Proverbs 24:11

25

"Deliver them that are carried away unto death, And those that are ready to be slain, see that thou hold back. If thou sayest, Behold, we knew not this; Doth not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that keepeth thy soul, doth he not know it? And shall he not render to every man according to his work?"

"See that thou hold back" (Proverbs 24:11) actually means, "See that thou hold them back that are perishing." The marginal reading (American Standard Version) makes this clear. "Forbear thou not, to deliver."

Taken along with Proverbs 24:10, there are three situations here where a true man, instead of avoiding his duty, should discharge it. "These are the crisis (Proverbs 24:10), the near-hopeless task (Proverbs 24:11), and pardonable ignorance (`We knew not this, Proverbs 24:12')."[8] Such difficult, unanticipated and near-hopeless situations are to be expected in the Christian life (Acts 14:22). God pity the Christian who refuses to be involved, saying, "Well, that's none of my business."