Proverbs 20:22 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 20:22 mean?

Proverbs 20:22 teaches that a person should not take revenge or try to pay back someone who has wronged them, but instead should trust and wait for the LORD to bring justice and deliverance. The verse encourages patience and faith in God's timing rather than acting out of anger or a desire for personal retribution.

In the setting of Proverbs, these words are wise advice from a teacher or parent to a listener, likely a young person learning how to live well. The verse addresses the natural urge to respond to harm with harm, but redirects that impulse toward waiting on God, who is seen as the true source of rescue and justice.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 20:22

• "Recompense" (שָׁלַם, shalam): This word means to repay, restore, or make whole. In this context, it highlights the idea of trying to settle the score or get even, which the verse warns against.
• "Wait on" (קָוָה, qavah): This word often carries the sense of hopeful, patient expectation. The verse is not just about doing nothing, but about actively trusting that God will act in the right time.
• "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name for God in the Hebrew Bible, emphasizing a relationship of trust and covenant rather than just a distant or generic deity.
• "Save" (יָשַׁע, yasha): This word means to deliver or rescue. The promise is that God will bring real help or relief, not just spiritual comfort.

Why Proverbs 20:22 matters

• Proverbs 20:22 clears up the common idea that justice always has to be immediate or personal; it points instead to God's role in righting wrongs.
• The verse emphasizes patience and trust as active choices, not passive resignation; waiting on the LORD is presented as a wise and strong response.
• In the broader context of Proverbs, this advice fits with the book’s theme of self-control, wisdom, and living in a way that honors God rather than following impulsive reactions.