Proverbs 24:20 kjv

For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

Proverbs 24:20 nkjv

For there will be no prospect for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

Proverbs 24:20 niv

for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

Proverbs 24:20 esv

for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

Proverbs 24:20 nlt

For evil people have no future;
the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.

Proverbs 24 verses

Proverbs 24 20 Meaning

Proverbs 24:20 states that the wicked person has no lasting hope or future; their prosperity, influence, and very life will be extinguished. It warns against envying or fretting over the apparent success of evildoers, affirming divine justice that will ultimately bring their flourishing to an abrupt and final end, leaving no enduring legacy.

Proverbs 24 20 Context

Proverbs chapter 24 is part of a collection of "sayings of the wise" (Prov 22:17 – 24:34). Specifically, verses 19 and 20 form a couplet: "Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the wicked; For there will be no future for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out." The verse therefore serves as a crucial theological and practical motivation for the preceding exhortation. It addresses a common human temptation to question God's justice when the wicked appear to prosper. The historical context reflects a society grappling with the observed realities of life where ethical outcomes are not always immediate or evident, characteristic of wisdom literature's wrestling with the problem of evil. This proverb offers a perspective rooted in divine providence and ultimate justice, asserting that appearances are deceptive and temporary, and a righteous future, unlike that of the wicked, is guaranteed.

Proverbs 24 20 Word analysis

• For (כִּי, kî): This conjunction serves as a causal link, providing the reason or explanation for the exhortation in the preceding verse (v.19). It indicates that the impending destruction of the wicked is the basis for not envying them.
• there will be no future (אַחֲרִית אֵין, ʾaḥărit ʾên):
  • no (אֵין, ʾên): Signifies absence or non-existence.
  • future (אַחֲרִית, ʾaḥărit): Literally "latter end," "outcome," "posterity." This term encompasses destiny, descendants, a hopeful culmination, or a prosperous legacy. For the wicked, there is no such lasting legacy or beneficial outcome. This contrasts sharply with the "future" promised to the righteous (e.g., Prov 23:18). It implies their existence is without ultimate purpose or lasting good.
• evil man (לָרָע, la-raʿ): Refers to a person who is morally bad, harmful, or generally corrupt. It speaks to their intrinsic nature and actions that are contrary to God's will.
• the lamp (נֵר, nēr): A powerful metaphor in the Bible, signifying life, prosperity, vitality, the continuance of a family line, divine guidance, or one's reputation. A lamp provided essential light, especially in the darkness. To "have a lamp" meant to have life, hope, and an heir (e.g., 1 Kgs 11:36; Ps 132:17).
• of the wicked (רְשָׁעִים, rəshāʿîm): Those who are actively unrighteous, guilty, morally condemned, and oppose God's laws. This is a more specific and strong term than raʿ.
• will be put out (יִדְעַךְ, yidʿak): "To extinguish," "quench." This is an emphatic statement of finality. It means their source of life, prosperity, influence, or lineage will cease entirely, plunging them into ultimate darkness and oblivion. This is a common biblical imagery for the end of the wicked's flourishing (e.g., Job 18:5).

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "For there will be no future for the evil man": This phrase assures the observer that despite any superficial or temporary prosperity, the wicked person's ultimate destiny is one of void and destruction. Their path leads to a dead end, lacking the blessed continuity or hope that characterizes the path of the righteous. It's a statement about their inherent lack of positive legacy.
• "the lamp of the wicked will be put out": This phrase expands on the first, using vivid imagery. The lamp represents the vital essence of one's life—their success, joy, descendants, and very existence. To have this "lamp" extinguished signifies not merely the end of their current comfort, but a complete and final termination of all that makes life meaningful, often implying death, the end of their lineage, and absolute oblivion in the divine economy. This imagery conveys a definitive end to their apparent triumph.

Proverbs 24 20 Bonus section

The verse stands in a rich theological tradition that distinguishes between immediate appearances and ultimate reality. While other biblical books, like Job and parts of Ecclesiastes, delve more deeply into the timing and complexity of justice, Proverbs consistently offers a foundational truth: God’s moral order ensures a fundamentally different ultimate destiny for the wicked versus the righteous. This proverb reminds us that true success is not measured by temporary accumulation or worldly influence, but by one's relationship with God, which guarantees a blessed "future." The extinguishing of the lamp can also carry connotations of divine judgment that may include literal death, a lack of an heir to carry on the family name (which was critical in ancient Israelite culture), or even the absence of light in the eschatological sense for those outside of God’s favor.

Proverbs 24 20 Commentary

Proverbs 24:20 serves as a crucial antidote to discouragement and envy when faced with the seeming prosperity of the wicked. It builds directly upon the exhortation of verse 19, explaining why believers should not fret or be envious. The wisdom literature often grapples with the problem of delayed justice, where the unrighteous appear to flourish while the righteous suffer. This verse offers a theological resolution, asserting that the wicked's success is profoundly transient and without lasting foundation.

The imagery of "no future" (ʾaḥărit) implies a lack of hope, descendants, or any beneficial culmination. Their journey leads to an ultimate emptiness, devoid of the inheritance and blessing reserved for the upright. The metaphor of the "lamp" vividly portrays life, prosperity, lineage, and reputation. When the lamp is "put out," it signifies a comprehensive and irreversible end to all these aspects. Their very light, vitality, and influence are extinguished, plunging them into utter darkness, contrasting sharply with the ever-brightening path of the righteous (Prov 4:18-19). This is not just a poetic image but a theological statement about divine retribution – the Lord is the one who ultimately puts out their lamp (cf. Prov 13:9; Job 18:5). It reassures the righteous that God's justice, though sometimes delayed, is certain and complete. Therefore, fleeting earthly observations should not diminish one's trust in God's moral order.

Examples:

• A corrupt businessman who thrives for years eventually loses everything due to an unexpected expose or a financial crash, and dies without honor or legacy.
• A tyrannical ruler who brutally suppresses his people enjoys immense power, but ultimately falls from grace, his family line ends, and his name is reviled in history.