One who returns evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house.
Parallel translations
- WEB Whoever rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
- KJV Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
- BSB If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
- NKJV Whoever rewards evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house.
- NLT If you repay good with evil, evil will never leave your house.
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
Repaying good with evil brings lasting trouble on one's own household. It matters because ingratitude and treachery sow enduring consequences.
Overview
This proverb warns that returning evil for good will keep evil ever present in one's house. Betraying kindness is a grave wrong that recoils upon the offender. The principle stands in sharp contrast to the gospel, where God repays our evil with good in Christ (Romans 5:8-10).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Ps 109:4–13In return for my love, they are my adversaries; but I am in prayer.
- 1 Pet 3:9not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult; but instead blessing; knowing that to this were you called, that you may inherit a blessing.
- Rom 12:17Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men.
- Ps 55:12–15For it was not an enemy who insulted me, then I could have endured it. Neither was it he who hated me who raised himself up against me, then I would have hidden myself from him.
- Ps 38:20They who also render evil for good are adversaries to me, because I follow what is good.
- Ps 35:12They reward me evil for good, to the bereaving of my soul.
- 2 Sam 12:10Now therefore the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised me, and have taken Uriah the Hittite’s wife to be your wife.’
- 1 Th 5:15See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good, for one another, and for all.
- Matt 27:5He threw down the pieces of silver in the sanctuary, and departed. He went away and hanged himself.
- 1 Sam 24:17He said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have done good to me, whereas I have done evil to you.
- Jer 18:20–21Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.
- 1 Sam 31:2–3The Philistines overtook Saul and on his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
- 2 Sam 21:1–14There was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the face of Yahweh. Yahweh said, “It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.”
- Matt 27:25All the people answered, “May his blood be on us, and on our children!”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 17:13 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.