20:22

This proverb refers to a situation in which someone has been wronged by another person. The first line tells him how he should not respond to the person who wronged him. The second line tells him how he should respond.

22a Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!”

22b Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.

The overall meaning is that a person should trust the LORD for his deliverance and should not get revenge himself.

If you use cross-references in your translation, you may want to add a footnote such as:

See Deuteronomy 32:35–36.

20:22a

Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!”: In Hebrew, this line is literally: Do not say, “I will repay evil,” as in the English Standard Version. In some languages, it will be necessary to make explicit some of the implied information. For example:

Don’t say, “I’ll pay you back for the wrong you did.” (New Century Version)

This line is a direct quote. In some languages, it may be more natural to express the person’s intention without using a quote. For example:

Don’t try to get even. (Contemporary English Version)

20:22b

Wait on the LORD: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Wait on means “trust” or “rely on.” It indicates here that the person who was wronged should rely on the LORD to take whatever action is necessary.

and He will save you: This clause indicates that the LORD will save or “deliver” the person in some way. It does not specify what the LORD will do to deliver the person. He may:

(a) help the person to recover from the wrong that someone did to him, including damage to his reputation

(b) punish the wrongdoer

If possible, translate in a way that will allow either of these options to be understood. For example:

Trust in the Lord and he will help you. (New American Bible)
-or-
Wait for the Lord to handle the matter. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Trust the Lord and he will make it right. (Good News Translation)

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