Proverbs 24:12

24:12 If you say, “But we did not know about this,”

does not the one who evaluates ¹  hearts consider?

Does not the one who guards your life know?

Will he not repay each person according to his deeds? ² 

Proverbs 24:29

24:29 Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me;

I will pay him back ³  according to what he has done.” ⁴ 

[24:12]  ¹ tn Heb “weighs” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV) meaning “tests” or “evaluates.”

[24:12]  ² sn The verse completes the saying by affirming that people will be judged responsible for helping those in mortal danger. The verse uses a series of rhetorical questions to affirm that God knows our hearts and we cannot plead ignorance.

[24:29]  ³ tn Heb “repay to the man.” The verb is שׁוּב (shuv), which in the Hiphil stem means “to restore; to repay; to return” (cf. TEV, CEV, NLT “I’ll get even”). The idea is that of repaying someone for what he did.

[24:29]  ⁴ sn Rather than give in to the spirit of vengeance, one should avoid retaliation (e.g., Prov 20:22; Matt 5:43-45; Rom 12:9). According to the Talmud, Hillel said, “Do not do to others what you would not have them do unto you” (b. Sanhedrin 31a).