Proverbs 11:8 — Word Study
WLCצַ֭דִּיק מִצָּרָ֣ה נֶחֱלָ֑ץ וַיָּבֹ֖א רָשָׁ֣ע תַּחְתָּֽיו׃
BSA◂The righteous mantsaddîyq [just, upright, having God's nature] is deliveredchâlats [rescued, drawn out, equipped for war] from troubletsârâh [distress, dearth, vexation] in his placetachath [stead, position, underneath] the wicked manrâshâʻ [morally wrong, bad, guilty] goes inbôwʼ▸ [comes, enters, approaches]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| צַ֭דִּיק | a righteous [person] | Adj |
| מִצָּרָ֣ה | from distress | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| נֶחֱלָ֑ץ | [is] delivered | Verb, Niphal, participle (active) masculine singular |
| וַיָּבֹ֖א | and he came | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| רָשָׁ֣ע | a wicked [person] | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ | in place his | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The righteous man is delivered from trouble; in his place the wicked man goes in. |
| KJV | The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead. |
| ASV | The righteous is delivered out of trouble; And the wicked cometh in his stead. |
| YLT | The righteous from distress is drawn out, And the wicked goeth in instead of him. |
| WEB | A righteous person is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked takes his place. |
| BBE | The upright man is taken out of trouble, and in his place comes the sinner. |
Where they part company is צַדִּיק — see How Translations Differ.
The verse consists of two main clauses, each describing the fate of the righteous and the wicked, with a prepositional phrase indicating the source of trouble.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectצַדִּיק
verbחָלַץ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Proverbs 11:8
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Contrasts in the Outcomes of the Righteous and the Wickedgenerated
Proverbs 11:8 presents a stark contrast between the fates of the righteous and the wicked. The righteous man, characterized by his moral integrity, finds deliverance from distress, while the wicked man faces the consequences of his actions. This theme of divine justice runs throughout the book of Proverbs, emphasizing the ultimate triumph of righteousness over evil.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 21:18 | The wicked become a ransom for the righteous, and the faithless for the upright. |
| 2 | Esther 7:9–10 | Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said: “There is a gallows fifty cubits high at Haman’s house. He had it built for Mordecai, who gave the report that saved the king.” “Hang him on it!” declared the king. |
| 3 | Isaiah 43:3–4 | For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place. |
| 4 | Daniel 6:23–24 | The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den, and when Daniel was lifted out of the den, no wounds whatsoever were found on him, because he had trusted in his God. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — צַדִּיק, Tza.dikgenerated
The term צַדִּיק (Tza.dik) is an adjective meaning righteous or just, often used to describe someone who is in right standing with God. It encompasses moral integrity and lawful behavior, appearing frequently in discussions of ethical conduct in the Bible.
Its usage in this verse highlights the deliverance of the righteous from trouble, underscoring the belief that righteousness brings about divine favor and protection.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against. The BSB uses delivered, which aligns with the KJV and ASV, emphasizing the rescue aspect of the righteous man's experience.
Where translations differ is in the rendering of צַדִּיק. The DRA opts for just, while the BBE uses upright, reflecting slightly different nuances of the same concept.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is נֶחֱלָץ, is delivered, which governs the subject צַדִּיק, the righteous man. This structure emphasizes the action of deliverance as the central theme.
The second part of the verse introduces a contrasting clause with the verb וַיָּבֹא, and he came, indicating the wicked man's entry into the situation that the righteous man has escaped.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates צַדִּיק as δίκαιος (dikaios), which also means just or righteous, maintaining the moral quality of the subject.
The choice of ἐκδύνει for נֶחֱלָץ suggests a focus on the act of being drawn out or rescued, paralleling the Hebrew meaning while emphasizing deliverance.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 11:8 tells us that the righteous man is saved from trouble, while the wicked man ends up in his place. This verse highlights the difference in outcomes for those who live righteously versus those who do wrong.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that those who live according to God's ways will find help and protection in times of distress.
The wicked man takes the place of the righteous, facing the consequences of his wrongdoing.
This verse encapsulates the theme of divine justice, where righteousness leads to deliverance and wickedness leads to downfall.
We learn that our choices have consequences, and living righteously aligns us with God's protection and favor.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced deliverance in my life, similar to the righteous man in this verse?
- How can I ensure that my actions align with righteousness rather than wickedness?
- What does this verse teach me about the nature of justice and consequences?
- How can I support others who are in distress, following the example of the righteous?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators have reflected on the themes of deliverance and justice in this verse, noting its implications for understanding suffering and reward.
"The righteous is delivered out of trouble," etc. Any martyr freed from the distress of suffering after death will be entrusted to punishment on account of his cause to the persecutor who caused him distress.Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 11 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 11:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThe righteous is delivered out of trouble,.... One after another he comes into, if not in this life, yet at death; which is to him a perfect deliverance out of all tribulation; see Revelation 7:14;
Read John Gill on Proverbs 11 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThe righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 11 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleIs by God’ s providence brought into the same miseries, which either he designed against the righteous, or had formerly inflicted upon the righteous, and now lately removed from them.
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 11 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsProverbs 11:8 The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.Ver. 8. And the wicked cometh in his stead.] Thus it befell Haman, and Daniel’ s enemies, and those inhuman Edomites, and Herod with his hacksters. It is "a righteous thing with God," though to men it seem an incredible paradox, and a news by far more admirably [wonderfull] than acceptable, that there should be such a transmutation of conditions on both sides, to contraries. But thus it happens frequently. John Martin of Briqueras, a mile from Angrogne, in France, vaunted everywhere that he would slit the minister’ s nose of Angrogne. But, behold! himself was shortly after assaulted by a wolf, which…
Read John Trapp on Proverbs 11 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(8) The righteous is delivered out of trouble. . . .—That is, misfortunes pass by the righteous and fall upon the wicked. (Comp. Proverbs 21:18.) Or, it may mean that the righteous “is taken away from the evil to come “by death (Isaiah 57:1), the wicked lives on to suffer in his place.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 11 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 8. The wicked cometh in his stead.] Often God makes this distinction; in public calamities and in sudden accidents he rescues the righteous, and leaves the wicked, who has filled up the measure of his iniquities, to be seized by the hand of death. Justice, then, does its own work; for mercy has been rejected.
Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 11 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible8. The righteous is delivered — A plain proverb, often illustrated in actual life. See Daniel 6:14, seq.; Esther 5:14; Esther 7:8-10; Psalms 7:15.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 11 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
The righteous man is delivered from trouble; in his place the wicked man goes in.
A righteous person is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked takes his place.
The righteous man is delivered from trouble; in his place the wicked man goes in.
The righteous person is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked turns up in his stead.
Tyndale line
The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.
The righteous is delivered out of trouble; And the wicked cometh in his stead.
The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.
The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.
The righteous escapeth out of trouble, and the wicked shall come in his steade.
Strictly literal
The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.
The righteous from distress is drawn out, And the wicked goeth in instead of him.
The righteous is drawn out from distress, || And the wicked goes in instead of him.
The righteous is delivered out of distress, and the wicked cometh in his stead.
The righteous person is kept away from trouble and it comes upon the wicked instead.
From the Latin
The just is delivered out of distress: and the wicked shall be given up for him.
Simplified
The good are saved from trouble, while the wicked get into trouble.
The upright man is taken out of trouble, and in his place comes the sinner.
Word by word, the decisions they made
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree on the wording of this verse, with four of the six words matching directly. The Septuagint's rendering reflects its own syntax and structure, but the core message remains consistent.
צַ֭דִּיק מִצָּרָ֣ה נֶחֱלָ֑ץ וַיָּבֹ֖א רָשָׁ֣ע תַּחְתָּֽיו׃
4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Proverbs 11:8
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
צַדִּיק (tsaddiyq) means just or righteous, covering various aspects such as lawful behavior, moral conduct, and being justified by God. It is derived from a related root and is used to describe individuals who are upright in character and actions.
צַדִּיק 206 adj. just, righteous
base
H6662 צַדִּיק just, righteous
6662 tsaddiyq tsad-deek'
from 6663; just:--just, lawful, righteous (man).
see HEBREW for 06663
צַדִּיק (tsad.diq) — righteous.
1) just, lawful, righteous
1a) just, righteous (in government)
1b) just, right (in one's cause)
1c) just, righteous (in conduct and character)
1d) righteous (as justified and vindicated by God)
1e) right, correct, lawful
Adj — AdjHAamsa
The Hebrew word צָרָה (*tsarah*) is built from the root meaning tightness or trouble. It covers a range of meanings including dearth, distress, and adversary, as well as specifically referring to a rival wife. The entries note its use in contexts of adversity and anguish, with a specific reference to 1 Samuel 1:6.
בַּצָּרָה n.f. dearth, destitution
base
צָרָה 72 n.f. id. [r.dz.ac] straits, distress
base
[צָרָה] n.f. vexer, rival-wife;—sf. 1 S 1:6.
ref
H6869a בַּצָּרָה dearth, destitution H6869b צָרָה id. [6862b] H6869c צָרָה vexer, rival-wife
6869 tsarah tsaw-raw'
feminine of 6862; tightness (i.e. figuratively, trouble);
transitively, a female rival:--adversary, adversity,
affliction, anguish, distress, tribulation, trouble.
see HEBREW for 06862
בַּצָּרָה (bats.tsa.rah) — dearth.
death, destitution
צָרָה (tsa.rah) — distress.
straits, distress, trouble
צָרָה (tsa.rah) — vexer.
vexer, rival wife
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHR/Ncfsa
חָלַץ (chalats) is a Hebrew verb that encompasses a range of meanings related to drawing out or withdrawing, as well as rescuing or delivering. It can also imply equipping for war or strengthening. The entries indicate that it can be used in various forms, including to arm oneself or to be delivered. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
חָלַץ vb. draw off or out, withdraw
Qal
draw, draw off
intrans. withdraw
Niph. be delivered
Pi.
pull out, tear out
rescue, deliver
base
[חָלַץ] vb. equip for war
Qal only Pt. pass.—equipped
as adj.
as subst. sg. coll.
Niph. be or go equipped
Hiph. will brace up, invigorate, thy bones
base
H2502a חָלַץ draw off or out, withdraw .. draw, draw off
. intrans. withdraw
. be delivered
. . pull out, tear out
. rescue, deliver
H2502b חָלַץ equip for war .only Pt. pass.—equipped . as adj.
. as subst. sq. coll.
. be or go equipped
. will brace up, invigorate, thy bones
2502 chalats khaw-lats'
a primitive root; to pull off; hence (intensively) to strip,
(reflex.) to depart; by implication, to deliver, equip (for
fight); present, strengthen:--arm (self), (go, ready) armed (X
man, soldier), deliver, draw out, make fat, loose, (ready)
prepared, put off, take away, withdraw self.
חָלַץ (cha.lats) — to rescue.
1) to draw off or out, withdraw
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to draw, draw off
1a2) to withdraw
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be delivered
1b2) to be saved
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to pull out, tear out
1c2) to rescue, deliver, set free
1c3) to take away, plunder
חָלַץ (cha.lats) — to arm.
1) to equip (for war), arm for war, rescue, be rescued
1a) (Qal) equipped (participle)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be equipped
1b2) to go equipped
1b3) to be armed
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to make strong, brace up
1c2) to invigorate
V-Niphal — Verb · Niphal · participle (active) masculine singularHVNrmsa
בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.
בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go
Qal
come in
come (approach, arrive)
go, i.e. walk, associate with
go from speaker, but with limit of motion given
Hiph.
cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)
cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)
Hoph.
be brought in (of pers. and things)
be brought
be introduced, put
base
H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in
. come (approach, arrive)
. go, i.e. walk, associate with
. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given
. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)
. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)
. . be brought in (of pers. and things)
. be brought
. be introduced, put
935 bow' bo
a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of
applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +
besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X
certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,
upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,
(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be
fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),
grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,
pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken
(in age), X surely, take (in), way.
בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.
: come/go_in
1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to enter, come in
1a2) to come
1a2a) to come with
1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)
1a2c) to come to pass
1a3) to attain to
1a4) to be enumerated
1a5) to go
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to lead in
1b2) to carry in
1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon
1b4) to bring to pass
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be brought, brought in
1c2) to be introduced, be put
לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).
This name means to go in, enter
Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)
בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.
: towards/entrance
1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to enter, come in
1a2) to come
1a2a) to come with
1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)
1a2c) to come to pass
1a3) to attain to
1a4) to be enumerated
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
רָשָׁע (rasha`) refers to someone who is wicked or criminal, encompassing meanings such as guilty and ungodly. It is derived from a root that implies moral wrongdoing. The term is used to describe individuals who are hostile to God or guilty of sin against others.
רָשָׁע 263 adj. wicked, criminal
base
H7563 רָשָׁע wicked, criminal
7563 rasha` raw-shaw'
from 7561; morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad
person:--+ condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did
wrong.
see HEBREW for 07561
רָשָׁע (ra.sah) — wicked.
1) wicked, criminal
1a) guilty one, one guilty of crime (subst)
1b) wicked (hostile to God)
1c) wicked, guilty of sin (against God or man)
Adj — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
תַּחַת (tachath) refers to the concept of being underneath or below. It can function as a noun meaning 'the under part,' or as an adverb and preposition indicating position or substitution, such as 'instead of' or 'for the sake of.' The word encompasses various uses, including physical placement and metaphorical meanings related to subjection or exchange.
תַּחַת n.[m.] the under part, hence as adv. accus. and prep. underneath, below, instead of
base
H8478 תַּחַת the under part, hence as adv. accus. and prep. underneath, below, instead of
8478 tachath takh'-ath
from the same as 8430; the bottom (as depressed); only
adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix
underneath), in lieu of, etc.:--as, beneath, X flat,
in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead
of, under, X unto, X when...was mine, whereas, (where-)fore,
with.
see HEBREW for 08430
תַּחַת (ta.chat) — underneath: under.
: under/below
1) the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas n m
1a) the under part adv accus
1b) beneath prep
1c) under, beneath
1c1) at the foot of (idiom)
1c2) sweetness, subjection, woman, being burdened or oppressed (fig)
1c3) of subjection or conquest
1d) what is under one, the place in which one stands
1d1) in one's place, the place in which one stands (idiom with reflexive pronoun)
1d2) in place of, instead of (in transferred sense)
1d3) in place of, in exchange or return for (of things mutually interchanged)
conj
1e) instead of, instead of that
1f) in return for that, because that in compounds
1g) in, under, into the place of (after verbs of motion)
1h) from under, from beneath, from under the hand of, from his place, under, beneath
תַּחַת (ta.chat) — underneath: instead.
: instead/in_place/exchange
Prep | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3ms