Introduction
Before getting into the meaning of Proverbs 12:12, here’s different Bible translations:
King James Version
The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.
American Standard Version
The wicked desireth the net of evil men; But the root of the righteous yieldeth [fruit].
World English Bible version
The wicked desires the plunder of evil men, but the root of the righteous flourishes.
Proverbs 12:12 Meaning & Commentary
Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers, but the root of the righteous bears fruit. Proverbs 12:12 (ESV)
Wickedness has no limit that it will go to get what it wants. The problem with wickedness is that it never reaches a point where it is satisfied.
James 4:2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. The book of James explains this well – lust, coveting, evil desires, and wickedness are the source of murder, fighting, and quarreling.
We know that The Bible says the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil: 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
We can either love and serve God and be found in Him, or we can choose to serve mammon, which is really the love of money: Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money”.
This makes sense why Proverbs 12:12 says that the wicked covet the spoil of evildoers. The fact that they may have received their spoil through evil is beside the point for a wicked person. They covet the spoil – which tells us they are entangled in the love of money rather than loving God and serving Him.
Instead, we should be rooted and grounded in Christ Jesus – in doing so; we will bear fruit and glorify God in everything: John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Application
How can we practically apply Proverbs 12:12 to our lives?
The Bible teaches that there are only two Gods in this world – money or God. Jesus taught this in Matthew 6:24. To love and serve God is to be free from the love of money. Likewise, if we love money, we cannot serve God:
Matthew 19:20-22 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
This story in the book of Matthew is about a young man who wanted to serve Jesus but could not let go of his possessions. The lesson to be learned here is not that we all need to give away everything we have, but if money is our “god” and we cannot depart with it, we will be unable to serve the living God. Jesus was calling this young man to a closer walk with Him, but the young man could not enter it because money occupied the place of lord in his life.
We break free from this bondage by simply surrendering our lives to God and being obedient to follow Him in all things. When we give, we begin to break the love of money over our lives. As we obey God, we grow in Him and begin to bear fruit which brings glory to God.
We do not “try” to not covet or not love money. We serve God and obey Him – this causes all forms of wickedness to fall from our lives. As we turn our focus on Jesus and begin to love Him, we will desire to be obedient in all aspects of our life: John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word, which challenges me to go deeper in my relationship with you. If there is any love of money or wickedness in my life, please show me so that it can be dealt with, and I can serve you fully.
Help me to grow in my love for you and give me the desire to be generous in everything. I pray I will be rooted and grounded in Christ and bring glory to Jesus in everything I do. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen!