Proverbs 20:22

22 Do not say "I will repay evil"; wait for Yahweh and he will deliver you.

Proverbs 20:22 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 20:22

Say not thou, I will recompense evil
With evil; do an injury to one that has done one to you; private revenge is not to be taken, but should be left to God, to whom vengeance belongs, ( Deuteronomy 32:35 Deuteronomy 32:41 ) ; [but] wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee;
commit thyself and cause to God; leave it with him to avenge thy wrongs; wait upon him in the way of thy duty, and wait his own time to do thee justice; he will at the proper season, and in his own way, save thee from thine enemy, and make a righteous retribution to him.

Proverbs 20:22 In-Context

20 He who curses his father and his mother, his lamp will be extinguished {in the midst of darkness}.
21 An inheritance acquired [hastily] {at the beginning} will not be blessed at its end.
22 Do not say "I will repay evil"; wait for Yahweh and he will deliver you.
23 An abomination of Yahweh [is] {a stone and a weight}, and scales of falsehood are not good.
24 [Away] from Yahweh are the steps of a strong man, and how will humankind understand his ways?
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.