The Meaning of Proverbs 13:25 Explained

Proverbs 13:25

KJV: The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.

YLT: The righteous is eating to the satiety of his soul, And the belly of the wicked lacketh!

Darby: The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul; but the belly of the wicked shall want.

ASV: The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul; But the belly of the wicked shall want.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The righteous  eateth  to the satisfying  of his soul:  but the belly  of the wicked  shall want. 

What does Proverbs 13:25 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This proverb illustrates the difference between a proverb and a promise. It expresses a condition that is generally true in this life-all other things being equal. However, God never promised that He would keep every righteous person from starving to death (cf. Matthew 6:33; Leviticus 26). David"s statement that he had never seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread ( Psalm 37:25) was a personal testimony, not a guarantee that God will always provide all the physical needs of all the righteous.

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 13

1  a scoffer does not listen to rebuke

What do the individual words in Proverbs 13:25 mean?

The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul but the stomach of the wicked shall be in want -
צַדִּ֗יק אֹ֭כֵל לְשֹׂ֣בַע נַפְשׁ֑וֹ וּבֶ֖טֶן רְשָׁעִ֣ים תֶּחְסָֽר פ

צַדִּ֗יק  The  righteous 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
אֹ֭כֵל  eats 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
לְשֹׂ֣בַע  to  the  satisfying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֹׂבַע  
Sense: satiety, abundance, fullness.
נַפְשׁ֑וֹ  of  his  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
וּבֶ֖טֶן  but  the  stomach 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בֶּטֶן  
Sense: belly, womb, body.
רְשָׁעִ֣ים  of  the  wicked 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
תֶּחְסָֽר  shall  be  in  want 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חָסֵר  
Sense: to lack, be without, decrease, be lacking, have a need.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation