The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.

PROVERBS 11:23KJV
Know the Bible

Proverbs 11:23 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 11:23 mean?

Proverbs 11:23 says that people who live rightly want what is good, while those who do wrong can only expect trouble or anger as a result. The verse draws a sharp contrast between the hopes of the righteous and the outcomes awaiting the wicked.

This proverb comes from a collection of wise sayings traditionally attributed to Solomon, aimed at teaching practical wisdom. The verse highlights the natural consequences of a person’s character: those who seek what is right are drawn toward good things, but those who act wickedly are headed for negative consequences, described here as “wrath.”

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 11:23

  • "Desire" (תַּאֲוָה, ta’avah) means a deep longing or wish. In this verse, it shows that the righteous not only do good but genuinely want what is good.
  • "Expectation" (תִּקְוָה, tiqvah) refers to hope or what someone looks forward to. For the wicked, this word suggests that even their hopes are headed toward wrath, not blessing.
  • "Wrath" (עֶבְרָה, evrah) often means anger or outburst. Here, it points to the negative consequences or judgment that the wicked can expect, not just from others but as a result of their own actions.

Why Proverbs 11:23 matters

  • Proverbs 11:23 clears up any idea that good and bad people end up with the same results in life; it insists there is a real difference in what each group can expect.
  • The verse emphasizes that it is not just actions, but desires and expectations, that separate the righteous from the wicked.
  • In the wider context of Proverbs 11, this verse fits with a series of contrasts showing how character shapes destiny, encouraging readers to consider what they truly want and where those desires lead.

Where else these words appear

“desire” Hebrew H8378 · used in 20 verses

  • Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
  • Psalms 38:9 Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.
  • Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

“expectation” Hebrew H8615 · used in 33 verses

  • Joshua 2:18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee.
  • Job 14:7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
  • Proverbs 23:18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

“wrath” Hebrew H5678 · used in 34 verses

  • Genesis 49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
  • Proverbs 22:8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.
  • Ezekiel 7:19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.