Proverbs 24:20 · Bible study
Proverbs 24:20 Commentary: The Wicked's Extinguished Lamp
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
An in-depth study of Proverbs 24:20 examining the meaning of 'no reward' (acharit) and the lamp metaphor for the wicked's ultimate end.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The wicked have no everlasting reward or blessed future; their prosperity is temporary and will be extinguished.
- Key words: acharit (H0319), future, end, posterity; ner (H5216), lamp; da'akh (H1846), to be extinguished.
- Main debate: Does acharit refer to future blessedness, to posterity, or simply to no good outcome in this life?
- Theological theme: Divine justice, the wicked will not ultimately prosper; God’s order ensures that evil is temporary.
- Best use: Preaching on the folly of envy, the certainty of judgment, and the call to patient trust in God’s timing.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
WEB World English Bible 2000
for there will be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
KJV King James Version 1769
For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
For there shall be no reward to the evil man; The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
for there shall be no future to the evil [man]; the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For evil men have no hope of things to come, and the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Porque para el malo no habrá buen fin, y la candela de los impíos será apagada.
Porque o maligno não terá um bom futuro; a lâmpada dos perversos se apagará.
Car il n’ y a point d’avenir pour celui qui fait le mal,
Denn der Böse hat nichts zu hoffen, und die Leuchte der Gottlosen wird verlöschen.
Want de kwade zal geen beloning hebben, de lamp der goddelozen zal uitgeblust worden.
perché non c’è avvenire per il malvagio; la lucerna degli empi sarà spenta.
Boć nie weźmie złośnik nagrody; pochodnia niepobożnych zgaśnie.
потому что злой не имеет будущности, - светильник нечестивых угаснет.
因為，惡人 終 不 得善報；惡人 的燈 也必熄滅。
For there will be no future for the evil man; the light of sinners will be put out.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Proverbs 24:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse grounds the warning against envying the wicked (v.19) in the certainty of their final outcome. The term acharit (H0319) is the hinge: it can mean future, reward, posterity, or blessed issue. Clarke reads it as the future state of blessedness, the wicked have none. Barnes translates 'no future, no life worthy to be called life.' Gill notes that Aben Ezra interprets it as no offspring or issue, while also affirming no reward of good things. Keil and Delitzsch see the happy, glorious issue that indemnifies for suffering, the wicked lack this. The second clause, 'the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out,' uses the Hebrew verb da'akh (H1846), meaning to be extinguished or quenched utterly. This metaphor, drawn from Proverbs 13:9 and Job 18:5, 6, reinforces that whatever light or prosperity the wicked enjoy will be ended completely. Despite the nuanced debate over acharit, all agree that the verse points to the temporary nature of evil’s success and the absolute end of the wicked’s hope.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Future blessedness: Clarke interprets acharit as the 'future state of blessedness,' arguing from Proverbs 23:18 and 24:14 that the righteous have a hope the wicked lack.
- Posterity: Aben Ezra (via Gill) reads acharit as 'offspring or issue,' drawing on the root's use for descendants.
- No good outcome: Barnes and the Cambridge Bible see it as 'no future' or 'no life worthy to be called life,' emphasizing that the wicked's end is not a positive one.
What is clear: Regardless of the precise nuance of acharit, the verse unequivocally teaches that the wicked have no enduring prosperity or hope; their condition will be terminated by God's judgment.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of acharit (reward/future) | All traditions agree that the wicked lack some essential good, whether future blessedness, posterity, or a good end. | Some interpret it as the future state of blessedness (Clarke), others as posterity (Aben Ezra via Gill), and others as simply no life worthy to be called life (Barnes, Cambridge). |
| The lamp metaphor (prosperity/life) | The lamp represents the wicked's temporary prosperity, which will be entirely cut off. | Whether the metaphor primarily denotes life itself (so extinction means death) or social standing and material wealth (so extinction means ruin). |
| Application to envying the wicked | This verse is a direct reason not to envy the wicked: their apparent success is fleeting. | Some traditions emphasize this as comfort for the righteous who suffer now; others focus on the warning to the wicked to repent. |
| Eternal state of the wicked | The wicked have no hope in the end; they will not share in the blessed future of the righteous. | Whether this implies annihilation (Clarke rejects that interpretation) or eternal conscious punishment (not explicit here, but read into it by some traditions). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Proverbs 24:20 sits within a longer instruction (Proverbs 24:1, 22) warning against envy of the wicked and urging fear of Yahweh and the king. The immediate context (v.19) repeats Psalm 37:1: 'Don’t fret because of evildoers, neither be envious of the wicked.' The surrounding verses contrast the righteous, who fall but rise again (v.16), with the wicked, who are overthrown by calamity (v.16, 22). This wisdom unit counsels patience and trust in divine justice.
The lamp (ner) was a powerful symbol in ancient Israel. A lamp in the home was a daily necessity for light, but it also represented life, blessing, and prosperity. When a lamp went out, it meant darkness, loss, and death. Proverbs 13:9 uses the same image: 'The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.' Job 18:5, 6 makes it even more stark: 'The light of the wicked will be put out… His lamp above him will be put out.'
The word acharit (H0319) carries a range: end, future, posterity, latter time. In wisdom literature it often denotes the outcome of a life, whether it ends in blessing or ruin. Proverbs 23:18 promises the righteous a future hope; here the same word is denied to the evil. The surrounding verses (24:15, 22) emphasize that righteousness leads to ultimate restoration, while wickedness leads to sudden calamity. This literary placement reinforces that the present prosperity of the wicked is not their final state. The reader is called to see beyond appearances and trust God's governance.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Proverbs 24:20. The Hebrew Masoretic Text is consistent across manuscripts. The only variation is in the English translations, which reflect different interpretations of the Hebrew acharit rather than a difference in the underlying text.
Reception History
From the Reformation onward, Protestant commentators consistently used this verse to warn against envying the wicked. The Geneva Bible (1599) rendered it 'no end of plagues.' Matthew Henry (1710) emphasized the folly of fretting, noting that the wicked have their reward now and none later. John Wesley (1754) saw it as a statement that all the wicked's happiness 'shall quickly and eternally perish.' The verse has been cited in sermons comforting the afflicted and warning the prosperous, across many Christian traditions. Its image of a lamp extinguished has become a memorable symbol of the certainty of divine justice, echoing earlier wisdom in Job and Proverbs.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Danger of Envy: The context (v.19) commands us not to fret or be envious of the wicked. Why? Because envy looks at outward success and forgets the end.
- The Certainty of Judgment: Verse 20a states there is 'no reward' (no acharit) for the evil man. Whatever good he has now is all he will ever possess. There is no blessed future awaiting him.
- The Image of Extinction: Verse 20b paints a vivid picture: the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out. Their prosperity, like a candle, is fragile and temporary. It will not last.
Five-point outline
- The Context of Warning: Proverbs 24:19, 22 forms a unit. The command not to envy is based on the fate of the wicked.
- The Meaning of Acharit: This Hebrew word can be translated as 'reward,' 'future,' or 'posterity.' All point to the same truth: the wicked have no good outcome in God's plan.
- The Lamp as a Metaphor: In Scripture, a lamp symbolizes life, guidance, and blessing. Its extinction signals death, judgment, and the end of all comfort.
- The Contrast with the Righteous: While the wicked have no future, the righteous have a hope that is not cut off (Proverbs 23:18). This contrast is the foundation for patience.
- The Pastoral Application: This verse is not a call to gloat, but a call to trust God’s timing and to resist the pull of worldly success.
Illustration hooks
- A wealthy businessperson who cuts ethical corners. From the outside, their success seems unshakeable. But like a lamp that runs out of oil, their prosperity is finite and leading to a dead end.
- A garden candle left out on a windy night. It blazes brightly for a moment, then a gust snuffs it out. The wicked’s lamp may shine, but it is exposed to the wind of God’s justice.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why do some people who seem evil enjoy so much success while good people struggle?
- How can I keep from envying the prosperity of those who live unjustly?
- If God is just, why does He delay judgment? How should I wait on Him?
Leading a Discussion
This verse from Proverbs calls us to see beyond the present success of those who live apart from God. It anchors the command not to envy (v.19) in the certain end of the wicked. In a world where evil often seems to prosper, this passage invites deeper trust in God's justice. Let the following questions guide your group’s conversation.
Discussion questions
- Read Proverbs 24:19, 20 aloud. What is the command given in verse 19, and how does verse 20 support it?
- The Hebrew word acharit (v.20a) can mean 'future,' 'reward,' or 'posterity.' How does the way you translate this word affect your understanding of the verse?
- Why do you think the lamp of the wicked being snuffed out is such a powerful image? What feelings does it evoke?
- How does this verse relate to the larger wisdom theme that the righteous have a secure hope (Proverbs 23:18) while the wicked do not?
- When have you felt tempted to envy someone who seems to get away with wrongdoing? How did you handle that feeling?
- What does this passage teach us about God's character, especially His justice and His faithfulness to His people?
- How can this verse shape the way we pray for or interact with those who currently prosper through unrighteous means?
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)
| Job 18:5 | “Yes, the light of the wicked will be put out. The spark of his fire won’t shine. |
| Job 18:6 | The light will be dark in his tent. His lamp above him will be put out. |
| Job 21:17 | “How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out, that their calamity comes on them, that God distributes sorrows in his anger? |
| Psalms 9:17 | The wicked shall be turned back to Sheol, even all the nations that forget God. |
| Psalms 11:6 | On the wicked he will rain blazing coals; fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. |
| Proverbs 13:9 | The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out. |
| Proverbs 20:20 | Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness. |
| Proverbs 23:18 | Indeed surely there is a future hope, and your hope will not be cut off. |
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
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the word for future means the wicked will exist yet lack true happiness. They will have life but not lasting joy.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes explains that no reward means there is no future life and no true blessing. This holds true for those who do not follow God’s commands.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The lamp going out means there is no reward for the foolish person. This connects to the earlier statement that such a person will receive no future good.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note stresses two aspects of the wicked's ruin: their plagues are endless, with no relief, and their light is completely put out. This light represents their life, joy, or prosperity, which is utterly extinguished as part of their final judgment.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill clarifies that saying the evil man has no reward means he receives no gracious good, only just punishment for his sins. His prosperity is temporary, snuffed out like a candle, and he has no hopeful end or lasting happiness. Therefore good people should not envy him.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
The candle represents prosperity. It will eventually end. Some read this as a literal description of wealth fading. Others understand it as pointing to deeper spiritual realities. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch sees the command not to envy the godless as a warning against shortsightedness. Anger at their prosperity comes from focusing only on the present and ignoring the end. The wicked have no future, and their light, however bright now, will one day be put out.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry warns that envying the prosperity of wicked people is a form of distrust in God's wisdom. Their happiness is hollow and short-lived, since they receive their only reward in this life, while their candle will soon be put out forever.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley reads two images of judgment in this verse: "no reward" means every source of happiness for the wicked will vanish at once and forever, while "the candle" signals that everything they took comfort in and took pride in will be snuffed out completely.