Bible Strands
Proverbs 19:12
A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The wisdom compiler addresses a general audience within a collection of practical instructions on daily conduct. The verse stands between teachings on personal patience and warnings about domestic folly.
The words — זַ֣עַף (Za.'af) translates as the rage of, and טַ֖ל (Tal) translates as dew. These terms establish the verse’s central contrast between sudden violence and quiet sustenance.
The thread — The lion-roar image for royal terror reappears in Proverbs 20:2, while the dew metaphor for life-giving blessing echoes Hosea 14:5. Proverbs 16:14 also addresses royal wrath but describes it as a messenger of death rather than using animal imagery.
Why it lands — The text contrasts a ruler’s sudden violence with his quiet provision to show how authority operates unpredictably. Readers must navigate power with discernment, recognizing that royal favor brings sustenance while royal wrath brings ruin.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.
Cross-references
- Hosea 14:5 I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.
- Proverbs 16:14 The wrath of a king is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it.
- Proverbs 20:2 The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion; whoever provokes him forfeits his own life.
- Luke 12:4 I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.
- Proverbs 28:15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.
- Esther 7:8 Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, “Would he actually assault the queen while I am in the palace?” As soon as the words had left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
- Psalms 133:3 It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the LORD has bestowed the blessing of life forevermore.
- Ecclesiastes 8:4 For the king’s word is supreme, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
- Daniel 2:12 This response made the king so angry and furious that he gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
- Daniel 3:19 At this, Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times hotter than usual,