When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse doesn't just say the wicked's hopes die with them; it highlights that their hope is placed in worldly things like riches or power, which are ultimately hollow and fleeting. This reveals that their entire system of belief and future security rests on unstable foundations that crumble at death.
When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This proverb is part of a series contrasting the wicked and the righteous, emphasizing the consequences of each life. Immediately preceding this verse, the text warns about the worthlessness of riches in the face of judgment, and it's followed by a statement that the righteous will be delivered while the wicked fall into trouble. The passage highlights that the wicked's focus on worldly gain and security will ultimately vanish when they die, offering no lasting comfort or escape.
We all have hopes and expectations for our lives. But what happens when those hopes are built on shaky ground, especially when death looms?
Proverbs 11:7 cuts straight to the heart of what the wicked truly live for: earthly gain and a life free from consequence. Their 'expectation' isn't just a vague wish; it's a deep-seated hope centered on worldly success, wealth, and perhaps a longer life to enjoy it all. When death arrives, it snatches away these very things they've staked their lives on.
Think about it: their plans, their ambitions, their entire focus has been on accumulating riches and power in this life. The verse implies that their hope is intrinsically tied to these temporal things. This isn't a hope that looks beyond the grave; it's a hope that dies with them.
The verse contrasts the wicked's fading hopes with an implied, more enduring hope. What's the fundamental difference?
The power of Proverbs 11:7 lies in its stark contrast. While the wicked's hopes perish, the verse strongly suggests that the righteous have a hope that doesn't. The 'hope of unjust men' often refers to a confidence placed in earthly resources – wealth, strength, or status.
This hope is fragile because its foundation is unstable. It crumbles at death. The righteous, however, have a hope grounded in God's promises and faithfulness, a hope that transcends this earthly existence. Their ultimate expectation isn't for more riches or power, but for God's presence and vindication, even beyond death.
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Understand the original words
rasha · Hebrew Noun
One who acts in opposition to God's laws; a person characterized by ungodliness, moral corruption, and a persistent rejection of divine standards.
tiqwah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to a confident expectation or trust. In a biblical context, it signifies what one ultimately relies on for security or the future, which for the wicked is fragile and temporary.
This passage describes the ultimate downfall of the wicked, directly contrasting their fleeting prosperity with the eternal security of the righteous, mirroring Proverbs 11:7's theme of perishable hopes.
Luke 12:16-21Jesus' parable of the rich fool powerfully illustrates how worldly possessions and future plans are meaningless when death arrives unexpectedly, aligning with the idea that the wicked's 'expectation' perishes.
Job 8:13-14Bildad's words highlight the fragility of the hope of the godless, stating it's like a spider's web, which will be shattered, echoing the sentiment that their hopes are ultimately destined to fail and perish.
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6This passage emphasizes that the dead have no awareness or future plans, underscoring why the wicked man's 'expectation' and 'hope' must cease at death, as there is no consciousness beyond that point for him.
Matthew 7:24-27The parable of building a house on rock versus sand shows that only a life built on obedience to God's words provides a secure foundation, implying that the wicked's hopes, built on shifting sands, will collapse at the inevitable storm of death.
pulpitProverbs 11:7: "When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth."
Verse 7. - His expectation; that which he hoped for and set his heart upon, worldly prosperity, long life, impunity, - all are cut off, and the moral government of God is confirmed, by his death (Psalm 73:17-19). (For "the hope of the ungodly," see the forcible expressions in Wisd. 5:14.) Of unjust men; Vulgate sollicitorum; Septuagint, τῶν ἀσεβῶν. The word seems to mean "vanities," i.e…
gillProverbs 11:7: "When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth."
When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish,.... His expectation of a longer life, of getting more riches, attaining to more honour, enjoying more pleasure here, and of having happiness hereafter, and of being delivered from wrath to come; he will then find, when he comes to die, that his expectations in this world are vain, and those which respect happiness in another world a…
The verse doesn't just say the wicked's hopes die with them; it highlights that their hope is placed in worldly things like riches or power, which are ultimately hollow and fleeting. This reveals that their entire system of belief and future security rests on unstable foundations that crumble at death.
This proverb is part of a series contrasting the wicked and the righteous, emphasizing the consequences of each life. Immediately preceding this verse, the text warns about the worthlessness of riches in the face of judgment, and it's followed by a statement that the righteous will be delivered while the wicked fall into trouble. The passage highlights that the wicked's focus on worldly gain and security will ultimately vanish when they die, offering no lasting comfort or escape.
This proverb is part of a series contrasting the wicked and the righteous, emphasizing the consequences of each life. Immediately preceding this verse, the text warns about the worthlessness of riches in the face of judgment, and it's followed by a statement that the righteous will be delivered while the wicked fall into trouble. The passage highlights that the wicked's focus on worldly gain and security will ultimately vanish when they die, offering no lasting comfort or escape.
"When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too." — The verse doesn't just say the wicked's hopes die with them; it highlights that their hope is placed in worldly things like riches or power, which are ultimately hollow and fleeting. This reveals t…
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Last reviewed October 2026