Why Getting Even Isn’t the Goal (Proverbs 20:22)
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Proverbs 20:22
Do not say, “I will repay evil”;
wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.
Let’s be honest: this is one of the hardest commands in the Bible. When we’re wronged – when someone lies about us, cheats us, betrays us – everything in us wants to make it right. And do so right away.
Whether it’s a harsh comment or a deep injustice, the reflex is the same: repay evil with strength. Stand your ground. Get even. Fix it.
But Proverbs 20:22 says something radically different: Don’t. Don’t rush to settle the score. Don’t take justice into your own hands. Instead – wait for the Lord.
Now, that might sound like passivity. Like denial. But in the Hebrew, the word translated “wait” is qavah – and it means something much richer. It’s not a passive delay. It’s an active, hopeful expectancy. It’s waiting with tension, like a cord pulled tight, expecting something to happen.
In other words, biblical waiting isn’t a cop-out. It’s courage.
It’s the decision to entrust the situation – and yourself – to the only one who sees everything clearly and judges justly.
And that’s incredibly difficult. Because it means giving up control. It means resisting the desire to be judge, jury, and executioner. It means acknowledging that while you may feel powerless, you are not abandoned – because the Lord sees, and He will deliver.
That promise is not a vague spiritual comfort. It’s anchored in the gospel.
In Romans 12, Paul echoes this proverb almost word-for-word. “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God… ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” Then he says something stunning: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
This is not about being a doormat. It’s about choosing a higher weapon. One that evil can’t understand or withstand.
And this isn’t just a proverb or a Pauline command. It’s the path Jesus Himself walked.
When He was betrayed, He didn’t retaliate. When He was falsely accused, He didn’t defend Himself. When He was crucified, He said, “Father, forgive them.” Why? Because, as 1 Peter 2:23 tells us, “He entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly.”
That’s what qavah looks like in flesh and blood.
And because Jesus waited and was delivered – raised, vindicated, glorified – we can trust that our waiting isn’t in vain either. Justice will be done. Wrongs will be righted. And we don’t have to carry the burden of vengeance anymore.
So when you’re wronged – and you will be, and maybe you have been – remember: you don’t need to fight to prove your worth. You don’t need to repay evil with evil.
You are not alone. Wait for the Lord. Hope in Him. And He will deliver you.
Let’s pray.
