Proverbs 4:16-17
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These verses reveal a shocking truth: for the wicked, causing harm and tripping others up isn't just something they do, it's what they need to do to find peace. Their "sleep" – their sense of ease or rest – is directly tied to their ability to make someone else stumble.
For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This proverb comes from a fatherly discourse urging his son to embrace wisdom and avoid the path of the wicked. The preceding verses describe the deceptive nature of evil and warn against following those who have strayed from righteousness. This verse then vividly illustrates the deep-seated corruption of the wicked, whose very rest is disturbed unless they've actively caused harm to others.
Imagine tossing and turning all night, unable to find rest. For some, this isn't a temporary problem, but a direct result of their lifestyle.
Proverbs 4:16 reveals a disturbing truth about those who live wickedly: their sin isn't just an action, it's a craving. The verse states, 'they sleep not, except they have done mischief.' This highlights how deeply sin has become ingrained in their nature. It's not that they can't sleep because they've done wrong, but rather that they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong. Their conscience is so seared, or their desire for wrongdoing so strong, that peace eludes them until they have committed some act of harm or deceit. This isn't about occasional failings; it's about a habitual dependence on iniquity for any semblance of ease, however fleeting. Their 'sleep'—their peace and rest—is directly tied to their active participation in 'mischief' or causing others to 'fall'.
It's one thing to stumble into sin, but what about those who actively engineer the downfall of others?
The second half of Proverbs 4:16, 'and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall,' emphasizes the active, predatory nature of wickedness. This isn't passive sinning; it’s a deliberate act of causing others to stumble. The Hebrew word used for 'cause to fall' can imply tripping someone up or leading them into sin. For these individuals, their lack of peace is directly linked to their success in ensnaring others. It suggests a perverse joy or satisfaction derived from seeing others fall into traps they’ve laid, whether into sin, calamity, or confusion. This desire to see others ruined is a hallmark of deep corruption, mirroring the adversary's own nature. Their peace is so dependent on the misfortune of others that they are agitated until they have achieved it.
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Understand the original words
ra‘ah · Hebrew Noun
Acts of moral transgression, evil, or sin. In a biblical context, it often refers to active rebellion against God's laws and moral order.
kashal · Hebrew Verb
A cause for falling, an enticement to sin, or an obstacle that leads someone into error or moral ruin. In Scripture, it represents leading others away from righteousness.
lechem resha'im · Hebrew Noun
In this metaphorical sense, it refers to the daily sustenance or lifestyle supported by sinful activity. It suggests that wickedness has become a habitual, essential part of the person's existence.
chamas · Hebrew Noun
A term representing injustice, oppression, or brutal physical injury. It describes actions that violently disregard the well-being of others and stand in direct opposition to God's standard of justice.
This passage speaks of pride and wicked deeds leading to a downfall, reflecting the same deep-seated corruption described in Proverbs 4:16 where sin is a prerequisite for rest.
Jeremiah 12:1-2Jeremiah questions why the wicked prosper and seem untroubled, a sentiment echoed in Proverbs 4:16 where the wicked are so consumed by their wrongdoing that they *need* it to find peace.
Matthew 7:13-14Jesus contrasts the wide, easy path of destruction with the narrow, difficult path of life. Proverbs 4:16 shows the 'easy' path of the wicked is so inherently corrupt that even their rest is dependent on causing others to stumble, highlighting its destructive nature.
Romans 1:29-32This passage lists numerous wicked behaviors, culminating in the observation that those who practice them not only do them but approve of others who do. This mirrors the idea in Proverbs 4:16 that the wicked are driven by a need to perpetrate and be involved in wrongdoing.
pulpitProverbs 4:16: "For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall."
Verse 16. - This verse exhibits the extreme depravity and debasement into which "the wicked" (r'shaim) and "the evil" (raim) of ver. 14 have fallen. Their sins are not sins of frailty, but arise from premeditation and from their insatiable desire to commit wickedness. Sin has become to them a kind of second nature, and, unless they indulge in it, sleep is banished…
clarkeProverbs 4:16: "For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall."
Except they have done mischief - The night is their time for spoil and depredation. And they must gain some booty, before they go to rest. This I believe to be the meaning of the passage. I grant, also, that there may be some of so malevolent a disposition that they cannot be easy unless they can injure others, and are put to excessive pain when they perceive any m…
These verses reveal a shocking truth: for the wicked, causing harm and tripping others up isn't just something they do, it's what they need to do to find peace. Their "sleep" – their sense of ease or rest – is directly tied to their ability to make someone else stumble.
This proverb comes from a fatherly discourse urging his son to embrace wisdom and avoid the path of the wicked. The preceding verses describe the deceptive nature of evil and warn against following those who have strayed from righteousness. This verse then vividly illustrates the deep-seated corruption of the wicked, whose very rest is disturbed unless they've actively caused harm to others.
This proverb comes from a fatherly discourse urging his son to embrace wisdom and avoid the path of the wicked. The preceding verses describe the deceptive nature of evil and warn against following those who have strayed from righteousness. This verse then vividly illustrates the deep-seated corruption of the wicked, whose very rest is disturbed unless they've actively caused harm to others.
"For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence." — These verses reveal a shocking truth: for the wicked, causing harm and tripping others up isn't just something they do, it's what they need to do to find peace. Their "sleep" – their sense of eas…
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Last reviewed October 2026
