Do not fear sudden danger or the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
Parallel translations
- WEB Don’t be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes:
- KJV Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
- NKJV Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
- NASB Do not be afraid of sudden danger, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
- NLT You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked,
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
Do not be afraid of sudden terror or the ruin that overtakes the wicked. The wise need not live in dread of calamity.
Overview
The father urges fearlessness in the face of sudden disaster and the storm that falls on the wicked. This is not denial of danger but confident trust grounded in the LORD (made explicit in v. 26). The promise echoes the believer's freedom from fear because God is their refuge (Ps 91; Rom 8:31-39).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- Isa 41:10–14Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness.
- Ps 112:7He does not fear bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
- Ps 91:5You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
- 1 Pet 3:14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be shaken.”
- Isa 8:12–13“Do not call conspiracy everything these people regard as conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear; do not live in dread.
- Matt 8:24–26Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was engulfed by the waves; but Jesus was sleeping.
- Ps 46:1–3For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.
- Job 11:13–15As for you, if you direct your heart and lift up your hands to Him,
- Matt 24:6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.
- Luke 21:18–28Yet not even a hair of your head will perish.
- John 14:1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well.
- Mark 4:40“Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?”
- Ps 73:19How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors!
- Dan 3:17–18If the God whom we serve exists, then He is able to deliver us from the blazing fiery furnace and from your hand, O king.
- Ps 27:1–2Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread?
- Luke 21:9When you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be alarmed. These things must happen first, but the end is not imminent.”
- Matt 24:15So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand),
- Job 5:21–22You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and will not fear havoc when it comes.
- Prov 1:27when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.
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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 3:25 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
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