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The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
Proverbs 10:24 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB What the wicked fear, will overtake them, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
  • BSB What the wicked man dreads will overtake 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 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 will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
  • Isa 66:4I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
  • Matt 5:6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
  • Job 15:21A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
  • 1 Jn 5:14–15And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
  • Ps 37:4Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
  • Job 3:25For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
  • John 16:24Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
  • Heb 10:27But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
  • Ps 21:2Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.
  • John 14:18I will not leave you comfortless: 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.