What “If”?

(Proverbs 24:11 KJV)  If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;

If you have a translation other than the KJV you struggle to figure out where the word “if” (518) belongs.  Every major translation, except the KJV, has this as a command.  Thus the NASB starts with “deliver” (5337) instead of “if”.  The word is there.  In the NASB it is at the end of the verse and translated “O.”  It seems that the basic meaning of the word is “if” but it very much depends on the context.

In reality, the command is there.  We are supposed to see it as our duty to help those who are in crisis.  The context here seems to refer to war and its effects but the principle can be applied to our every day lives.

So?  Look around you.  Make a difference.