Proverbs 16:14
WEB
The king’s wrath is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it.
BSB
The wrath of a king is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it.
KJV
The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H2534
n-f — heat, anger, poison
Derivation: or (Daniel 11:44) חֵמָא; from 3179;
heat; figuratively, anger, poison (from its fever)
KJV: anger, bottles, hot displeasure, furious(-ly, -ry), heat, indignation, poison, rage, wrath(-ful). See 2529.
n.f — heat
חֵמָה, (once חֵמָא) 121 n.f. heat, rage
1. heat:
a. fever
b. venom, poison
2. burning anger, rage:
a. of man
b. of the he-goat in Daniel's vision
a. of God
H4428
n-m — king
Derivation: from 4427;
a king
KJV: king, royal.
n.m — king
מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king
H4397
n-m — messenger, angel
Derivation: from an unused root meaning to despatch as a deputy;
a messenger; specifically, of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher)
KJV: ambassador, angel, king, messenger.
n.m — messenger
מַלְאָךְ 214 n.m. messenger
1. messenger
2. angel, as messenger of God
3. the theophanic angel
H4194
n-m — death, dead, pestilence, ruin
Derivation: from 4191;
death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence, ruin
KJV: (be) dead(-ly), death, die(-d).
n.m — death
מָ֫וֶת 161 n.m. death
1. death, opp. life
2. death by violence
3. state of death or place of death
H376
n-m — man
Derivation: contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant);
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
KJV: also, another, any (man), a certain, champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), none, one, people, person, steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare 802.
n.m — man
אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)
H2450
a — wise
Derivation: from 2449;
wise, (i.e. intelligent, skilful or artful)
KJV: cunning (man), subtil, (un-), wise((hearted), man).
adj — wise
חָכָם adj. wise
1. skilful in technical work
2. wise in the administration of affairs
3. shrewd, crafty, cunning
4. pl. class of learned and shrewd men, incl. astrologers, magicians and the like
5. prudent
6. wise, ethically and religiously
H3722
v — cover, expiate, condone, placate, cancel
Derivation: a primitive root;
to cover (specifically with bitumen); figuratively, to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel
KJV: appease, make (an atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile(-liation).
vb — cover over
כִּפֶּר vb. Pi. etc. denom. cover over (fig.), pacify, make propitiation
Pi.
1. cover over, pacify, propitiate
2. cover over, atone for sin, without sacrifice
3. cover over, atone for sin and persons by legal rites
Pu. be covered over, atoned for
Hithp. the iniquity of the house of Eli shall not be covered by peace-offering or minchah
Niph. and the blood shall be covered for them
vb. denom — and thou shalt pitch it with pitch
כָּפַר vb. denom. Gn 6:14 and thou shalt pitch it with pitch (P).
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Verses 14–15
Proverbs 16:14–15
These two verses show the power of kings, which is every where great, but was especially so in those eastern countries, where they were absolute and arbitrary. Whom they would they slew and whom they would they kept alive. Their will was a law. We have reason to bless God for the happy constitution of the government we live under, which maintains the prerogative of the prince without any injury to the liberty of the subject. But here it is intimated, 1. How formidable the wrath of a king is: It is as messengers of death; the wrath of Ahasuerus was so to Haman. An angry word from an incensed prince has been to many a messenger of death, and has struck so great a terror upon some as if a sentence of death had been pronounced upon them. He must be a very wise man that knows how to pacify the wrath of a king with a word fitly spoken, as Jonathan once pacified his father's rage against David, Sa1 19:6. A prudent subject may sometimes suggest that to an angry prince which will cool his resentments. 2. How valuable and desirable the king's favour is to those that have incurred his displeasure; it is life from the dead if the king be reconciled to them. To others it is as a cloud of the latter rain, very refreshing to the ground. Solomon put his subjects in mind of this, that they might not do any thing to incur his wrath, but be careful to recommend themselves to his favour. We ought by it to be put in mind how much we are concerned to escape the wrath and obtain the favour of the King of kings. His frowns are worse than death, and his favour is better than life; and therefore those are fools who to escape the wrath, and obtain the favour, of an earthly prince, will throw themselves out of God's favour, and make themselves obnoxious to his wrath.
Cross-references: 1Sam 19:6