The Meaning of Proverbs 21:18 Explained

Proverbs 21:18

KJV: The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.

YLT: The wicked is an atonement for the righteous, And for the upright the treacherous dealer.

Darby: The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, and a treacherous man in the stead of the upright.

ASV: The wicked is a ransom for the righteous; And the treacherous cometh in the stead of the upright.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The wicked  [shall be] a ransom  for the righteous,  and the transgressor  for the upright. 

What does Proverbs 21:18 Mean?

Verse Meaning

A ransom is a payment given to free a person from some penalty he has incurred, similar to posting bail to get out of jail. In this case, it appears that God punishes the wicked, and in doing so He sets the righteous free. Such would be the case if the wicked were oppressing the righteous (cf. Proverbs 11:8). God delivers the righteous by punishing the wicked who oppress them.

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 21

1  The king's heart in the hand of the Lord

What do the individual words in Proverbs 21:18 mean?

A ransom for the righteous the wicked [shall be] and for the upright the unfaithful
כֹּ֣פֶר לַצַּדִּ֣יק רָשָׁ֑ע וְתַ֖חַת יְשָׁרִ֣ים בּוֹגֵֽד

כֹּ֣פֶר  A  ransom 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּפֶר 
Sense: price of a life, ransom, bribe.
לַצַּדִּ֣יק  for  the  righteous 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
רָשָׁ֑ע  the  wicked  [shall  be] 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
וְתַ֖חַת  and  for 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
יְשָׁרִ֣ים  the  upright 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: יָשָׁר 
Sense: straight, upright, correct, right.
בּוֹגֵֽד  the  unfaithful 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בָּגַד  
Sense: to act treacherously, deceitfully, deal treacherously.

What are the major concepts related to Proverbs 21:18?

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