Proverbs 24:18

24:18 lest the Lord see it, and be displeased, ¹ 

and turn his wrath away from him. ² 

Proverbs 24:12

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

does not the one who evaluates ³  hearts consider?

Does not the one who guards your life know?

Will he not repay each person according to his deeds? ⁴ 

[24:18]  ¹ tn Heb “and [it is] evil in his eyes.”

[24:18]  ² sn The judgment of God should strike a note of fear in the heart of people (e.g., Lev 19:17-18). His judgment is not to be taken lightly, or personalized as a victory. If that were to happen, then the Lord might take pity on the enemies in their calamity, for he champions the downtrodden and defeated. These are probably personal enemies; the imprecatory psalms and the prophetic oracles present a different set of circumstances for the downfall of God’s enemies – even the book of Proverbs says that brings joy to the community.

[24:12]  ³ tn Heb “weighs” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV) meaning “tests” or “evaluates.”

[24:12]  ⁴ 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.