Proverbs 16:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment.

NIV: The lips of a king speak as an oracle, and his mouth does not betray justice.

NASB: A divine verdict is on the lips of the king; His mouth should not err in judgment.

CSB: God's verdict is on the lips of a king; his mouth should not give an unfair judgment.

NLT: The king speaks with divine wisdom; he must never judge unfairly.

KJV: A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.

NKJV: Divination is on the lips of the king; His mouth must not transgress in judgment.

Obligations are often phrased as statements. This is commonly seen in contracts and other legal documents. When a contract says, "the owner maintains a safe property," it is setting an expected standard, not predicting what the owner will do. The same is true of this proverb: a king acting as he should does not sin through his decrees or judgments. Kings of Israel were initiated into office by the anointing of oil. This represented the power of the Holy Spirit. A king was considered one of God's representatives on earth. As such, when he spoke, he was morally obligated to speak truthfully. When he offered judgment—a ruling, a decree, or some other decision (1 Kings 3:28)—he was expected to so righteously, and not in sin.

When Solomon was a young man, he wanted to judge the people of Israel righteously. According to 1 Kings 3:3, "Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father." When the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at Gibeon, He asked Solomon what gift he wanted. Solomon acknowledged that God had made him king in place of his father David (1 Kings 3:7). He also acknowledged that he was inadequate to judge the nation (1 Kings 3:8). Therefore, he asked the Lord for "an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?" (1 Kings 3:9). The Lord granted Solomon's request and enabled him to render righteous judgments.

Proverbs 16:10–15 continues Solomon's wise observations. This group of proverbs includes several touching on "kings;" these principles can be applied to other government leaders or authorities, as well. The passage describes ideals regarding leadership and discusses the relationship between rulers and their subjects.

This part of Solomon's proverbs emphasizes human motives, self-control, and common sense. Many of these proverbs are arranged in a two-part style. The first and second half of these statements make the same basic point, but from opposite perspectives. Notable verses are verses 9 and 33, speaking of God's sovereignty, and verse 18, a famous warning about arrogance. Also often cited is verse 25, which repeats Proverbs 14:12 and encourages self-reflection.

A lengthy list of Solomon's wise sayings began in chapter 10. Chapter 16 begins a section mostly composed of comparisons and completions. It extends to Proverbs 22:16. Man's thoughts, speech, motives, and conduct are examined in this chapter. The chapter also addresses pride, evil, and injustice.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.