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What the wicked man dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
Proverbs 10:24 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB What the wicked fear, will overtake them, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
  • KJV The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
  • ESV What the wicked dreads will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
  • NKJV The fear of the wicked will come upon him, And the desire of the righteous will be granted.
  • NASB What the wicked fears will come upon him, But the desire of the righteous will be granted.
  • NLT The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled; the hopes of the godly will be granted.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

What the wicked dread will overtake them, but the righteous will be granted their desire. Fear comes upon the wicked; the godly receive what they long for.

Overview

This proverb contrasts the destinies of the wicked, who are seized by the very things they fear, and the righteous, whose godly desires are fulfilled. It assumes that the desires of the righteous are shaped by God's will. The principle reflects the promise that those who delight in the Lord are granted the desires of their hearts (Psalm 37:4).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 11

  • Ps 145:19He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.
  • Isa 66:4So I will choose their punishment and I will bring terror upon them, because I called and no one answered, I spoke and no one listened. But they did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.”
  • Matt 5:6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
  • Job 15:21Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.
  • 1 Jn 5:14–15And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
  • Ps 37:4Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
  • Job 3:25For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has befallen me.
  • John 16:24Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
  • Heb 10:27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.
  • Ps 21:2You have granted his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
  • John 14:18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Proverbs videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Proverbs 10:24YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ProverbsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.

How Proverbs 10:24 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.