Bible Strands
Proverbs 29:2
When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — A wise teacher (Solomonic collection, Proverbs 25–29) addresses the community with a general observation about how the quality of public leadership registers in the body of the people.
The words — יֵאָ֥נַֽח (yē'ānāḥ, "it sighs / groans," H584) is the same root as the name Hannah (חֲנָה), carrying the sense of being bent or bowed under weight; it is the opposite of יִשְׁמַ֣ח (yiśmāḥ, "it rejoices," H8055) in the first clause.
The thread — The same contrast appears in Proverbs 28:12 (righteous triumph → glory; wicked rise → men hide), Proverbs 11:10 (righteous thrive → city rejoices; wicked perish → shouts of joy), and Proverbs 28:28 (wicked in power → people hide; they perish → righteous flourish).
Why it lands — The verse asks the reader to treat the mood of the community as a diagnostic of its leaders, not as a private or spiritual matter, and to recognize that "groaning" is a public, measurable condition.
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
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 28:12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.
- Proverbs 11:10 When the righteous thrive, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.
- Proverbs 28:28 When the wicked come to power, people hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous flourish.
- Esther 8:15 Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal garments of blue and white, with a large gold crown and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced.
- Ecclesiastes 10:5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun—an error that proceeds from the ruler:
- Esther 3:15 The couriers left, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion.
- Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”
- Psalms 72:1 Of Solomon. Endow the king with Your justice, O God, and the son of the king with Your righteousness.
- Isaiah 32:1 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice.
- Jeremiah 23:5 Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.