“Rescue those who are being taken away to death”: “Rescue” is a term used frequently in Proverbs for saving or delivering someone from death or enemies (11.4, 6; 12.6; 19.19; 23.14). In this context it may refer to ransoming prisoners of war or to taking legal action to set people free who have been unjustly condemned in the courts; Good News Translation suggests this by saying “someone who is about to be executed unjustly.” “Those who are being taken away” refers to people being “led away” (New International Version) to execution (“death”). Some commentators think that this and the parallel term in the next line describe the way these people are walking; with this in mind, both Revised English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible render the word “being dragged.”

“Hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter”: This line is parallel to the previous line, and the individual terms are quite similar in meaning. Both Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version combine the two lines to avoid repetition, and this may be a good approach for translators in some other languages. “Hold back” is similar in meaning to “Rescue” and has the sense of “keeping” or “keeping back” someone from a dangerous situation. In Hebrew there is a particle attached to this verb, which in this context makes it more emphatic. “Those who are stumbling” is similar in meaning to “those who are being taken away”; New International Version renders it as “those staggering,” and Revised English Bible “those being hauled off.” The word “slaughter” is related to a verb for “kill” that usually involves ruthless violence. In this context where it is parallel to the term “death”, it probably refers to “execution” (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible).

In translation it may be necessary to help readers to understand the situation that this verse refers to. Two examples of the way this may be done are “If the court has wrongly condemned someone to die, then you must go and get this person back.” Or “If people are wanting to kill someone, but it is not right that this person should die, don’t be afraid to go and save him.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .