Building Walls

(Proverbs 18:19 KJV)  A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.

This verse has some translation issues that are beyond my skills.  I noticed it when I was looking at some of the translations on my software.  It focuses on the word “offended” (6586).  Two versions, the Darby translation and the Good News Bible, translate this as “helped”.  That seems a bit more than a nuance.  In looking at other sources, Adam Clarke says,

“Almost all the versions agree in the following reading:  ‘A brother assisted by a brother, is like a fortified city; and their decisions are like the bars of a city.’”

Keil and Delitzsch go into it in greater detail but they are beyond my limited scholarship.  It seems to be based on how you read the text.  The interesting thing to me is that both translations work very well.  Helping people builds walls around the relationship.  Attacking people builds walls between you. 

So?  Which do you think God wants?  If we are talking about you and the local drug dealer it needs to be walls between you.  If it is you and the guy in the next pew build them around.  Act like a believer.