Proverbs 29:16 Meaning and Explanation
“When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Multiplying wickedness spreads sin, but the righteous witness the wicked's collapse.
The Context of Proverbs 29:16
Proverbs on justice: wickedness multiplies until it collapses under its own weight.
What Does Proverbs 29:16 Mean?
As wicked people increase in number and influence, sin flourishes—it becomes normalized, systemized, and pervasive. Corruption spreads like disease when the wicked have power and numbers. The culture shifts, laws bend, and vice becomes acceptable.
Yet the verse promises that the righteous will see the wicked fall. This isn't wishful thinking but observation: systems built on injustice eventually crumble under their own corruption and the resistance of the just. The righteous may wait, but they will witness reckoning—in this life or in God's ultimate judgment.
Proverbs 29:16 in the Original Language
pesha (פשׁע), 'transgression'—willful violation of law or covenant; rebellion in action.
Frequently Asked Questions About Proverbs 29:16
What does Proverbs 29:16 mean?
Multiplying wickedness spreads sin, but the righteous witness the wicked's collapse.
What is the context of Proverbs 29:16?
Proverbs on justice: wickedness multiplies until it collapses under its own weight.