Key Verse Spotlight
Proverbs 20:2 - Meaning and Application
Understand how this verse speaks to what you're facing and how to apply it today
Translation: World English Bible — Catholic Edition
" The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion. He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life. "
Proverbs 20:2
Verse in Context
Understanding the surrounding verses prevents misinterpretation:
1 Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
2 The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion. He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.
3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.
4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.
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Here we see, first, how powerful kings can be, and how much fear they can cause when they are angry. Their threat, especially when they have full power and their word is law, keeps people in awe much like a lion’s roar. A lion’s roar is terrifying to the animals it hunts, and it makes them tremble and feel trapped.
Rulers who govern with wisdom and love act like God himself and reflect his image. But rulers who govern only by fear and force, with a heavy hand, are acting more like a lion in the woods, using brutal power. The old saying fits them: let them hate, if only they fear.
We also see how foolish it is to argue with such rulers or stir up their anger. People who do that are harming their own lives. How much worse it is to provoke the King of kings, God himself, to anger. No one can offend him and go unpunished.
From This Chapter
Proverbs 20:1
"Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise."
Proverbs 20:3
"It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling."
Proverbs 20:4
"The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing."
Proverbs 20:5
"Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out."
Proverbs 20:6
"Many men claim to be men of unfailing love, but who can find a faithful man?"
Proverbs 20:7
"A righteous man walks in integrity. Blessed are his children after him."
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