Proverbs 14:19

19 Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

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Proverbs 14:19 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
19 The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
English Standard Version (ESV)
19 The evil bow down before the good, the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
New Living Translation (NLT)
19 Evil people will bow before good people; the wicked will bow at the gates of the godly.
The Message Bible (MSG)
19 Eventually, evil will pay tribute to good; the wicked will respect God-loyal people.
American Standard Version (ASV)
19 The evil bow down before the good; And the wicked, at the gates of the righteous.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
19 Evil people will bow to good people. Wicked people will bow at the gates of a righteous person.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
19 The evil bow before those who are good, the wicked, at the gates of the righteous.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
19 Evil people will bow down in front of good people. And those who do wrong will bow down at the gates of those who do right.

Proverbs 14:19 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 14:19

The evil bow before the good
Wicked men before good men. This, as Jarchi observes, respects future time; even the latter day glory, or the spiritual times of the Messiah, when the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the saints of the most High: for though there may have been some few instances of this kind, as Haman bowing before Mordecai, and the Heathen emperors before Constantine; and there may be some now, in some cases where obligation requires; yet this is far from being general, as it will be in the spiritual reign of Christ; when the sons of those that afflicted the church will come bending to her, and they that have despised her shall bow themselves down at the soles of her feet; and even great personages too shall bow down and lick the dust of her feet; the kings of the earth, who before have been in confederacy with antichrist, and have persecuted the saints, now shall hate the whore, and honour the true church of Christ: this will be in the Philadelphian state, which is the same with the spiritual reign of Christ; such who called themselves Jews, and are not, shall come and worship before the feet of the church, and own that she and her members are the favourites of heaven, ( Daniel 7:27 ) ( Isaiah 49:23 ) ( 60:14 ) ( Revelation 3:9 ) ; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous;
or, "come to the gates of the righteous", as the Syriac version supplies it; they come and knock there, stand and wait, or lay themselves down; become prostrate and humble supplicants for relief and protection, as beggars do. This may also respect their attendance at Wisdom's gates, at the gates of Zion, on public ordinances, for counsel and instruction, which before they despised, ( Proverbs 8:34 ) . The Septuagint version is, "shall serve thy gates"; that is, at them; see ( Isaiah 60:11 Isaiah 60:12 ) .

Proverbs 14:19 In-Context

17 A quick-tempered person does foolish things, and the one who devises evil schemes is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.
21 It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.

Cross References 1

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