Proverbs 12:21
in Proverbs 12No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
There shall no mischief happen to the righteous; But the wicked shall be filled with evil.
KJV
There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.
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This verse in Proverbs 12
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThere shall no evil happen to the just,.... The evil of sin: no iniquity, as the Targum; which, and the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, interpret of sin not being agreeable, convenient, suit able, and pleasing to a righteous man. Moreover, the Lord, by his Spirit and grace, weakens the power of sin in them; and, by his providence, prevents and removes occasion of sinning; and by his power preserves from it, from being overcome and carried away with it, at least finally and totally.
This site's exposition
He who speaks the truth declares what is right
on Proverbs 12:17-22
Verses 17 to 22 gather proverbs on the tongue. Rash words are “like a piercing sword,” but “the tongue of the wise brings healing,” and “Truthful lips endure forever”. “Lying lips are detestable to the LORD,” as dishonest scales are at 11:1, and “those who deal faithfully are His delight”.
This site's exposition
No harm befalls the righteous
The righteous still meet hardship, and the promise speaks of harm that ruins. Adam Clarke reads it with Romans 8:28: whatever happens to a righteous man, God turns to his good. The wicked are filled with trouble.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
There shall no evil happen to the just - No, for all things work together for good to them that love God. Whatever occurs to a righteous man God turns to his advantage. But, on the other hand, the wicked are filled with mischief: they are hurt, grieved, and wounded, by every occurrence; and nothing turns to their profit.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יְאֻנֶּ֣ה | yeuneh | it happens | H579 → | |
| לַצַּדִּ֣יק | latzadik | to the righteous | H6662 → | 206 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אָ֑וֶן | ʾaven | trouble | H205 → | 77 times |
| וּ֝רְשָׁעִ֗ים | ureshaim | and wicked [people] | H7563 → | 263 times |
| מָ֣לְאוּ | malu | they are full | H4390 → | 249 times |
| רָֽע׃ | ra' | distress | H7451 → | 662 times |
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יְאֻנֶּ֣הit happens
yeunehH579 →
לַצַּדִּ֣יקto the righteous
latzadikH6662 →206 times
כָּל־any
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אָ֑וֶןtrouble
ʾavenH205 →77 times
וּ֝רְשָׁעִ֗יםand wicked [people]
ureshaimH7563 →263 times
מָ֣לְאוּthey are full
maluH4390 →249 times
רָֽע׃distress
ra'H7451 →662 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 8:28And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 5:10
And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish…
- James 1:12
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
- Genesis 50:20
As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.
- Romans 5:3–5
Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
- 1 Corinthians 2:9
Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
- 1 Peter 5:10
Through
Psalms 91:10no evil will befall you, no plague will approach your tent.
it leads to
- Psalms 121:7
The LORD will guard you from all evil; He will preserve your soul.
- Deuteronomy 7:15
And the LORD will remove from you all sickness. He will not lay upon you any of the terrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but He will inflict them on all who hate you.
- Romans 8:25
But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.
- Psalms 121:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Proverbs

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament.
