What is the meaning of Proverbs 11:7? When the wicked man dies “When the wicked man dies…” (Proverbs 11:7) • Death is certain for every person; no amount of power or influence can postpone it (Hebrews 9:27; Psalm 49:10). • Scripture repeatedly reminds us that the wicked “will be no more” (Psalm 37:10) and “the way of the wicked will perish” (Psalm 1:6). • The verse begins by placing the event—death—front and center, setting the stage for everything that follows: whatever the wicked have built ends the moment life ends. his hope perishes “…his hope perishes…” • The “hope” of the wicked is rooted in temporal things—pleasure, wealth, reputation, self-made plans—rather than in the Lord. At death those ambitions expire instantly (Job 8:13-14; 27:8; Luke 12:20). • Unlike the righteous, whose hope is “an anchor for the soul” that endures beyond the grave (Hebrews 6:19; Proverbs 10:28), the wicked have nothing that can carry over into eternity (Ephesians 2:12). • Death exposes the emptiness of trusting anything but God; what looked substantial in life evaporates under eternal scrutiny. the hope of his strength vanishes “…and the hope of his strength vanishes.” • “Strength” here pictures whatever the wicked lean on—wealth, status, physical power, connections. Those props collapse the moment breath leaves the body (Psalm 52:7; Proverbs 23:5). • Earth-bound strength can’t purchase life beyond the grave (Mark 8:36; 1 Timothy 6:17). In a heartbeat it becomes useless, leaving the wicked without refuge (Psalm 146:3-4). • The righteous, by contrast, find their strength in the Lord, a strength that does not vanish at death but ushers them into His presence (Psalm 73:26; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18). summary Proverbs 11:7 draws a stark line between fleeting, self-made hopes and the lasting hope found in God. When the wicked die, every dream anchored in earthly power or pleasure collapses. Their resources cannot follow them, their plans cannot rescue them, and their strength proves an illusion. The verse presses us to build our hope on the only sure foundation—God Himself—whose promises remain when everything else passes away. |
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