What does Proverbs 12:7 mean?
ESV: The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand.
NIV: The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous stands firm.
NASB: The wicked are overthrown and are no more, But the house of the righteous will stand.
CSB: The wicked are overthrown and perish, but the house of the righteous will stand.
NLT: The wicked die and disappear, but the family of the godly stands firm.
KJV: The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.
NKJV: The wicked are overthrown and are no more, But the house of the righteous will stand.
Verse Commentary:
Solomon notes again that the wicked will experience an abrupt end. Reliance on worldly resources and money is foolish (Proverbs 11:4–7). Trusting in an all-powerful and all-good God is always a safe choice (Proverbs 10:25). In fact, the evil person's attempt to destroy others is likely to lead to his own ruin (Psalm 9:15–16).
The book of Daniel relates the story of King Darius's high officials who despised Daniel and tried to destroy him. They persuaded Darius to pass a law that forbade everyone from requesting anything of any god or man for thirty days except of Darius. The penalty for breaking this law was death by hungry lions. Daniel broke the law by praying to the true God. He was subsequently thrown into a den of lions. However, the Lord protected Daniel, and Darius brought him out of the den. He then commanded that Daniel's accusers be tossed to the lions. "The lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces" (Daniel 6:24). As for righteous Daniel, he prospered (Daniel 6:28).
Ultimately, the wicked will be consigned to hell (Revelation 20:11–15), but the righteous will enjoy eternal bliss in heaven (Revelation 21:1–4).
Verse Context:
Proverbs 12:1–11 describes the righteous person and the wicked person. Solomon contrasts their character, their conduct, their relationship to the Lord, and the consequences of their behavior.
Chapter Summary:
Proverbs 12 contains a series of contrasts between lifestyles, comparing those who honor God to those who reject His wisdom. The results of those decisions are also compared. This repeats several common themes from the book of Proverbs, such as the self-destructive nature of sin and God's distaste for those who lie.
Chapter Context:
Proverbs 12 continues Solomon's wise sayings. A large portion of the book of Proverbs includes these short, common sense pieces of advice. After a series of introductions and lessons in chapters 1—9, chapter 10 began a long list of individual statements. In this chapter he continues to contrast the righteous and the wicked, showing that the life of the righteous is far better than the life of the wicked. This pattern will continue, covering the same basic theme, through chapter 15.
Book Summary:
Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.
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