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Prosperity Of The Wicked In Scripture

The observation that the wicked often prosper, while the righteous suffer, is a recurring theme and a source of theological tension in biblical literature. The Psalmist explicitly states, "Lo, these are the wicked, yet prosper they alway, and increase in riches" [1]. This apparent contradiction challenges conventional understandings of divine justice and retribution.

The book of Job directly confronts this issue. Job's friends consistently argue that the wicked cannot prosper long, believing that some remarkable judgment will inevitably befall them [12]. Zophar, for instance, concludes that "the eyes of the wicked shall fail" [12]. However, Job refutes this, asserting that God acts as a sovereign in earthly affairs, reserving the precise distribution of rewards and punishments for a future state [12]. Job describes the prosperity of the wicked in detail, noting their health, wealth, and flourishing families, even as they remain hardened in their wickedness [9, 13]. He asks, "Tell me how often do you see the candle of the wicked put out? Do you not as often see it burnt down to the socket, until it goes out of itself?" [10].

Despite the visible prosperity of the wicked, biblical texts consistently affirm that their happiness is ultimately limited and temporary [6]. Their triumphing is described as "short" [14]. While they may "grow as the grass" and "flourish" for a time, they are destined for destruction [5, 11]. John Gill notes that the wicked, though numerous and seemingly beautiful like grass, are "weak and unstable, and of a short continuance" [11]. Their prosperity is often derived from their wealth, power, and worldly success, but it is frequently marred by jealousy and can be suddenly interrupted by divine judgment [6].

The wisdom literature, particularly Proverbs, offers a contrasting perspective, often linking righteousness with prosperity and wickedness with misfortune [4]. However, it also acknowledges the reality of the wicked increasing and sin spreading, though it promises that "the righteous will see their downfall" [3]. When the wicked rise to power, the righteous may be forced into hiding, but their eventual destruction leads to the multiplication of the righteous [2].

Patristic and rabbinic traditions also grapple with this paradox. Augustine, in his exposition on Psalm 92, contrasts the temporary flourishing of the wicked, likened to grass that withers under the sun, with the enduring nature of the righteous, who are like palm trees and cedars with deep roots [15]. The Babylonian Talmud distinguishes between different types of righteous and wicked individuals. It posits that a "completely righteous person" prospers in both this world and the next, while a righteous person who suffers is being punished in this world for minor transgressions to ensure a complete reward in the World-to-Come. Conversely, a wicked person who prospers in this world receives their reward here, so they will have no reward in the World-to-Come [16].

The Dead Sea Scrolls, specifically the Habakkuk Pesher, reflect a community's confidence that God will ultimately vindicate them despite their oppression, suggesting that suffering can be redemptive [7]. This anticipates later Christian theological concepts of vicarious atonement [7]. The prosperity of the wicked, therefore, is not a sign of God's approval but rather a temporary condition that serves to highlight the ultimate justice that will be meted out in the end [6, 8].

Sources

  1. Psalms “Psalms 73:12 (Geneva1599) — Lo, these are the wicked, yet prosper they alway, and increase in riches.”
  2. Proverbs “Proverbs 28:28 (YLT) — In the rising of the wicked a man is hidden, And in their destruction the righteous multiply!”
  3. Proverbs “When the wicked increase, sin increases; but the righteous will see their downfall. -- Proverbs 29:16”
  4. Proverbs “Misfortune pursues sinners, but prosperity rewards the righteous. -- Proverbs 13:21”
  5. Psalms “Psalms 92:7 (Geneva1599) — (When the wicked growe as the grasse, and all the workers of wickednesse doe flourish) that they shall be destroyed for euer.”
  6. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Happiness of the Wicked, The — Is limited to this life -- Ps 17:14; Lu 16:25. Is short -- Job 20:5. Is uncertain -- Lu 12:20; Jas 4:13,14. Is vain -- Ec 2:1; 7:6. Is derived from Their wealth. -- Job 21:13; Ps 52:7. Their power. -- Job 21:7; Ps 37:35. Their worldly prosperity. -- Ps 17:14; 73:3,4,7. Popular applause. -- Ac 12:22. Gluttony. -- Isa 22:13; Hab 1:16. Drunkenness. -- Isa 5:11; 56:12. Vain pleasure. -- Job 21:12; Isa 5:12. Successful oppression. -- Hab 1:15; Jas 5:6. Marred by jealousy -- Es 5:13. Often interrupted by judgments -- Nu 11:33; Job 15:21; Ps 7”
  7. Dead Sea Scrolls “Habakkuk Pesher (1st century BCE), section 3: community's confidence that despite the oppression they face, God will ultimately vindicate them and use their suffering redemptively. The concept of vicarious atonement through the suffering of the righteous elect resonates with biblical themes found in Isaiah 53 and anticipates similar ideas in early Christian theology. Column VII This column contains one of the most theologically significant passages in the entire pesher, interpreting Habakkuk 2:4b, "the righteous shall live by his faith": "Its interpretation concerns all observers of the Law in”
  8. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Afflictions of the Wicked, The — God is glorified in -- Ex 14:4; Eze 38:22,23. God holds in derision -- Ps 37:13; Pr 1:26,27. Are multiplied -- De 31:17; Job 20:12-18; Ps 32:10. Are continual -- Job 15:20; Ec 2:23; Isa 32:10. Are often sudden -- Ps 73:10; Pr 6:15; Isa 30:13; Re 18:10. Are often judicially sent -- Job 21:17; Ps 107:17; Jer 30:15. Are for examples to others -- Ps 64:7-9; Zep 3:6,7; 1Co 10:5-11; 2Pe 2:6. Are ineffectual of themselves, for their conversion -- Ex 9:30; Isa 9:13; Jer 2:30; Hag 2:17. Their persecution of saints, a cause of -- De 30:7; Ps 55”
  9. Job (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Job 21:7: All Job's three friends, in their last discourses, had been very copious in describing the miserable condition of a wicked man in this world. "It is true," says Job, "remarkable judgments are sometimes brought upon notorious sinners, but not always; for we have many instances of the great and long prosperity of those that are openly and avowedly wicked; though they are hardened in their wickedness by their prosperity, yet they are still suffered to prosper." I. He here describes their prosperity in the height, and breadth, and length of it. "If this be true, as you s”
  10. Job (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Job 21:17: Job had largely described the prosperity of wicked people; now, in these verses, I. He opposes this to what his friends had maintained concerning their certain ruin in this life. "Tell me how often do you see the candle of the wicked put out? Do you not as often see it burnt down to the socket, until it goes out of itself? Job 21:17. How often do you see their destruction come upon them, or God distributing sorrows in his anger among them? Do you not as often see their mirth and prosperity continuing to the last?" Perhaps there are as many instances of notorious sin”
  11. Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 92:7: When the wicked spring as the grass,.... Out of the earth, as they do, and are of the earth earthly, and become numerous as spires of grass, and look pleasant and beautiful for a while, as that does; but, like it, weak and unstable, and of a short continuance: and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; in the health of their bodies; not being afflicted as other men, and their eyes standing out with fatness; while a Job, an upright man, is smitten with boils from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot: in wealth and riches, in which they increase often ”
  12. Job (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Job 12:6: Job's friends all of them went upon this principle, that wicked people cannot prosper long in this world, but some remarkable judgment or other will suddenly light on them: Zophar had concluded with it, that the eyes of the wicked shall fail, Job 11:20. This principle Job here opposes, and maintains that God, in disposing men's outward affairs, acts as a sovereign, reserving the exact distribution of rewards and punishments for the future state. I. He asserts it as an undoubted truth that wicked people may, and often do, prosper long in this world, Job 12:6. Even gre”
  13. Job (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Job 21:9: Their bull gendereth, and faileth not,.... As the wicked man's prosperity is described before by the increase and comfortable settlement of his children and grandchildren, and by the peace and safety of all within doors; here it is further set forth by the increase of his cattle in the fields, one part being put for the whole, his oxen and asses, his camels and sheep, things in which the riches of men chiefly lay in those times and countries; and he was reckoned an happy man when these brought forth abundantly; see Psa 144:13; their cow calveth, and casteth not her cal”
  14. Job (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Job 20:5: That the triumphing of the wicked is short,.... Their outward prosperity and felicity, of which they make their boast, and in which they glory and triumph for a while; at first Job's friends set out with this notion, that the wicked never flourished and prospered, but it always went ill with them in Providence; but being beat out of that, they own they may be for a small time in flourishing and prosperous circumstances, but it is but for a small time; which may be true in many instances, but it is not invariable and without exception the case: the sense is, it is but a l”
  15. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 8: Augustine — Exposition on Psalms — PSALM XCII.(8) (part 9): end. Thy root is fixed fast: but our root is upward. For our root is Christ, who hath ascended into heaven. Humbled, he shall be exalted; "he shall spread abroad like a cedar in Libanus." See what trees he spoke of: the righteous shall flourish like a palm-tree: and shall spread abroad like a cedar in Libanus. When the sun hath gone forth, doth the palm-tree wither? Doth the cedar die? But when the sun hath been glowing for some hours, the grass drieth up. The judgment, therefore, shall come, that sinners may wither, and ”
  16. Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 128a.13:28: A righteous person is clearly not punished for the transgressions of his ancestors. Rather, it must be that God said to Moses as follows: The righteous person who prospers is a completely righteous person whose actions are entirely good and whose reward is entirely good both in this world and in the World-to-Come. The righteous person who suffers is one who is not a completely righteous person. Because he does have some transgressions, he is punished in this world so that he will receive a complete reward in the World-to-Come. The wicked person who prosp”
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