5d • Wisdom
A Candle Put Out
‘For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.’ Proverbs 24:20
This verse answers the tension raised in the previous one. While the wicked may appear to prosper for a time, God declares their end with certainty. “There shall be no reward to the evil man” does not mean they receive nothing in this life, but that they have no lasting portion, no enduring blessing from God. What they gain is temporary and ultimately empty. Psalm 73:17-18 brings clarity to this: “then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.” The apparent stability of the wicked is an illusion.
The image of the “candle” speaks of life, influence, and continuation. To have one’s candle put out is to have that light extinguished—cut off, brought to an end. Proverbs 13:9 says, “The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.” There is a contrast between a life sustained by God and one that burns only for a moment. The wicked may shine brightly for a season, but without God as the source, that light cannot last.
This truth reorients how we define success. The world often measures reward by immediate results—wealth, power, recognition. But Scripture measures reward by what endures beyond this life. Jesus speaks directly to this in Matthew 6:19-20, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth… but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” The wicked invest in what perishes; the righteous invest in what remains.
There is also a warning embedded here. Sin promises reward—it offers pleasure, gain, or advantage—but it cannot deliver anything lasting. Romans 6:23 declares, “the wages of sin is death.” What begins as gain ends in loss. The candle may burn for a moment, but it leads to darkness. This is why Scripture consistently urges a long view, looking beyond the present moment to the final outcome.
For the righteous, this verse provides both comfort and clarity. There is no need to envy the wicked, because their path has no true reward. Their story does not end in triumph, but in extinguishing. In contrast, those who walk with God have a future that is secure. Proverbs 23:18 says, “For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.” The righteous may face difficulty now, but their reward is certain and lasting.
Practically, this verse calls for patience and trust. It means resisting the urge to measure life by short-term outcomes. It also calls for examining what we are pursuing—whether it is something that fades or something that endures. A life built on sin may appear to succeed, but it is building toward a sudden end.
Ultimately, Proverbs 24:20 reminds us that God’s justice is not always immediate, but it is always sure. The wicked may have their moment, but they do not have the future. Their light will go out. But for those who walk in righteousness, there is a reward that cannot be taken away and a light that will never be extinguished.
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A Candle Put Out
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