The Meaning of Proverbs 12:12 Explained

Proverbs 12:12

KJV: The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.

YLT: The wicked hath desired the net of evil doers, And the root of the righteous giveth.

Darby: The wicked desireth the net of evil men; but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.

ASV: The wicked desireth the net of evil men; But the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit .

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The wicked  desireth  the net  of evil  [men]: but the root  of the righteous  yieldeth  [fruit]. 

What does Proverbs 12:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The contrast appears to be between two kinds of people. The wicked want to gain from the work of other evil people (e.g, skimming money off the top of a gambling operation). On the other hand, the righteous are content to earn wages from their own honest toil. [1]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 12

1  Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge

What do the individual words in Proverbs 12:12 mean?

Covet the wicked the catch of evil [men] but the root of the righteous yields [fruit]
חָמַ֣ד רָ֭שָׁע מְצ֣וֹד רָעִ֑ים וְשֹׁ֖רֶשׁ צַדִּיקִ֣ים יִתֵּֽן

חָמַ֣ד  Covet 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָמַד 
Sense: to desire, covet, take pleasure in, delight in.
רָ֭שָׁע  the  wicked 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
מְצ֣וֹד  the  catch 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מָצֹוד 
Sense: siege-works, bulwark.
רָעִ֑ים  of  evil  [men] 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
וְשֹׁ֖רֶשׁ  but  the  root 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֹׁרֶשׁ  
Sense: root.
צַדִּיקִ֣ים  of  the  righteous 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
יִתֵּֽן  yields  [fruit] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.