Commentary - Proverbs 20:2

Bird's-eye view

This proverb delivers a blunt and practical piece of political wisdom, grounded in a clear-eyed understanding of how the world works. The central point is that legitimate authority possesses real power, and to needlessly provoke that power is a form of suicidal foolishness. Solomon uses the potent image of a roaring lion, an animal that inspires immediate and instinctual fear, to describe the wrath of a king. This is not to justify tyranny, but to recognize the reality of the sword that God has delegated to the civil magistrate. The proverb operates on two levels: first, as straightforward advice for navigating life under earthly rulers, and second, as a pointer to the ultimate King, Jesus Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. To provoke Him is not just to risk temporal consequences, but to sin against one's own soul in the most profound and eternal sense.

The wisdom here is about cause and effect. Actions have consequences, and poking a lion, whether a literal one or a metaphorical one sitting on a throne, is an act of self-destruction. The proverb therefore calls for prudence, respect for God-ordained authority, and a sober recognition that rebellion against the structures God has established is ultimately rebellion against God Himself. It is a warning against the kind of proud arrogance that thinks it can defy authority without cost.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

Proverbs 20 is a collection of sayings that touch upon various aspects of wise and righteous living. This particular verse fits within a cluster of proverbs that deal with justice, rule, and social order. For example, just a few verses later, Solomon says, "A king who sits on the throne of justice scatters all evil with his eyes" (Prov 20:8), and "Loyal love and faithfulness preserve the king, and his throne is upheld by love" (Prov 20:28). This context shows that the "terror" of the king is not arbitrary but is meant to be wielded in the service of justice and the punishment of evil. The book of Proverbs consistently upholds the legitimacy of civil authority as a key component of a stable society. This verse, therefore, is not an isolated statement about raw power but is part of a larger tapestry of wisdom concerning how both rulers and subjects ought to conduct themselves in a world ordered by God.

Key Issues

God's Chain of Command

In our democratic and egalitarian age, we tend to be allergic to notions of authority and hierarchy. We like to think of ourselves as accountable to no one but ourselves. But the Bible has a robust and unapologetic doctrine of authority. All authority flows from God's throne. As Paul tells us in Romans 13, there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. This means that when a king, a president, a governor, or a police officer is acting within the proper bounds of his God-given jurisdiction, to resist him is to resist God's ordinance.

This proverb is a practical application of that doctrine. God has given the civil magistrate the "sword" for a reason, to be a terror to bad conduct. The "terror of a king" is a God-designed feature of civil government. It is meant to restrain evil. The roar of the lion is a warning, a sign of immense power that should not be trifled with. A wise man hears that roar and comports himself accordingly. A fool hears it, waves a red flag, and gets himself mauled. This isn't about blind obedience to tyranny; the Bible gives us plenty of examples of righteous defiance. But it is about a default posture of respect and submission to the offices God has established for our good.

Verse by Verse Commentary

2a The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion;

The imagery is potent and visceral. No one who has heard a lion roar up close needs this explained. It is a sound that shakes the ground and communicates raw, untamable power. It is a promise of violence and death. This is what the king's displeasure is like. A king in the ancient world held the power of life and death in his hands. His wrath was not a matter of hurt feelings; it was a matter of life and limb. The proverb wants us to feel this in our bones. Authority is not a game. The king is not your buddy. God has delegated a measure of His own authority to the ruler, and that authority has teeth. The fear or "terror" spoken of here is not the cowering fear of an abused slave, but the respectful, sober fear one has for a powerful force. It is the kind of fear that keeps you from doing stupid things, like trying to pet the nice kitty at the zoo.

2b He who provokes him to anger sins against his own soul.

Here is the consequence. To provoke such a power is an act of self-harm. The Hebrew for "sins against his own soul" can also be translated as "forfeits his own life." The meaning is clear: you are putting your own well-being, your own life (nephesh), in jeopardy. This is a sin in the sense that it is a violation of God's created order. God has established the king's authority; to needlessly provoke it is to rebel against that order. And it is a sin against your own self because it is profoundly foolish and self-destructive. You are the one who will pay the price.

This phrase, "sins against his own soul," appears elsewhere in Proverbs. The man who commits adultery "destroys his own soul" (Prov 6:32). He who refuses instruction "despises his own soul" (Prov 15:32). In each case, the sin is a kind of spiritual suicide. You are acting against your own best interests. The man who pokes the king is like the man who jumps off a cliff. Gravity is not immoral, it is just a reality. The king's power is a political reality, and to ignore it is to invite disaster upon your own head. Ultimately, all such foolish rebellion is a rejection of God's wisdom, and the one who rejects Wisdom loves death (Prov 8:36). The ultimate King is Christ, the Lion of Judah. To provoke Him is the ultimate act of sinning against your own soul, with consequences that are not just temporal but eternal.

Application

The application of this proverb must be handled with care. First, it is a call to civic respect. Christians should be the best citizens. We should honor the king, pay our taxes, and pray for those in authority (1 Pet 2:17; Rom 13:7; 1 Tim 2:2). We should not be the kind of people who are constantly railing against the government, looking for a fight, or engaging in reckless provocation. Our default posture should be one of peaceable submission for the Lord's sake.

Second, this does not mean we obey the state when it commands us to sin. When the king's law contradicts God's law, we must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). But even our disobedience should be done with sobriety and respect for the office, not with a spirit of insolent rebellion. Daniel in the lion's den is our model. He defied the king's decree, but he did so respectfully and was willing to accept the consequences.

Finally, we must lift our eyes from earthly kings to the King of Kings. If the wrath of a mere man is like a roaring lion, what is the wrath of the Almighty? The Bible speaks of the wrath of the Lamb (Rev 6:16), a terrifying concept. All earthly authority is a dim reflection of His ultimate authority. The foolish sinner spends his life provoking this King, storing up wrath for himself on the day of judgment. The wise man hears the roar of the Lion of Judah, recognizes his own sin and folly, and flees to the cross for mercy. There, the Lion who roars in judgment becomes the Lamb who was slain for our salvation. The terror of the King is transformed into the grace of the Savior for all who bow the knee to Him in faith.