The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked.

PROVERBS 10:3KJV
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Proverbs 10:3 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 10:3 mean?

Proverbs 10:3 says that the LORD will not allow the soul of a righteous person to go hungry, but He rejects or removes what the wicked gain. This verse promises that God cares for those who live rightly, while He does not let the success or possessions of the wicked last.

The book of Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings, mostly attributed to Solomon, offering practical guidance for living well before God and others. Here, the verse contrasts two groups: the "righteous" and the "wicked." The focus is on God's active role—He protects the needs of those who do right and frustrates the efforts of those who do evil. This is not just about physical hunger, but about God's ongoing care and justice in people's lives.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 10:3

  • LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible, emphasizing God's covenant relationship with His people. The verse highlights that it is specifically the LORD who acts to protect and provide.
  • soul (נֶפֶשׁ, nephesh): Often means "life" or "person," not just the inner self. Here, it suggests the whole person and their well-being, not only physical hunger.
  • famish (רָעֵב, ra‘ev): Means "to be hungry" or "to suffer hunger." The verse assures that God will not let the righteous experience deep need or deprivation.
  • substance (הָוָה, havvah): This word can mean "desire," "craving," or even "wealth" or "possessions." The verse says God "casts away" or rejects what the wicked try to gain, showing that ill-gotten gains do not last.

Why Proverbs 10:3 matters

  • Proverbs 10:3 clarifies that God's care for the righteous is not just spiritual but includes their whole well-being, countering the idea that faithfulness leads to neglect or lack.
  • The verse emphasizes that what the wicked gain is temporary and insecure, challenging the assumption that evil actions can bring lasting success.
  • This proverb fits into the larger theme of Proverbs 10, which contrasts the outcomes of wise (righteous) and foolish (wicked) living, showing that God's justice is active in everyday life.

Where else these words appear

“suffer” Hebrew H7456 · used in 11 verses

  • Genesis 41:55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
  • Psalms 50:12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.
  • Isaiah 8:21 And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.

“away” Hebrew H1920 · used in 11 verses

  • Numbers 35:20 But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;
  • Deuteronomy 9:4 Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.
  • Job 18:18 He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.

“substance” Hebrew H1942 · used in 16 verses

  • Job 6:2 Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!
  • Psalms 52:2 Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
  • Psalms 94:20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?