The evil will bow before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
Parallel translations
- WEB The evil bow down before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
- KJV The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
- BSB The evil bow before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
- ESV The evil bow down before the good, the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
- NASB The evil will bow down before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
- NLT Evil people will bow before good people; the wicked will bow at the gates of the godly.
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
In the end the evil bow before the good and the wicked before the righteous. Righteousness will ultimately prevail.
Overview
This proverb looks to the eventual triumph of righteousness, when the wicked are humbled before those they once despised. Though wickedness may seem to dominate for a time, God's order ensures its final subjection. This anticipates the day when every knee will bow before Christ and His redeemed (Philippians 2:10-11).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Gen 42:6Joseph was the governor over the land. It was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph’s brothers came, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth.
- Mal 4:3You shall tread down the wicked; for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I make,” says Yahweh of Armies.
- Exod 8:8Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Entreat Yahweh, that he take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to Yahweh.”
- 1 Sam 2:36It will happen, that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, “Please put me into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’”
- Gen 43:28They said, “Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive.” They bowed down humbly.
- Isa 60:14The sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you; and all those who despised you will bow themselves down at the soles of your feet. They will call you Yahweh’s City, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
- Exod 9:27–28Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned this time. Yahweh is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
- Exod 11:8All these servants of yours will come down to me, and bow down themselves to me, saying, “Get out, with all the people who follow you”; and after that I will go out.’” He went out from Pharaoh in hot anger.
- 2 Kgs 3:12Jehoshaphat said, “Yahweh’s word is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
- Mic 7:16–17The nations will see and be ashamed of all their might. They will lay their hand on their mouth. Their ears will be deaf.
- Ps 49:14They are appointed as a flock for Sheol. Death shall be their shepherd. The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning. Their beauty shall decay in Sheol, far from their mansion.
- Prov 11:29He who troubles his own house shall inherit the wind. The foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart.
- Rev 3:9Behold, I give some of the synagogue of Satan, of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but lie. Behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.
- Mic 7:9–10I will bear the indignation of Yahweh, because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my case, and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light. I will see his righteousness.
- Acts 16:39and they came and begged them. When they had brought them out, they asked them to depart from the city.
- Esth 7:7–8The king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden. Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.
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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 14:19 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.