Proverbs 17:13 (DRB)

Passage

He that rendereth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:11 An evil man always seeketh quarrels: but a cruel angel shall be sent against him.

Proverbs 17:12 It is better to meet a bear robbed of her whelps, than a fool trusting in his own folly.

Proverbs 17:13 He that rendereth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

Proverbs 17:14 The beginning of quarrels is as when one letteth out water: and before he suffereth reproach, he forsaketh judgment.

Proverbs 17:15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, both are abominable before God.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "It is better to meet a bear..." into verse 14's "The beginning of quarrels is as when...", so "for good" and "rendereth" 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 "rendereth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.