Proverbs 18:3 (KJV)

Passage

When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 18:1 Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

Proverbs 18:2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

Proverbs 18:3 When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.

Proverbs 18:4 The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

Proverbs 18:5 It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wicked", "cometh", "contempt", "ignominy", and "reproach". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wicked" and "cometh", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "A fool hath no delight in understanding..." into verse 4's "The words of a man s mouth...", so "wicked" and "cometh" 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 "wicked" and "cometh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.