Proverbs 14:11 kjv
The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.
Proverbs 14:11 nkjv
The house of the wicked will be overthrown, But the tent of the upright will flourish.
Proverbs 14:11 niv
The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
Proverbs 14:11 esv
The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
Proverbs 14:11 nlt
The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the godly will flourish.
Proverbs 14 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 1:3-4 | "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers... The ungodly are not so..." | Righteous flourish, wicked perish like chaff. |
| Ps 37:9-10 | "For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth." | Wicked destroyed, righteous inherit earth. |
| Ps 37:16-17 | "A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken..." | Lasting power of righteous, breaking of wicked. |
| Ps 37:34-36 | "Wait on the Lord, and keep his way... I have seen the wicked in great power... Yet he passed away..." | Ultimate end of wicked is vanishing, righteous exalted. |
| Ps 92:7-12 | "When the wicked spring as the grass... it is that they shall be destroyed for ever... The righteous shall flourish..." | Wicked flourish only for destruction; righteous endure. |
| Ps 112:1-3 | "Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord... Wealth and riches shall be in his house..." | Blessing and lasting prosperity for the righteous. |
| Prov 3:33 | "The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just." | Direct parallel: curse on wicked homes, blessing on righteous. |
| Prov 10:3 | "The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked." | Divine provision for righteous, removal of wicked's gains. |
| Prov 10:7 | "The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot." | Legacy of good is honored, wicked forgotten. |
| Prov 10:25 | "As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation." | Wicked vanish, righteous remain firm. |
| Prov 11:21 | "Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered." | Judgment on wicked, salvation for righteous descendants. |
| Prov 11:28 | "He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch." | Trust in wealth fails, righteousness leads to flourishing. |
| Prov 12:3 | "A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved." | Wicked unstable, righteous firmly rooted. |
| Prov 24:19-20 | "Fret not thyself because of evil men... For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out." | Warns against envy of wicked; their end is darkness. |
| Job 8:13-14 | "So are the paths of all that forget God... Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider’s web." | False hope of the godless leads to ruin. |
| Job 15:34 | "For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery." | Destructive end for the deceitful. |
| Isa 58:11 | "And the Lord shall guide thee continually... and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden..." | Continuous blessing and vitality for the obedient. |
| Jer 17:7-8 | "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord... For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters..." | Trust in the Lord leads to stability and fruitfulness. |
| Mal 4:1 | "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble..." | Future judgment consumes all evildoers. |
| Mt 7:26-27 | "And every one that heareth these sayings... and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand..." | Illustrates the inevitable collapse of ungodly life. |
| Lk 6:47-49 | "Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them... but he that heareth, and doeth not..." | Parallel to the wise/foolish builders, emphasizing foundation. |
| Rom 2:6-9 | "Who will render to every man according to his deeds... tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil..." | God's impartial justice; consequence for good and evil deeds. |
| Gal 6:7-8 | "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap... he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption..." | Principle of sowing and reaping; corruption from ungodly acts. |
| 1 Pet 4:17-18 | "If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" | The grim reality of final judgment for the ungodly. |
Proverbs 14 verses
Proverbs 14 11 Meaning
Proverbs 14:11 declares a fundamental principle of divine justice: the ultimate fate of individuals, their families, and their legacies is directly tied to their moral character. The "house" (representing stability, inheritance, and posterity) of the wicked will suffer complete and enduring destruction, while the "tabernacle" (or tent, symbolizing a humbler yet equally vital dwelling and legacy) of the upright will experience continuous growth, vitality, and prosperity. It emphasizes that outward appearance or temporary success does not dictate the final, lasting outcome; righteousness is the true foundation for an enduring and flourishing heritage.
Proverbs 14 11 Context
Proverbs chapter 14 belongs to a larger collection of Solomon's proverbs, primarily focusing on antithetical parallelism that contrasts wisdom and foolishness, righteousness and wickedness. Verse 11 embodies this central theme by drawing a stark contrast in the ultimate fate of two distinct character types. Historically, the audience would have been familiar with both "houses" (stable, often generational family dwellings) and "tents" (humbler, sometimes temporary abodes, evocative of their nomadic past and the Tabernacle). The verse speaks directly to their lived experience, reassuring those who might question God's justice when observing the apparent success of the wicked while the righteous often faced hardship. It affirms that enduring blessing and lineage stability are intrinsically linked to righteous living, challenging ancient pagan beliefs where prosperity might be attributed to capricious gods or sheer force without moral foundation.
Proverbs 14 11 Word analysis
The house (בַּ֫יִת - bayith): This Hebrew term signifies more than just a physical building. It refers comprehensively to a dwelling, a household, a family, a lineage, an ancestral estate, and by extension, one's entire legacy and sphere of influence. For the wicked, this entire structure of supposed security and prosperity is destined for ruin.
of the wicked (רְשָׁעִים - rĕshā‘îm): This is the plural form of rasha’, denoting those who are unrighteous, evil, impious, or guilty. They are individuals whose lives are fundamentally out of alignment with divine principles, characterized by disregard for moral and spiritual law. Their wickedness dictates their eventual outcome.
shall be overthrown (יִשָּׁמֵד - yishāmēd): Derived from the root shamad, meaning to destroy, annihilate, or lay waste. The passive form indicates that it will be overthrown, often implying an inevitable consequence or divine judgment. It conveys utter, irreversible destruction, far beyond a simple decline or decay.
but the tabernacle (וְאֹ֫הֶל - wĕ’ōhel): "And the tent." In contrast to a permanent house, an "ohel" is typically a more modest or portable dwelling. Its use here for the upright is significant. It implies that even a humble or less overtly imposing life-structure of the righteous will endure and thrive more than the grand, yet flawed, structures of the wicked. It also holds spiritual resonance, potentially recalling the Tabernacle as a place of divine dwelling and true security.
of the upright (יְשָׁרִים - yĕshārîm): Plural of yashar, meaning straight, righteous, honest, or morally sound. These are individuals whose lives are characterized by integrity, adherence to divine commands, and walking in a straight path with God.
shall flourish (יַפְרִיחַ - yafrîaḥ): From the root parach, meaning to blossom, sprout, bud, or burst forth. This term conveys strong imagery of vitality, abundant growth, continuous renewal, and thriving. It symbolizes robust, organic life and ongoing prosperity that characterizes the lives and legacies of the righteous.
Words-group analysis:
- "The house of the wicked shall be overthrown": This phrase encompasses not just physical destruction but the complete collapse of their lineage, influence, wealth, and all that they sought to establish. It speaks of the total and inevitable dismantling of a life and legacy built upon unrighteousness.
- "but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish": This contrasting phrase highlights a paradox. While a "tent" might seem less stable than a "house," for the righteous, their humble dwelling place, their simple and genuine existence, will possess enduring life, growth, and prosperity. It signifies that genuine well-being, success, and continued existence stem from spiritual and moral uprightness, not material grandeur.
Proverbs 14 11 Bonus section
The concept of the "tabernacle of the upright" may subtly evoke the dwelling of God (the Tabernacle in the wilderness) amongst His people. This suggests that the "tent" of the righteous is not merely a humble abode, but one under God's favor and blessing, making it inherently more secure than the "house" built by human pride or wickedness. It signifies that true security and flourishing for the righteous stem from God's presence and their relationship with Him, indicating a spiritual rather than just material prosperity. This proverb also connects with the idea that the wicked build on unstable foundations, while the righteous build on a solid rock, enduring life's storms.
Proverbs 14 11 Commentary
Proverbs 14:11 encapsulates a core tenet of biblical wisdom: divine justice is at work in the world, ensuring that ultimately, moral character determines destiny. The imagery of a "house" contrasted with a "tabernacle" is crucial. A "house" symbolizes permanence and accumulated status, while a "tabernacle" (or tent) might suggest humility or even a nomadic existence. Yet, the verse subverts conventional expectations: the apparently stable and formidable "house" of the wicked is condemned to ruin, signifying the complete obliteration of their lineage and influence. Conversely, the seemingly less permanent "tabernacle" of the upright will "flourish," implying continuous growth, vitality, and prosperity for their descendants and legacy. This isn't a guarantee against immediate hardships for the righteous or temporary success for the wicked, but an assurance of their ultimate and lasting outcome. The proverb asserts that true stability and lasting fruitfulness are spiritual in nature, flowing from lives aligned with God's righteousness, serving as a comfort to the faithful and a warning to the godless.