Proverbs 11:21 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 11:21 mean?

Proverbs 11:21 contrasts the prospects of wicked people with those of the righteous and their descendants. It says that joining forces will not shield the wicked from punishment, while the children of people who live rightly will be delivered.

“Though hand join in hand” pictures people joining together. The saying sets that human alliance beside a family connection: the “seed,” or offspring, of the righteous.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 11:21

• “hand” — יָד (yad): The word means “hand.” Its repetition gives the opening phrase its picture of hand joining hand.
• “unpunished” — נָקָה (naqah): The word can carry the sense of being cleared or treated as innocent. Here, the wicked will not be cleared of their wrongdoing.
• “seed” — זֶרַע (zeraʿ): The word can mean seed or offspring. In this verse, the image of seed points to the descendants of the righteous.

Why Proverbs 11:21 matters

• The saying reaches beyond the individual to the next generation. Its second half speaks of “the seed of the righteous,” rather than only the righteous people themselves.
• Proverbs 11:21 connects people’s conduct with what lies ahead for them. The contrast between “the wicked” and “the righteous” continues a pattern found in the surrounding sayings, including verse 20.