Proverbs 24:22 Meaning: Who Are 'Them Both' in This Warning?
for their calamity will rise suddenly. Who knows what destruction may come from them both?
For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
For their calamity shall rise suddenly; And the destruction from them both, who knoweth it?
For suddenly doth their calamity rise, And the ruin of them both--who knoweth!
For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
Meaning in one sentence
Proverbs 24:22 warns of sudden ruin for those who rebel against God and king. Discover who 'them both' refers to in this verse.
Context
The chapter collects sayings from twenty-four through thirty-four, sharing a common warning against envying the wicked. Verse twenty-one instructs the reader to fear the Lord and the king, and to avoid joining those who are rebellious or given to change. The warning in verse twenty-two is the urgent reason for that command: the rebellious face a kind of ruin that no one can measure or predict. The whole passage urges steady loyalty in a world where sudden falls await those who shake the foundations of godly order.
Key Words
The word translated 'calamity' here is the Hebrew ed, a specific term for a disaster that arrives without warning, it is the same word Moses takes up for the ruin God brings on His adversaries. It is not a slow decline; it is a sudden weight that cannot be dodged. The parallel word for 'destruction' or 'ruin' is pid, a far rarer Hebrew noun. It carries the sense of a total collapse, a breaking down of everything that once stood stable. Together, these two words push each other further: the calamity is sudden, and the ruin is complete.
The phrase 'them both' (shneihem) signals the twin subjects of verse twenty-one, those who do not fear the Lord and those who do not honor the king. The verse ends with an unanswerable question: who knows the ruin of both? It is a way of saying that no human calculation can predict the force of a fall that comes from defying the two highest authorities God has established.
How Christians Read This Verse
The identity of 'them both' in verse twenty-two has been understood in two main ways across Christian history. Most Protestant commentators, including Matthew Henry and John Wesley, take them both to be the rebels themselves, those who defied God and the king. The sudden calamity is what falls on them.
An older reading, preserved in the Latin Vulgate and noted by the Cambridge Bible, takes 'them both' as God and the king: no one knows what destruction these two authorities can bring against the rebellious. Either way, the verse stands as a sober warning. All traditions agree on the core truth: resisting God and His established order carries consequences that arrive faster than anyone expects.
A common misunderstanding
A common mistake is to read this verse as a general warning that bad things happen suddenly to everyone. This turns the proverb into generic advice about the unpredictability of life. In fact, the verse is strictly tied to the specific command in verse twenty-one. It is not a statement about randomness. It is a specific promise of ruin for those who rebel against God and the authorities He appoints. The suddenness is not chaos; it is a swift, appointed judgment.
Living This Out
This verse presses a practical question into the hands of anyone restless under authority. Before you join a conversation that tears down leaders, before you nurse a grudge against the government, stop. The ruin of the rebellious does not linger. Numbers 16 shows it plainly:
"As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart."
— Numbers 16:31 (WEB)
The moment Moses finished, the earth opened. That is the kind of suddenness the proverb calls to mind. Honor God. Honor the authorities He has placed over you. It is the safest place to stand.
Main takeaway: Rebelling against God and His appointed authorities brings a sudden ruin that no one can fully measure or escape.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
This verse reminds us that God and our leaders are gifts. When we refuse to listen to them, we can end up in trouble very fast. It is safer to stay close to the people God has given us to trust.
For ages 9, 12
It is easy to roll your eyes at rules or talk back to people in charge. But this verse connects fearing God with respecting the people He puts over you. The sudden ruin it talks about is a real danger, not just punishment, but a broken path you never meant to walk. Choosing honor now keeps you from a fall you never saw coming.
Questions People Ask
Who are 'them both' in Proverbs 24:22?
Most Christian commentators understand 'them both' as the two groups warned in the previous verse: those who do not fear God and those who do not honor the king. A smaller number read it as God and the king themselves, wondering who can measure the destruction these two authorities can bring.
What is the 'sudden calamity' in this verse?
The Hebrew word for calamity, *ed*, describes a disaster that strikes without warning. The verse is saying that judgment on those who rebel against God and legitimate authority is not slow. It arrives at a time no one expects, and it is total in its effect.
Does this verse mean I can never disagree with my government or church leaders?
Not exactly. The Bible elsewhere commands obedience to God over human authorities when they conflict. The warning here is about a habit of rebellion, a love of tearing things down for its own sake, rooted in a heart that refuses to honor anyone above itself. Disagreement with respect is different from a spirit of contempt.
What does 'meddle not with them that are given to change' mean in the older translations?
The King James Version translates the Hebrew *shonim* as 'given to change.' It refers to people who are unstable, restless, or inclined to tear down established order for the sake of novelty. The advice is not to participate in their schemes because their end is sudden ruin.
How do Christians apply a warning about 'the king' in a modern democracy?
Historic Christian teaching has always applied this passage to governing authorities in general. The principle is to honor those God has placed in positions of rule over you. The warning against rebellion is not a command to agree with every policy but to maintain a posture of respect and obedience within the bounds of conscience.
For pastors & researchers
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