcome evil with good.” There is to be no fretting because of evil men nor envy ...

PROVERBS 24:7 A. Lit. Wisdom is corals to the fool. RV involves a change m the text, which gives perhaps the best sense that can be made of an obviously corrupt stanza. Proverbs 24:9. thought: the word means plan or device, and is used in both a good and a bad sense in Pr. Here the meaning is that sin is the kind of plan which folly engages in, sin is folly's plan. Proverbs 24:10. An incomplete aphorism. As it stands its probable meaning is, If thou art slack, thy strength will be narrow (_i.e._ restricted) in the day of trouble. Proverbs 24:11 f. The Heb. is not unambiguous and shows

IF THOU FORBEAR. This is counsel for. ruler or judge, and is FOR Solomon. See the Structure (p. 891). Illustrations: Doeg (1 Samuel 22:18); Pilate (Luke 23:22). DELIVER. snatch, or rescue. DRAWN, &C.. being taken to execution....

_drawn unto death … ready to be slain_ whether by unjust judgement, or by violence. In the first case you may deliver a soul by giving true witness (Proverbs 14:25), in the second, by not passing by like the priest and the Levite on the other side, but by rendering help with the good Samaritan. It is better to take this verse as complete in itself, with LXX. (ῥῦσαι ἀγομένους εἰς θάνατον, καὶ ἐκπρίου κτεινομένους, μὴ φείσῃ); Vulg., Erue eos qui ducuntur ad mortem; et qui trahuntur ad interitum liberare necesses; and with R.V. DELIVER THEM THAT ARE CARRIED AWAY UNTO DEATH, AND THOSE THAT ARE READY TO BE SLAIN SEE THAT THOU HOLD BACK. _ready to be slain_ Lit. TOTTERING TO THE SLAUGHTER....

DISCOURSE: 807 THE FOLLY OF VAIN EXCUSES Proverbs 24:11. _If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? And shall not he render to every man according to his works?_ OFFICIAL influence is a valuable talent: but to use it aright is often very difficult, and painful to the feelings. Hence those who are possessed of it, are apt to shrink back, when the exercise of it is likely to involve them in much trouble; and they will connive at abuses, which they cannot easily prevent. For such connivance they have excuses ever ready at hand; “They were not aware of the circumstances;” or, “They thought their interposition would be to no purpose.” But power and responsibility are inseparabl