The Meaning of Proverbs 11:21 Explained

Proverbs 11:21

KJV: Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.

YLT: Hand to hand, the wicked is not acquitted, And the seed of the righteous hath escaped.

Darby: Hand for hand! an evil man shall not be held innocent; but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.

ASV: Though hand join in hand, the evil man shall not be unpunished; But the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[Though] hand  [join] in hand,  the wicked  shall not be unpunished:  but the seed  of the righteous  shall be delivered. 

What does Proverbs 11:21 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 11

1  On Deception

What do the individual words in Proverbs 11:21 mean?

[Though [they join] forces not will go unpunished the wicked but the posterity of the righteous will be delivered
יָ֣ד לְ֭יָד לֹא־ יִנָּ֣קֶה רָּ֑ע וְזֶ֖רַע צַדִּיקִ֣ים נִמְלָֽט

יָ֣ד  [Though  [they  join] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
לְ֭יָד  forces 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
יִנָּ֣קֶה  will  go  unpunished 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָקָה  
Sense: to be empty, be clear, be pure, be free, be innocent, be desolate, be cut off.
רָּ֑ע  the  wicked 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
וְזֶ֖רַע  but  the  posterity 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
צַדִּיקִ֣ים  of  the  righteous 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
נִמְלָֽט  will  be  delivered 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלַט 
Sense: to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered.