Pro 20:23 | KingComments | STEP | We live in a world where we can expect harm will be done to us ( ). Therefore, we are told how to respond. We should not take justice into our own hands, but leave repayment to God. This requires both patience and trust. Patience to wait for His time and trust that He will deliver. The righteous should not take vengeance for evil, for only God has the right to justly retaliate for evil and is perfectly capable of doing so ( ). God’s work here focuses on the positive side. He is seen here as Redeemer and not as Avenger, which He also is. It does not say that the righteous must wait until he will see God’s judgment on his enemies, but until he will be redeemed. That is a big difference in expectation. Few lessons are more difficult to learn than that of entrusting all our affairs to the Lord’s hands, especially when we feel we have been wronged and mistreated. David is an example for us in this. Much injustice was done to him by Saul. Yet he always waited on the LORD for his redemption and did not anticipate God’s time for his kingship by taking revenge on Saul. Our great example is the Lord Jesus “Who did not revile in return while being reviled, while suffering, uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” ( ). repeats in slightly different words. It is quite possible that this is done in view of its connection with the preceding verse. We then have to do with a warning against revenge by tampering with weights out of revenge on the other person in order to get even and to disadvantage him.

‏ Proverbs 20:23

Do Not Repay Evil With Evil

We live in a world where we can expect harm will be done to us (Pro 20:22). Therefore, we are told how to respond. We should not take justice into our own hands, but leave repayment to God. This requires both patience and trust. Patience to wait for His time and trust that He will deliver.

The righteous should not take vengeance for evil, for only God has the right to justly retaliate for evil and is perfectly capable of doing so (Rom 12:19). God’s work here focuses on the positive side. He is seen here as Redeemer and not as Avenger, which He also is. It does not say that the righteous must wait until he will see God’s judgment on his enemies, but until he will be redeemed. That is a big difference in expectation.

Few lessons are more difficult to learn than that of entrusting all our affairs to the Lord’s hands, especially when we feel we have been wronged and mistreated. David is an example for us in this. Much injustice was done to him by Saul. Yet he always waited on the LORD for his redemption and did not anticipate God’s time for his kingship by taking revenge on Saul. Our great example is the Lord Jesus “Who did not revile in return while being reviled, while suffering, uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1Pet 2:23).

Pro 20:23 repeats Pro 20:10 in slightly different words. It is quite possible that this is done in view of its connection with the preceding verse. We then have to do with a warning against revenge by tampering with weights out of revenge on the other person in order to get even and to disadvantage him.