Proverbs 17:13 (ASV)

Passage

Whoso rewardeth evil for good, Evil shall not depart from his house.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:11 An evil man seeketh only rebellion; Therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

Proverbs 17:12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, Rather than a fool in his folly.

Proverbs 17:13 Whoso rewardeth evil for good, Evil shall not depart from his house.

Proverbs 17:14 The beginning of strife is [as] when one letteth out water: Therefore leave off contention, before there is quarrelling.

Proverbs 17:15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to Jehovah.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "for good", "whoso", "rewardeth", "evil", "shall", "depart", and "house". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "for good" and "whoso", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "Let a bear robbed of her whelps..." into verse 14's "The beginning of strife is as when...", so "for good" and "whoso" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "for good" and "whoso" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.