The Meaning of Proverbs 13:19 Explained

Proverbs 13:19

KJV: The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil.

YLT: A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, And an abomination to fools is: Turn from evil.

Darby: The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul; but it is abomination to the foolish to depart from evil.

ASV: The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul; But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The desire  accomplished  is sweet  to the soul:  but [it is] abomination  to fools  to depart  from evil. 

What does Proverbs 13:19 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Even though it is pleasant to hope for something better and then see it happen, a fool will not do so because he would rather continue practicing evil. Fools characteristically do not hope for higher things. They only want to continue in evil.
"In spite of the sweetness of good desires accomplished, fools will not forsake evil to attain it." [1]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 13

1  a scoffer does not listen to rebuke

What do the individual words in Proverbs 13:19 mean?

A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul but [it is] an abomination to fools to depart from evil
תַּאֲוָ֣ה נִ֭הְיָה תֶּעֱרַ֣ב לְנָ֑פֶשׁ וְתוֹעֲבַ֥ת כְּ֝סִילִ֗ים ס֣וּר מֵרָֽע

תַּאֲוָ֣ה  A  desire 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תַּאֲוָה  
Sense: desire.
נִ֭הְיָה  accomplished 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
תֶּעֱרַ֣ב  is  sweet 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: עָרַב  
Sense: (Qal) to be pleasant, be sweet, be pleasing.
לְנָ֑פֶשׁ  to  the  soul 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
וְתוֹעֲבַ֥ת  but  [it  is]  an  abomination 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: תֹּועֵבָה  
Sense: a disgusting thing, abomination, abominable.
כְּ֝סִילִ֗ים  to  fools 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: כְּסִיל  
Sense: fool, stupid fellow, dullard, simpleton, arrogant one.
ס֣וּר  to  depart 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
מֵרָֽע  from  evil 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.