Commentary - Proverbs 16:10

Bird's-eye view

This proverb, nestled in a cluster of sayings about kings and national righteousness, addresses the high and holy calling of the civil magistrate. It is not a blanket declaration that all kings are infallible, as a cursory reading of Israel's history would quickly disprove. Rather, it sets forth the divine ideal for a ruler. The king, as God's delegated authority, is meant to be a fountain of justice. His words in judgment should carry the weight of a divine oracle because he is tasked with speaking God's truth into the civic realm. The proverb is therefore both a description of the ideal ruler and a potent exhortation for every ruler. It establishes the principle that civil justice is not a secular affair, but a sacred duty. The throne is established by righteousness, and that righteousness flows from God Himself. The king's mouth is the spigot through which that justice is to be dispensed to the people.

Consequently, the second clause is the necessary ethical implication of the first. If the king's lips are to be the conduit for divine decisions, then it is a profound treachery for that same mouth to err in judgment. It is a betrayal of his office, his people, and the God who appointed him. This verse, then, is a high-water mark for political science, reminding us that all authority is derived from God and must be exercised according to His standards of justice and truth. It is a standard that no earthly king has ever perfectly met, pointing us ultimately to the one true King, Jesus Christ, in whose mouth there was never any error and whose judgment is altogether righteous.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

Proverbs 16:10 is part of a thematic collection of verses dealing with kingship, righteousness, and the foundations of a stable society. It follows the foundational declaration that "A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps" (Prov 16:9), reminding us that even the most powerful man, a king, is subject to God's sovereignty. This verse is then followed by a series of related truths: "A just balance and scales are the LORD's" (16:11), "It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, For a throne is established on righteousness" (16:12), and "Righteous lips are the delight of kings" (16:13). This entire section (vv. 10-15) paints a picture of the ideal commonwealth, where the king is God's faithful minister of justice, and the result is stability and life for the people. The proverb does not exist in a vacuum; it is a central pillar in a carefully constructed argument about the nature of godly rule.

Key Issues

The Fountain of Justice

In our democratic and egalitarian age, the idea of a king's words being a "divine decision" can be jarring. We are conditioned to be suspicious of all authority, particularly concentrated political authority. But the Bible's view of government is much higher than our own. The civil magistrate, whether he is a king, a president, or a prime minister, is called a "minister of God" (Rom 13:4). He wields the sword on God's behalf to punish evil and praise good. His authority is not his own; it is a stewardship, a delegated trust from the King of kings.

This proverb, therefore, is not teaching a doctrine of royal infallibility. The history of Israel is a long and sorry tale of kings whose mouths did indeed err in judgment, often catastrophically. Solomon himself, the author of this proverb, is a tragic case in point. No, this verse is setting forth the standard. It is describing what a king ought to be. When a king sits to judge, he is occupying a sacred seat. He is God's representative for justice in the civil sphere. His words should therefore be so steeped in the wisdom and law of God that they have the force of an oracle. He is to be a fountain of justice for the nation, not a muddy puddle of personal opinion or political expediency.

Verse by Verse Commentary

10 A divine decision is in the lips of the king;

The Hebrew word for "divine decision" is qesem, which is often translated as "divination" and usually has a negative connotation, referring to pagan attempts to discern the future. But here, as in a few other places, it is used in a positive sense to mean a wise and authoritative utterance, an oracle. The point is that the king's official pronouncements on matters of justice should have the weight of a word from God. This is not because the king is divine, but because he is supposed to be so saturated in God's law and wisdom that his judgment reflects God's own. When he speaks in his official capacity as judge, he is not just giving his two cents; he is meant to be declaring the righteous standard of God. This is the highest possible view of the judicial function of government. It is a sacred, priestly task. The courtroom is, in a very real sense, a sanctuary of justice, and the judge is its minister.

His mouth should not err in judgment.

This second clause is the direct and unavoidable consequence of the first. If the king's office is this high and holy, then the standard for his conduct is correspondingly high. The word "err" here means to be treacherous or unfaithful. A king who renders an unjust judgment is not just making a mistake; he is committing an act of treachery. He is being unfaithful to his divine commission. He is polluting the stream of justice at its very source. His mouth, which was designated to be a channel for divine truth, becomes a fire hose of injustice, spraying the nation with the consequences of his faithlessness. This is why the Scripture says elsewhere that a throne is established by righteousness (Prov 16:12). An unjust king is sawing off the very branch he is sitting on. His authority comes from God, and when he uses that authority to defy the God of justice, he is undermining the foundation of his own rule.

Application

First, we must reject the modern secular notion that government is a religiously neutral enterprise. According to this proverb, the central task of government, which is judgment, is a profoundly religious duty. Every law that is passed, every verdict that is rendered, is an expression of some ultimate standard of right and wrong. The only question is whether it will be God's standard or man's. This proverb calls all civil magistrates, from the local city councilman to the Supreme Court justice, to recognize that they are accountable to God for the justice they administer. They are His deacons, and they will give an account of their service.

Second, this gives us a standard by which to evaluate our leaders and to pray for them. We should pray that their lips would be filled with divine wisdom and that their mouths would not be treacherous in judgment. We should honor the office, as Scripture commands, but we should also be discerning, recognizing that every earthly ruler falls short of this divine ideal. Our ultimate hope is not in princes or presidents, for they are all flawed men.

Finally, this proverb, like so many in the Old Testament, finds its perfect and ultimate fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one true King whose lips are the very oracle of God. He is the Word made flesh. When He speaks, worlds come into being. When He judges, His judgment is altogether true and righteous. His mouth has never and will never err in judgment. He is the king who perfectly embodies justice and righteousness, and it is upon His throne that all the promises of God find their yes and amen. Our earthly rulers will always be a mixed bag, but we have a King in heaven who is the perfect fountain of justice. Our duty is to live as faithful citizens of His kingdom, praying that His justice would be more and more reflected in our own land, until the day that He returns to make all things right.