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Selected Verse: Proverbs 20:2 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Pr 20:2 |
King James |
The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
| (Compare Pro 19:12). Men who resist authority injure themselves (Rom 13:2). |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
| Sinneth against his own soul - i. e., Against his own life (compare Hab 2:10). |
| Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
2 A roaring as of a lion is the terror of the king;
And he that provoketh him forfeiteth his life.
Line first is a variation of Pro 19:12. The terror which a king spreads around (מלך, gen. subjecti., as, e.g., at Job 9:34 and generally) is like the growling of a lion which threatens danger. The thought here suggested is that it is dangerous to arouse a lion. Thus מתעבּרו does not mean: he who is angry at him (Venet.: χολούμενος αὐτῷ), but he who provokes him (lxx, Syr., Targ., Jerome, Luther). התעבּר signifies, as we saw at Pro 14:16, to be in a state of excessive displeasure, extreme anger. Here the meaning must be: he who puts him into a state of anger (lxx, ὁ παροξύνων αὐτόν, in other versions with the addition of καὶ ἐπιμιγνύμενος, who conducts himself familiarly towards him = מתערבו). But can mitharvo have this meaning? That the Hithpa. of transitive stems, e.g., התחגּן (Kg1 8:59) and השׁתּמּר (Mic 6:16), is construed with the accus. of that which any one performs for himself (cf. Ewald's Gramm. Arab. 180), is not unusual; but can the Hithpa. of the intrans. עבר, which signifies to fall into a passion, "express with the accusative the passion of another excited thereby" (Ewald, 282a)? There is no evidence for this; and Hitzig's conjecture, מתעבּרו (Tiphel of the Targ. תּעבור = עברה), is thus not without occasion. But one might suppose that התעבּר, as the reflexive of a Piel or Hiphil which meant to be put into a state of anger, may mean to draw forth the anger of any one, as in Arab., the VIIIth form (Hithpa.) of ḥaḍr, to be present, with the accus. as reflexive of the IVth form, may mean: sibi aliquid praesens sistere. Not so difficult is חטא with the accus. of that which is missing, vid., Pro 8:36 and Hab 2:10. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| The fear - The terror which the wrath of a king causes. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
| The fear of a king - Almost the same with Pro 19:12 (note), which see. |
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
12 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.
10 Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul.
10 Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul.
36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
16 For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.
59 And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, be nigh unto the LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require:
16 A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.
34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
12 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.
12 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.