Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!”
This phrase emphasizes the biblical principle of leaving vengeance to God. In the cultural context of ancient Israel, personal retribution was common, but the Law given through Moses (Leviticus 19:18) instructed the Israelites to love their neighbors and not seek revenge. This aligns with the New Testament teaching in Romans 12:19, where Paul instructs believers to leave room for God's wrath. The desire for personal vengeance can lead to a cycle of violence and bitterness, which is contrary to the peace and forgiveness taught by Jesus (Matthew 5:38-39).

Wait on the LORD,
Waiting on the LORD is a recurring theme in Scripture, signifying trust and patience in God's timing and justice. In the historical context, waiting on God was a call to faithfulness amidst trials and injustices. Psalm 27:14 and Isaiah 40:31 both encourage believers to wait on the LORD, promising strength and renewal. This waiting is not passive but involves active trust and hope in God's promises and character. It reflects a deep reliance on God's sovereignty and wisdom, acknowledging that His ways and timing are perfect.

and He will save you.
This assurance of salvation is a promise of divine intervention and deliverance. In the Old Testament, God's salvation often referred to physical deliverance from enemies, as seen in the stories of the Exodus and the battles of Israel. However, it also points to spiritual salvation, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who delivers believers from sin and eternal death (John 3:16-17). This phrase connects to the broader biblical narrative of God's redemptive plan, where ultimate salvation is found in Christ, the true Savior. It reassures believers that God is their protector and deliverer, both in temporal circumstances and in the eternal sense.

1. The Speaker
The author of Proverbs, traditionally King Solomon, who is imparting wisdom to the reader or listener.

2. The LORD
Refers to Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel, who is portrayed as the ultimate deliverer and judge.

3. The Reader/Listener
The intended audience of Proverbs, which includes the people of Israel and, by extension, all who seek wisdom from the Scriptures.

4. The Context of Evil
The situation or event where one might feel wronged or harmed, prompting a desire for personal vengeance.

5. Deliverance
The act of God intervening to bring justice or relief to those who wait on Him.Trust in God's Justice
Believers are called to trust that God is just and will right the wrongs in His perfect timing.

Patience in Adversity
Waiting on the Lord requires patience and faith, especially when wronged. This patience is a testament to one's faith in God's sovereignty.

Avoiding Bitterness
Seeking personal revenge can lead to bitterness and sin. By leaving vengeance to God, believers can maintain a pure heart.

Active Waiting
Waiting on the Lord is not passive; it involves prayer, seeking God's will, and maintaining a righteous life.

Reflecting Christ's Character
By not avenging ourselves, we reflect the character of Christ, who entrusted Himself to the Father even in suffering.(22) Wait on the Lord and he shall save thee.--Do not look for vengeance on enemies (for they are to be forgiven), but for deliverance from their attacks; forget their malice, remember only God's love for thee, and trust in Him. (Comp. 1Peter 3:13, Romans 8:28.)

Verse 22. - Say not thou, I will recompense evil (Proverbs 24:29). The jus talonis is the natural feeling of man, to do to others as they have done unto you, to requite evil with evil. But the moralist teaches a better lesson, urging men not to study revenge, and approaching nearer to Christ's injunction, which gives the law of charity, "Whatsoever ye would (οπσα α}ν θέλητε) that men should do to you, do ye even so to them" (Matthew 7:12). The Christian rule is expounded fully by St. Paul (Romans 12:14, 17, etc). It was not unknown to the Jews; for we read in Tobit 4:15, "Do that to no man which thou hatest;" and Hillel enjoins, "Do not thou that to thy neighbour which thou hatest when it is done to thee." Even the heathens had excogitated this great principle. There is a saying of Aristotle, preserved by Diogenes Laertius, "Act towards your friends as you would wish them to act towards you." The Chinese have a proverb, "Water does not remain on the mountain, or vengeance in a great mind." Wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee. The pious writer urges the injured person to commit his cause to the Lord, not in the hope of seeing vengeance taken on his enemy, but in the certainty that God will help him to bear the wrong and deliver him in his own good time and way. The Christian takes St. Peter's view, "Who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good?" (1 Peter 3:13), knowing that "all things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28; comp. Ecclus. 2:2, 6). Septuagint, "Say not, I will avenge myself on my enemy, but wait on the Lord, that (ἵνα) he may help thee." The last clause may be grammatically rendered thus, but it is more in accordance with the spirit st' the proverb, as Delitzsch observes, to regard it as a promise. Vulgate, et liberabit te.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Do not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

say,
תֹּאמַ֥ר (tō·mar)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“I will avenge
אֲשַׁלְּמָה־ (’ă·šal·lə·māh-)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 7999: To be safe, to be, completed, to be friendly, to reciprocate

this evil!”
רָ֑ע (rā‘)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

Wait
קַוֵּ֥ה (qaw·wêh)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 6960: To bind together, collect, to expect

on the LORD,
לַֽ֝יהוָ֗ה (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

and He will deliver
וְיֹ֣שַֽׁע (wə·yō·ša‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3467: To be open, wide, free, to be safe, to free, succor

you.
לָֽךְ׃ (lāḵ)
Preposition | second person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 20:22 Don't say I will pay back evil (Prov. Pro Pr)