What does Proverbs 24:12 mean?

The prior verse called on godly people to intervene when innocents are being killed or persecuted (Proverbs 24:11). This has physical, earthly application in cases of injustice and abuse. It also applies to the idea of evangelism, where Christ-followers seek to "rescue" others from condemnation in eternity (John 3:36; James 5:20).

Here, we are reminded that no one can fool God; claiming "I did not know" is futile in matters of good and evil. Other Scriptures provide reminders of God's perfect knowledge (Hebrews 4:12–13) and our lack of excuse (Romans 1:18–20). Taken in context with the prior verse, the scenario is someone who perceives injustice or atrocity, yet tries to plead ignorance. Excuses might work with other people, but God knows the true motives of the heart. He knows the difference between discretion (Proverbs 2:11; 3:21; 14:16) or strategy (Proverbs 20:18) as opposed to indifference or cowardice (Romans 1:28–32; Proverbs 21:13).

As with the first half of this lesson, this verse has application to evangelism. The ministry of rescuing lost souls is pressing; believers cannot pretend to be ignorant of spiritual needs in a fallen world. After presenting Himself to a Samaritan woman, Jesus emphasized this urgency. After the disciples returned to Jesus from a shopping trip to find food, Jesus told them to look and see a waiting harvest (John 4:35). Likely, the "fields" Jesus referred to were the people of Samaria coming to meet Him (John 4:28–30).

There are many excuses for not rescuing the perishing, but not a single good reason to leave the suffering to their fate. The apostle Paul endured many harsh trials to reach the lost. He said, "Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others" (2 Corinthians 5:11).