Proverbs 20:22 · Bible study
Proverbs 20:22 Commentary: Wait for Yahweh's Deliverance
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
A close study of Proverbs 20:22: the call to abandon personal revenge and wait for Yahweh to save. Grounded in Hebrew grammar and wisdom tradition.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Do not plan revenge; trust God to deliver you from evil and handle justice.
- Key words: אַל (al, “do not”); אֲשַׁלְּמָה (ashallemah, cohortative “I will repay”); קַוֵּה (qaveh, imperative “wait”); יָשַׁע (yashaʿ, “save/deliver”).
- Main debate: Does “he will save you” promise deliverance from evil or vengeance against the evildoer? Commentators overwhelmingly say deliverance, not vengeance.
- Theological theme: God alone is the just judge; human revenge usurps His role and corrupts the believer’s character.
- Best use: A pastoral text for anyone nursing a grudge or struggling with unfair treatment, redirecting hope from retaliation to God’s rescue.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Don’t say, “I will pay back evil.” Wait for Yahweh, and he will save you.
KJV King James Version 1769
Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Say not thou, I will recompense evil: Wait for Jehovah, and he will save thee.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Do not say, `I recompense evil,' Wait for Jehovah, and He delivereth thee.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Say not, I will recompense evil: wait on Jehovah, and he shall save thee.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Say not: I will return evil: wait for the Lord, and he will deliver thee.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
No digas, yo me vengaré|strong="H7999, H7451"; espera á Jehová, y él te salvará.
Não digas: Devolverei o mal; Espera pelo SENHOR, e ele te livrará.
Ne dis pas: Je rendrai le mal.
Sprich nicht: Ich will Böses vergelten! Harre des HERRN, der wird dir helfen.
Zeg niet: Ik zal het kwaad vergelden; wacht op den HEERE, en Hij zal u verlossen.
Non dire: “Renderò il male”; spera nell’Eterno, ed egli ti salverà.
Nie mów: Oddam złem. Oczekuj na Pana, a wybawi cię.
Не говори: "я отплачу за зло"; предоставь Господу, и Он сохранит тебя.
你不要 說，我要以惡報 惡；要等候 耶和華，他必拯救 你。
Do not say, I will give punishment for evil: go on waiting for the Lord, and he will be your saviour.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Proverbs 20:22
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Proverbs 20:22 forbids private vengeance and calls for active trust in God. The Hebrew cohortative ashallemah (“I will repay”) expresses an internal decision to retaliate, and the prohibition אַל (al) cuts that off before it takes root. Barnes notes that the promise “he shall save thee” is carefully distinguished from a promise to avenge: the difference in the hope it produces, he writes, “is incalculable” for the believer’s character. Gill and Matthew Henry both stress that the passage does not license a desire for the enemy’s punishment; instead it commits the believer’s cause to God, who will act in His own way. Keil & Delitzsch add that the verse operates in the same orbit as Romans 12:17, 19, calling for renunciation of self-vindication. The unanimous emphasis is that God’s saving help may include protection, deliverance, or justice, but the believer is not told to expect revenge.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God commands His people to abandon personal revenge and to trust Him to deliver them from evil, a point on which the commentary tradition is unanimous.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The meaning of “save you” | All traditions read it as a promise of rescue or deliverance, not vengeance on the enemy. | Some traditions emphasize that God may bring justice against the oppressor; others focus strictly on personal deliverance or transformation. |
| Role of civil justice | Christians agree that personal revenge is forbidden. | Catholic and Reformed traditions see room for lawful government to administer justice (Rom 13:1-4), while Anabaptist traditions interpret non-retaliation as absolute, even in courts. |
| Active vs. passive waiting | Waiting on God is an act of trust, not laziness. | Charismatic traditions often stress expectant prayer and prophetic hope; Reformed traditions emphasize patient obedience and hope in God's sovereignty. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Proverbs 20:22 belongs to the wisdom tradition of ancient Israel, where practical instruction for daily life is bound to covenant loyalty. The surrounding verses address trade, speech, family, and government (vv. 10, 19, 23, 26). Within that setting, verse 22 tackles the sharp pain of personal wrong, “evil” (raʿ) can mean injury, injustice, or harm. In the ancient Near East, revenge was a default response, often escalating into blood feuds that tore communities apart. Torah law limited retaliation (lex talionis, Exod 21:23, 24), but wisdom pushes further: it counsels not to repay evil at all, mirroring Proverbs 24:29 (“Don’t say, ‘I will do to him as he has done to me’”). The covenant name Yahweh appears here as the one who acts on behalf of those who wait. Waiting (qavah) is not passive resignation; in Psalms 27:14 and 37:34 it involves courage, obedience, and looking to God’s timing. The promise “he will save you” echoes the exodus deliverance (יָשַׁע, yashaʿ), reframing personal injury as an occasion to trust the God who rescued Israel.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Proverbs 20:22. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. The jussive form ve/yoshaʿ (וְ/יֹשַׁע) is read as a promise (“he will deliver”) across all major translations and commentaries.
Reception History
Proverbs 20:22 has been a steady anchor for Christian teaching on non-retaliation. Early church fathers such as Augustine cited it alongside Romans 12 to counsel patience under persecution. Monastic communities used it to govern conflict within cloister walls. In the Reformation, Matthew Henry and the Geneva Bible both stressed the duty to commit one’s cause to God rather than to stir up strife. The verse has been woven into hymns that call believers to “wait on the Lord” and has comforted those who suffer injustice, reminding them that God’s help, not revenge, is the promised end.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Forbidden impulse: “I will pay back evil”, the Hebrew cohortative reveals a settled intention. The proverb cuts off the thought before action.
- Active waiting: “Wait for Yahweh”, the imperative קַוֵּה (qaveh) implies straining forward in hope, not sitting idle.
- Divine rescue: “He will save you”, the deliverance is God’s work, not ours. The focus shifts from vindication to salvation.
Five-point outline
- The temptation: Injustice provokes a desire to settle the score.
- The prohibition: “Don’t say”, God forbids even the inner speech of revenge.
- The alternative: “Wait on the Lord”, trust replaces retaliation as the response.
- The promise: “He will save you”, deliverance comes from God, not our efforts.
- The transformation: As Barnes notes, this changes the believer’s character, hoping for rescue, not revenge.
Illustration hooks
- A parent who steps back when their child is wronged at school, letting the school handle discipline rather than confronting the other parent.
- An employee who is passed over for a promotion and resists speaking badly about the supervisor, trusting God with the outcome.
- Someone slandered online who deletes the angry draft and prays instead of posting a defense.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does “waiting” mean I never confront someone who hurt me?
- If I don’t defend myself, will people walk all over me?
- How do I know when to act and when to trust God to act?
Leading a Discussion
Proverbs 20:22 pushes against a deep instinct: when we are hurt, we want to hurt back. This small-group session explores what it looks like to release that desire to God and trust Him with the outcome. No easy fixes, just honest wrestling with the struggle.
Discussion questions
- Read the verse aloud. What stands out to you about the two parts of the command?
- The Hebrew verb “I will repay” (ashallemah) is a cohortative, a resolve. Why do you think the proverb addresses the intention, not just the action?
- Barnes says the difference between hoping for vengeance and hoping for deliverance “is incalculable.” How have you seen that difference play out in your own life?
- Compare with Proverbs 24:29 (“Don’t say, ‘I will do to him as he has done to me’”). Why do you think Proverbs returns to this theme?
- “Waiting on the Lord” involves prayer, but also active obedience (Ps 37:34). What does active waiting look like in a conflict you are facing?
- What is the hardest part of trusting God with justice instead of taking it into your own hands?
- How might this verse change the way you pray about a person who has wronged you?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 32:35 | Vengeance is mine, and recompense, at the time when their foot slides, for the day of their calamity is at hand. Their doom rushes at them.” |
| II Samuel 16:12 | It may be that Yahweh will look on the wrong done to me, and that Yahweh will repay me good for the cursing of me today.” |
| Psalms 27:14 | Wait for Yahweh. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for Yahweh. |
| Psalms 37:34 | Wait for Yahweh, and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. |
| Proverbs 17:13 | Whoever rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house. |
| Proverbs 24:29 | Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.” |
| Isaiah 40:31 | but those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint. |
| Lamentations 3:25 | Yahweh is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that God will repay wrongdoers through his certain judgment. He says one should wait for that judgment while also praying for the enemy’s change of heart.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that expecting God to save you, rather than hoping to see your enemies punished, is the true cure for vengefulness. The shift from waiting for vengeance to waiting for deliverance makes an enormous difference in a person's character.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note warns against declaring any intention to repay evil. It redirects the impulse for personal vengeance toward patient trust, insisting that deliverance belongs to God and comes only by waiting on him.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill forbids any private revenge even when wronged, insisting that believers must instead commit their cause entirely to God. He stresses waiting on the Lord in the path of duty, trusting that God will act in His own time to deliver the faithful and bring justice against their enemies.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch note that the verse advises leaving revenge to God not because He will carry out punishment himself but because trusting Him gives strength. This trust allows one to place reliance on God rather than on own efforts.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads this chapter as a unified argument for humanity’
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry insists that revenge is forbidden not only in action but even in thought and word. The heart must not entertain any desire or plan to get even, even when the injury is fresh. Waiting on the Lord means trusting Him to save and protect you, not to punish your enemy.