For you will heap burning coals on his head, And the Lord will reward you.
Parallel translations
- WEB for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and Yahweh will reward you.
- KJV For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.
- BSB For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.
- NKJV For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the Lord will reward you.
- NLT You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.
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
Kindness to an enemy heaps burning coals on his head and brings the Lord's reward. Love can melt hostility and is blessed by God.
Overview
The 'coals of fire' most likely picture the burning shame that may lead an enemy to repentance, so kindness aims at his good, not his harm. Paul cites this in Romans 12:20-21 to teach overcoming evil with good, leaving vengeance to God. It mirrors the gospel, where God's kindness toward enemies wins them to himself.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- 2 Sam 16:12It may be that Yahweh will look on the wrong done to me, and that Yahweh will repay me good for the cursing of me today.”
- Matt 10:13If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn’t worthy, let your peace return to you.
- 1 Cor 15:18Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 25:22 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.