Proverbs 14:32 — Word Study
WLCבְּֽ֭רָעָתוֹ יִדָּחֶ֣ה רָשָׁ֑ע וְחֹסֶ֖ה בְמוֹת֣וֹ צַדִּֽיק׃
BSAThe wicked [man]râshâʻ [morally wrong, guilty of sin] is thrown downdâchâh▸ [driven away, thrust] by his own sinraʻ [evil actions, moral harm] but the righteous [man]tsaddîyq [just, made right with God] has a refugechâçâh [safe place, trust] even in deathmâveth [the end of life, mortal demise]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּֽ֭רָעָתוֹ | by wickedness his | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| יִדָּחֶ֣ה | he is pushed down | Verb, Niphal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| רָשָׁ֑ע | a wicked [person] | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וְחֹסֶ֖ה | and [is] seeking refuge | Conjunction, verb qal participle (active) masculine singular |
| בְמוֹת֣וֹ | in death his | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| צַדִּֽיק׃ | a righteous [person] | Adj |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The wicked man is thrown down by his own sin, but the righteous man has a refuge even in death. |
| KJV | The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death. |
| ASV | The wicked is thrust down in his evil-doing; But the righteous hath a refuge in his death. |
| YLT | In his wickedness is the wicked driven away, And trustful in his death [is] the righteous. |
| WEB | The wicked is brought down in his calamity, but in death, the righteous has a refuge. |
| BBE | The sinner is overturned in his evil-doing, but the upright man has hope in his righteousness. |
Where they part company is in the terms used for the wicked and righteous, with all translations agreeing on these key words.
The sentence contrasts two main ideas, with the wicked being the subject of the first clause and the righteous in the second, emphasizing their differing fates.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectרָשָׁע
verbדָּחָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Proverbs 14:32
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Contrast of the Wicked and the Righteousgenerated
Proverbs 14:32 presents a stark contrast between the fates of the wicked and the righteous. The wicked are depicted as being ultimately harmed by their own actions, while the righteous are assured of safety, even in the face of death. This theme of moral consequence is prevalent throughout the book of Proverbs, emphasizing the importance of living a life aligned with God's ways.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 18:18 | He is driven from light into darkness and is chased from the inhabited world. |
| 2 | Job 27:20–22 | Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest sweeps him away in the night. |
| 3 | Psalm 58:9 | Before your pots can feel the burning thorns— whether green or dry— He will sweep them away. |
| 4 | Daniel 5:26–30 | And this is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. |
| 5 | John 8:21–24 | Again He said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for Me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 19 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — רָשָׁע, ra.Sha'generated
The term רָשָׁע (ra.sha') refers to a person who is wicked or morally wrong. It signifies someone who is guilty of sin against God or others, often characterized by criminal behavior or ethical wrongdoing.
This word is used to describe individuals who oppose God and His commandments. The parsing as a masculine singular noun indicates it refers to a specific individual rather than a group, emphasizing personal accountability for one's actions.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In this study, we read the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the term wicked for רָשָׁע.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is יִדָּחֶ֣ה (he is pushed down), with two subjects: the wicked and the righteous. The structure highlights the contrast between the two outcomes based on their moral standing.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the subjects, leading with the wicked followed by the righteous, which underscores the consequences of their respective actions.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates רָשָׁע as ἀσεβής (asebēs), meaning ungodly or impious. This choice reflects a broader interpretation of wickedness, aligning with the moral implications found in the Greek text.
The Greek term for the righteous is δίκαιος (dikaios), which carries similar connotations of justice and moral uprightness, consistent with the Hebrew understanding.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 14:32 tells us that the wicked are brought down by their own actions, while the righteous find safety even in death. This verse contrasts the outcomes of two types of people based on their moral choices, emphasizing the consequences of their lives.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This means that the consequences of their wrongdoing ultimately lead to their downfall, highlighting the self-destructive nature of sin.
The righteous are assured of safety and protection from God, even in the face of death, as their lives are aligned with His will.
This contrast emphasizes the moral choices individuals make and the resulting consequences, serving as a warning and encouragement to choose righteousness.
This verse encapsulates the wisdom literature's theme of moral consequence, teaching that living righteously leads to safety and peace, while wickedness leads to ruin.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I seen the consequences of wrongdoing in my own life or the lives of others?
- How can I seek refuge in God during difficult times, especially in the face of death?
- What steps can I take to ensure that my actions align with righteousness?
- How does understanding the fate of the wicked and the righteous influence my daily decisions?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 14:32 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThe wicked is driven away in his wickedness,.... That is, at death, as the opposite clause shows; he is driven out of the world, his heart is so much set on; from all the good things of it, which are
Read John Gill on Proverbs 14 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThe wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 14 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleDriven away, to wit, in his death, as is gathered from the opposite clause; driven away from God’ s favour and presence, and from the society of the just, and from all his hopes of happiness, both in this life and in the next. This expression notes that this is done suddenly, violently, and irresistibly, as the smoke or chaff are driven away by a strong wind. In his wickedness, or, for his wickedness, Heb. in his evil, which may be understood of the evil of punishment; in the day of his calamity, when he shall flee to God for help. Hath hope of deliverance from it, or of great and everlasting advantage by it. In his death; in his greatest dangers and distresses, yea, even in death itself…
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 14 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsProverbs 14:32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.Ver. 32. The wicked is driven away in his wickedness.] Being arrested by death, as a cruel serjeant, in the devil’ s name, he is hurried away, and hurled into hell, as dying in his sins, and killed by death. And oh, what a dreadful shriek gives the guilty soul then to see itself launching into an infinite ocean of scalding lead, and must swim naked in it for ever! But the righteous hath hope in his death.] Death to the righteous, as the valley of Achor, is a door of hope to give entrance into paradise; to the wicked it is a trap door to hell. Improbi dum spirant, sperant: iustus etiam cum…
Read John Trapp on Proverbs 14 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(32) The wicked is driven away in his wickedness.—Or, is overthrown in his misfortune, i.e., when it comes upon him (comp. Psalms 34:21), for he has none to aid or comfort him. But the righteous hath hope in his death.—Comp. Job’s confidence (Job 13:15 and Psalms 23:4). The gravest troubles do not terrify him.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 14 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 32. The wicked is driven away in his wickedness] He does not leave life cheerfully. Poor soul! Thou hast no hope in the other world, and thou leavest the present with the utmost regret! Thou wilt not go off; but God will drive thee. But the righteous hath hope in his death.] He rejoiceth to depart and be with Christ: to him death is gain; he is not reluctant to go-he flies at the call of God.
Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 14 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges32. his wickedness] Lit. his evil; which may mean either, with R.V. text, the evil which he does, his evil-doing, or, with R.V. marg., the evil which he suffers, his calamity. The latter meaning preserves best the parallelism: when calamity overtakes the wicked it crushes him utterly (comp. Psalms 36:12), but even in his last extremity of death the righteous hath hope. hope in his death] which implies a belief in a future state. The same vivid contrast meets us in a more expanded form in Psalms 73. The “prosperity of the wicked,” in contrast to the hard lot of the righteous, had been the stumbling-block of the writer of the Psalm (Psalms 73:1-16). It was by considering “the end” both of the…
Read Cambridge on Proverbs 14 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleConsult marginal reference. The hope which abides even “in death” must look beyond it.
Read Albert Barnes on Proverbs 14 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
The wicked man is thrown down by his own sin, but the righteous man has a refuge even in death.
The wicked is brought down in his calamity, but in death, the righteous has a refuge.
The wicked man is thrown down by his own sin, but the righteous man has a refuge even in death.
The wicked will be thrown down in his trouble, but the righteous have refuge even in the threat of death.
Tyndale line
The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.
The wicked is thrust down in his evil-doing; But the righteous hath a refuge in his death.
The wicked is thrust down in his evil-doing: but the righteous hath hope in his death.
The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.
The wicked shall be cast away for his malice: but the righteous hath hope in his death.
Strictly literal
The wicked is driven away by his evil-doing; but the righteous trusteth, [even] in his death.
In his wickedness is the wicked driven away, And trustful in his death [is] the righteous.
The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, || And the righteous [is] trustful in his death.
Through his own evil is the wicked thrust down; but even in his death doth the righteous have confidence.
The wicked person is brought down by his evil actions, but the righteous person has a refuge even in death.
From the Latin
The wicked man shall be driven out in his wickedness: but the just hath hope in his death.
Simplified
Wicked people are brought down by their own evil actions, but those who live right are confident even in death.
The sinner is overturned in his evil-doing, but the upright man has hope in his righteousness.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely in wording, with all six words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls, however, show some restoration, indicating that while the text is largely consistent, it has been edited for clarity in some parts.
בְּֽ֭רָעָתוֹ יִדָּחֶ֣ה רָשָׁ֑ע וְחֹסֶ֖ה בְמוֹת֣וֹ צַדִּֽיק׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[ברעת׳ו] ידחה רשע [וחסה] במות׳ו צדיק
3 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 2 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Proverbs 14:32
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
רַע (ra) is a Hebrew word meaning bad or evil, encompassing a range of negative qualities such as distress, misery, and ethical wrongdoing. It can describe unpleasantness, harm, or low value, and is used in various contexts, including emotional states and moral judgments. The entries also note its comparative form, indicating worse than or worst. The word has feminine forms, such as רָעָה (ra.ah), which similarly convey concepts of evil and distress.
רַע 228 adj. bad, evil
bad, disagreeable, malignant
bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery
evil, displeasing
bad of its kind
bad, , i.e. of low value
מִן comp., worse than
sad, unhappy
devise evil (hurtful) device
bad, unkind, vicious in disposition or temper
ethically bad, evil, wicked
base
רַע 126 n.m. evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity
evil, distress, adversity
evil, injury, wrong
ethical evil
base
רָעָה 310 n.f. evil, misery, distress, injury
evil, misery, distress
evil, injury, wrong
ethical evil
base
H7451a רַע bad, evil . bad, disagreeable, malignant
. bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery
. evil, displeasing
. bad of its kind
. bad, , i.e. of low value
. + מִן comp., worse than
. sad, unhappy
. devise evil (hurtful) device
. bad, unkind, vicious in disposition or temper
. ethically bad, evil, wicked
H7451b רַע evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity . evil, distress, adversity
. evil, injury, wrong
. ethical evil
H7451c רָעָה evil, misery, distress, injury . evil, misery, distress
. evil, injury, wrong
. ethical evil
7451 ra` rah
from 7489; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral):--
adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease(-ure),
distress, evil((- favouredness), man, thing), + exceedingly, X
great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured),
+ mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, + not
please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex,
wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong.
(Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).
see HEBREW for 07489
רַע (ra) — bad: harmful.
: harmful
adj
1) bad, evil
1a) bad, disagreeable, malignant
1b) bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery)
1c) evil, displeasing
1d) bad (of its kind-land, water, etc)
1e) bad (of value)
1f) worse than, worst (comparison)
1g) sad, unhappy
1h) evil (hurtful)
1i) bad, unkind (vicious in disposition)
1j) bad, evil, wicked (ethically)
1j1) in general, of persons, of thoughts
1j2) deeds, actions
רַע (ra) — bad: evil.
1) evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity
1a) evil, distress, adversity
1b) evil, injury, wrong
1c) evil (ethical)
רָעָה (ra.ah) — distress: harm.
: harm
1) evil, misery, distress, injury
1a) evil, misery, distress
1b) evil, injury, wrong
1c) evil (ethical)
רַע (ra) — bad: evil.
: evil
adj
1) bad, evil
1a) bad, disagreeable, malignant
1b) bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery)
1c) evil, displeasing
Prep | N-fs | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms
דָּחָה (dachah) means to push or thrust, with a range of meanings including to chase, drive away, or overthrow. It appears in various grammatical forms, such as Niph. where it indicates being thrust down. The entries also reference דָּחַח (dachach), which is a related form with a similar meaning.
דָּחָה vb. push, thrust
Qal push
Niph. be thrust or cast down
Pu. they are thrust down
base
[דָּחַח] vb. only Niph. Impf. 3mpl. Je 23:12 they shall be thrust down
ref
H1760a דָּחָה push, thrust H1760b דָּחַח only Niph. Impf. 3mpl. they shall be thrust down
1760 dachah daw-khaw'
or dachach {Jer. 23:12) {daw-khakh'}; a primitive root; to
push down:--chase, drive away (on), overthrow, outcast, X
sore, thrust, totter.
דָּחָה (da.chah) — to thrust.
1) to push, thrust, chase, overflow, totter, sore, drive away or out, be outcast, be cast down
1a) (Qal) to push, push violently
1b) (Niphal) to be thrust, be cast down
1c) (Pual) to be thrust down
דָּחַח (da.chach) — to thrust.
(Niphal) to be thrust down
A grammatical form of da.chah (דָּחָה "to thrust" H1760A)
V-Niphal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Niphal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVNi3ms
רָשָׁע (rasha`) refers to someone who is wicked or criminal, encompassing meanings such as guilty and ungodly. It is derived from a root that implies moral wrongdoing. The term is used to describe individuals who are hostile to God or guilty of sin against others.
רָשָׁע 263 adj. wicked, criminal
base
H7563 רָשָׁע wicked, criminal
7563 rasha` raw-shaw'
from 7561; morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad
person:--+ condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did
wrong.
see HEBREW for 07561
רָשָׁע (ra.sah) — wicked.
1) wicked, criminal
1a) guilty one, one guilty of crime (subst)
1b) wicked (hostile to God)
1c) wicked, guilty of sin (against God or man)
Adj — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
חָסָה (chacah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to seek refuge or flee for protection, often used in a figurative sense to express trust or hope in God. It is primarily found in poetic contexts, emphasizing the act of confiding in divine protection.
חָסָה vb. (mostly poet. and fig.) seek refuge
base
H2620 חָסָה (mostly poet. and fig.) seek refuge
2620 chacah khaw-saw'
a primitive root; to flee for protection (compare 982);
figuratively, to confide in:--have hope, make refuge, (put)
trust.
see HEBREW for 0982
חָסָה (cha.sah) — to seek refuge.
1) (Qal) to seek refuge, flee for protection
1a) to put trust in (God), confide or hope in (God) (fig.)
Conj | V-Qal — Conjunction · verb qal participle (active) masculine singularHC/Vqrmsa
ref'-uj: A place of resort and safety. The principal words in the Old Testament are machceh (Ps 14:6; 46:1; 62:7,8; Isa 4:6, etc.), and manoc (2Sa 22:3; Ps 59:16, etc.), both applied chiefly to God as a "refuge" for His people. For the King James Version "refuge" in De 33:27, the Revised Version (British and American) has "dwelling-place," and in Ps 9:9, "high tower." Conversely, the Revised Version (British and American) has "refuge" for the King James Version "shelter" in Ps 61:3, and "hope" in
→ CITIES OF
From the avenger of blood Ex 21:13,14; Nu 35:11-32; De 4:41-43; 19:2-13; Jos 20:1-6
מָ֫וֶת (maveth) means 'death' and encompasses various aspects such as natural or violent death, the state of being dead, and the realm of the dead (hades). It can also refer to pestilence or ruin. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to die' and has an Aramaic equivalent, מוֹת (mot).
מָ֫וֶת 161 n.m. death
death, opp. life
death by violence
state of death or place of death
base
H4194 מָ֫וֶת death
4194 maveth maw'-veth
from 4191; death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead,
their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence,
ruin:--(be) dead((-ly)), death, die(-d).
see HEBREW for 04191
מָ֫וֶת (ma.vet) — death.
1) death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead
1a) death
1b) death by violence (as a penalty)
1c) state of death, place of death
Aramaic equivalent: mot (מוֹת "death" H4193)
Prep | N-ms | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms
צַדִּיק (tsaddiyq) means just or righteous, covering various aspects such as lawful behavior, moral conduct, and being justified by God. It is derived from a related root and is used to describe individuals who are upright in character and actions.
צַדִּיק 206 adj. just, righteous
base
H6662 צַדִּיק just, righteous
6662 tsaddiyq tsad-deek'
from 6663; just:--just, lawful, righteous (man).
see HEBREW for 06663
צַדִּיק (tsad.diq) — righteous.
1) just, lawful, righteous
1a) just, righteous (in government)
1b) just, right (in one's cause)
1c) just, righteous (in conduct and character)
1d) righteous (as justified and vindicated by God)
1e) right, correct, lawful
Adj — AdjHAamsa