The Meaning of Proverbs 20:20 Explained

Proverbs 20:20

KJV: Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

YLT: Whoso is vilifying his father and his mother, Extinguished is his lamp in blackness of darkness.

Darby: Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in the blackest darkness.

ASV: Whoso curseth his father or his mother, His lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Whoso curseth  his father  or his mother,  his lamp  shall be put out  in obscure  darkness. 

What does Proverbs 20:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Proverbs 20:16-30 - "the Glory Of Young Men"
What a wonderful thought is given in Proverbs 20:27! We stand like a row of unlighted candles until God's Spirit kindles us. Has the Divine Nature ever bent over your nature, communicating to it its glow and fire? If so, be very careful that no puff of wind shall extinguish that sacred spark; and see that it is supplied with the daily nutriment it requires. The whole paragraph seems to indicate the clear shining of this light, which must not be hidden under a bushel, but placed on the stand, that it may give light to all who come in. So let your light shine that men may admire neither the lamp-stand nor the wick, but the glory of the light of God radiating from you.
Such a soul will be true, Proverbs 20:17; will be wise, Proverbs 20:18; will eschew tale-bearing and flattery, Proverbs 20:19; will honor the parents that gave it birth, Proverbs 20:20; will win a good inheritance by patient industry, Proverbs 20:21; will wait on the salvation of God, Proverbs 20:22; will accept God's guidance, Proverbs 20:24; will follow mercy and truth, Proverbs 20:28; will be strong, and pure, and faithful. Such should be the glory of all young men and maidens if their old age shall be beautiful, Proverbs 20:29. [source]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 20

1  Proper Living

What do the individual words in Proverbs 20:20 mean?

Whoever curses his father or his mother will be put out His lamp - in deep darkness
מְ֭קַלֵּל אָבִ֣יו וְאִמּ֑וֹ יִֽדְעַ֥ךְ נֵ֝ר֗וֹ [באישון] (בֶּאֱשׁ֥וּן) חֹֽשֶׁךְ

מְ֭קַלֵּל  Whoever  curses 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: קָלַל  
Sense: to be slight, be swift, be trifling, be of little account, be light.
אָבִ֣יו  his  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וְאִמּ֑וֹ  or  his  mother 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.
יִֽדְעַ֥ךְ  will  be  put  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּעַךְ  
Sense: to go out, be extinguished, dry up.
נֵ֝ר֗וֹ  His  lamp 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נִיר 
Sense: lamp.
[באישון]  - 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
(בֶּאֱשׁ֥וּן)  in  deep 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישֹׁון 
Sense: pupil of the eye.
חֹֽשֶׁךְ  darkness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹשֶׁךְ  
Sense: darkness, obscurity.