Proverbs 11:23

23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.

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Proverbs 11:23 in Other Translations

KJV

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

ESV

23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good; the expectation of the wicked in wrath.

NLT

23 The godly can look forward to a reward, while the wicked can expect only judgment.

MSG

23 The desires of good people lead straight to the best, but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.

CSB

23 The desire of the righteous [turns out] well, but the hope of the wicked [leads to] wrath.

Proverbs 11:23 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 11:23

The desire of the righteous [is] only good
Or, "what is good" ^F26; only good is the object of it. His desire is to do good, and that only; though be does not always do what he would do: as he delights in the law of God, after the inward man; as he is a righteous, holy, and good man, and would be conformable thereunto, and serves it with his mind, will, and affections; his desires are to the Lord, and to the remembrance of his name; he desires his favour, the discoveries of his love, communion with him, and communications of grace from him; he desires all spiritual good things, and everything that is good, for himself and others, and which he desires in submission to the will of God; and all things do work for and issue in his good. Good is what he is continually desirous of, wishing and praying for; and good is what he has eventually here and hereafter: though there may be many irregular and unlawful desires in him at times, and all things he has may not seem good; yet acting as a good man, his desires are only good, and there is nothing attends him but what is for his good; [but] the expectation of the wicked [is] wrath;
what he is desirous of, wishing, and looking for, is wrath and vengeance upon all that displease him, and he is angry with; he desires no good to them, but evil; he desires and hopes for nothing but what is offensive to God, and will bring upon him his fierce wrath and sore displeasure; so that eventually nothing else will be the fruit and consequence of his expectation and hope; and some are so shockingly profane, and so dreadfully hardened, that they wait for hell, as Jarchi on the place observes; they look for damnation and expect it, and are easy about it.

FOOTNOTES:

F26 (bwj Ka) "tantummodo bonum quid est", Michaelis; "tantum bonum", Cocceius; "nihil cupiunt quod bonum non sit", Mercerus; "tamen bonum quid", Gussetius, p. 39.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible