Proverbs 17:11
New International Version
Evildoers foster rebellion against God; the messenger of death will be sent against them.

New Living Translation
Evil people are eager for rebellion, but they will be severely punished.

English Standard Version
An evil man seeks only rebellion, and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

Berean Standard Bible
An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

King James Bible
An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

New King James Version
An evil man seeks only rebellion; Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

New American Standard Bible
A rebellious person seeks only evil, So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

NASB 1995
A rebellious man seeks only evil, So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

NASB 1977
A rebellious man seeks only evil, So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

Legacy Standard Bible
A rebellious man seeks only evil, So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

Amplified Bible
A rebellious man seeks only evil; Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

Christian Standard Bible
An evil person desires only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

American Standard Version
An evil man seeketh only rebellion; Therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

Contemporary English Version
Cruel people want to rebel, and so vicious attackers will be sent against them.

English Revised Version
An evil man seeketh only rebellion; therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
A rebel looks for nothing but evil. Therefore, a cruel messenger will be sent [to punish] him.

Good News Translation
Death will come like a cruel messenger to wicked people who are always stirring up trouble.

International Standard Version
A rebellious person seeks evil; a cruel emissary will be sent to oppose him.

Majority Standard Bible
An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

NET Bible
An evil person seeks only rebellion, and so a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

New Heart English Bible
An evil man seeks only rebellion; therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

Webster's Bible Translation
An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

World English Bible
An evil man seeks only rebellion; therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
An evil man seeks only rebellion, "" And a fierce messenger is sent against him.

Young's Literal Translation
An evil man seeketh only rebellion, And a fierce messenger is sent against him.

Smith's Literal Translation
An evil one will seek only contradiction: and a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
An evil man always seeketh quarrels: but a cruel angel shall be sent against him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The evil one continually seeks conflicts. But a cruel Angel shall be sent against him.

New American Bible
The wicked pursue only rebellion, and a merciless messenger is sent against them.

New Revised Standard Version
Evil people seek only rebellion, but a cruel messenger will be sent against them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
A quarrelsome man seeks mischief; therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
A contentious man seeks evil and a merciless messenger is sent upon him.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
A rebellious man seeketh only evil; Therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Every bad man stirs up strifes: but the Lord will send out against him an unmerciful messenger.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Better a Dry Morsel in Quietness
10A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool. 11An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him. 12It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.…

Cross References
Romans 13:2
Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

1 Samuel 15:23
For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.”

2 Thessalonians 2:8-12
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His arrival. / The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder, / and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. ...

Isaiah 1:20
But if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

2 Peter 2:10
Such punishment is specially reserved for those who indulge the corrupt desires of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and self-willed, they are unafraid to slander glorious beings.

Numbers 16:1-35
Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath son of Levi, along with some Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—conducted / a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 men of Israel renowned as leaders of the congregation and representatives in the assembly. / They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, “You have taken too much upon yourselves! For everyone in the entire congregation is holy, and the LORD is in their midst. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?” ...

Hebrews 10:26-27
If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, / but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.

Jeremiah 5:3
O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.

2 Timothy 3:8
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith.

Deuteronomy 21:18-21
If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and does not listen to them when disciplined, / his father and mother are to lay hold of him and bring him to the elders of his city, to the gate of his hometown, / and say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he does not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” ...

Acts 7:51
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.

Ezekiel 2:3-5
“Son of man,” He said to me, “I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me. To this very day they and their fathers have rebelled against Me. / They are obstinate and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you are to say to them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ / And whether they listen or refuse to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them.

Matthew 21:41
“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and will rent out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share of the fruit at harvest time.”

Hosea 4:16
For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn heifer. Can the LORD now shepherd them like lambs in an open meadow?

Luke 19:27
And these enemies of mine who were unwilling for me to rule over them, bring them here and slay them in front of me.’”


Treasury of Scripture

An evil man seeks only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

2 Samuel 15:12
And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counseller, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.

2 Samuel 16:5-9
And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came…

2 Samuel 18:15,19
And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him…

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Proverbs 17
1. Contrasts between the Righteous and the Wicked














An evil man seeks only rebellion;
The phrase "an evil man" refers to someone who is morally corrupt and opposed to God's ways. In biblical context, rebellion is often associated with sin and disobedience to God's commandments. The Bible frequently warns against rebellion, as seen in 1 Samuel 15:23, where rebellion is likened to the sin of divination. Historically, rebellion against God was a recurring issue for the Israelites, leading to their downfall and exile. This phrase underscores the idea that those who are set on rebellion are inherently opposed to divine order and righteousness.

a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
In ancient times, a "messenger" could be a literal envoy or a symbolic representation of judgment. The term "cruel" suggests harshness and severity, indicating that the consequences of rebellion are dire. This can be connected to the biblical principle of reaping what one sows, as seen in Galatians 6:7. The "cruel messenger" can also be seen as a type of divine retribution, where God allows or sends judgment upon those who persist in their wickedness. This reflects the justice of God, who is patient but ultimately holds individuals accountable for their actions.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Evil Man
Represents individuals who are characterized by wickedness and a rebellious spirit against God and His commandments.

2. Cruel Messenger
Symbolizes the consequences or divine judgment that comes upon those who persist in rebellion. This could be a literal messenger or a metaphor for the repercussions of one's actions.
Teaching Points
The Nature of Rebellion
Rebellion is not just an act but a condition of the heart that opposes God’s authority. It is rooted in pride and self-will.

Consequences of Rebellion
Persistent rebellion invites divine judgment. The "cruel messenger" serves as a warning that God’s justice will prevail.

Call to Repentance
The verse serves as a call to examine our hearts for any rebellious tendencies and to seek repentance and alignment with God’s will.

Submission to Authority
As believers, we are called to submit to God’s authority and the authorities He has established, recognizing that rebellion against them is rebellion against God.

God’s Justice and Mercy
While God is just and will judge rebellion, He is also merciful and offers forgiveness to those who repent and turn back to Him.(11) An evil man seeketh only rebellion.--Or. A rebellious man (literally, rebellion; comp. Ezekiel 2:7) seeketh only evil.

A cruel messenger.--Such as the "chief of the executioners" (margin of Genesis 37:36), who was always ready to carry out the bidding of an Oriental king. (Comp. 1Kings 2:34; 1Kings 2:46.) The ministers of the Divine wrath against impenitent sinners appear as "tormentors" in Matthew 18:34. (For the office of the angels in the same work, comp. Revelation 8:6, sqq.) . . .

Verse 11. - An evil man seeketh only rebellion. So the Greek and Latin Versions; but, as Nowack intimates, a bad man seeks many other things which do not come directly in the category of rebellion; and it is better to take meri, "rebellion," as the subject, regarding it as put for the concrete, thus: "A rebellious man striveth only for what is evil." From the point of view of an Eastern potentate, this is true enough. Absolute government looks upon any rising against constituted authority, any movement in the masses, as necessarily evil, and to be repressed with a high hand. Hence the succeeding clause. Therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him. The "cruel messenger" (Proverbs 16:14) is the executioner of the king's wrath (comp. 1 Kings 2:29, etc.). He is called "cruel" because his errand is deadly, and he is pitiless in its performance. This seems to be the sense intended. The LXX. gives a different notion, derived from the ambiguous term malak, like the Greek ἄγγελος: "The Lord will send forth a pitiless angel against him." The verse then becomes a statement concerning the retribution inflicted by God on obstinate sinners, such as Pharaoh and the Egyptians. These are delivered over to "the tormentors" (Matthew 18:34), the angels that execute the wrath of God, as in Psalm 78:49 and Revelation 8:6, etc. As all sin is rebellion against God, it is natural to read into the passage a religious meaning, and for homiletical purposes it is legitimate to do so. But the writer's intention is doubtless as explained above, though his language may be divinely directed to afford a further application.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
An evil [man]
רָ֑ע (rā‘)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

seeks
יְבַקֶּשׁ־ (yə·ḇaq·qeš-)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1245: To search out, to strive after

only
אַךְ־ (’aḵ-)
Adverb
Strong's 389: A particle of affirmation, surely

rebellion;
מְרִ֥י (mə·rî)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4805: Bitterness, rebellion, bitter, rebellious

so a cruel
אַ֝כְזָרִ֗י (’aḵ·zā·rî)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 394: Terrible

messenger
וּמַלְאָ֥ךְ (ū·mal·’āḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4397: A messenger, of God, an angel

will be sent against him.
יְשֻׁלַּח־ (yə·šul·laḥ-)
Verb - Pual - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 17:11 An evil man seeks only rebellion (Prov. Pro Pr)
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