Proverbs 20:2

The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion, i.e., the dread which he casts upon others when he is becoming angry is a warning of approaching. danger.

Sinneth against his own soul—i.e., against his own life.

Benson Commentary

Proverbs 20:2-3. The fear of a king, &c. — See on Proverbs 16:14; Proverbs 19:12. It is an honour to a man to cease from strife — Either to prevent it, or, if it be begun, to put an end to it: which, although proud and profane persons esteem dishonourable to them, would indeed be their glory, because it would be an evidence of their wisdom and power over their passions, and of their respect and obedience to their sovereign Lord, in which their honour and happiness consist; but every fool will be meddling — Namely, with matters of strife; he is always ready to begin strife, and obstinate in the continuance of it.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

20:1 It seems hard to believe that men of the greatest abilities, as well as the ignorant, should render themselves fools and madmen, merely for the taste or excitement produced by strong liquors. 2. How formidable kings are to those who provoke them! how much more foolish then is it to provoke the King of kings! 3. To engage in quarrels is the greatest folly that can be. Yield, and even give up just demands, for peace' sake. 4. He who labours and endures hardship in his seed-time for eternity, will be properly diligent as to his earthly business.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Sinneth against his own soul - i. e., Against his own life (compare Habakkuk 2:10).

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. (Compare Pr 19:12). Men who resist authority injure themselves (Ro 13:2).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The fear of a king, passively taken, the terror which the wrath of a king causeth, by comparing this with Proverbs 19:12.

Sinneth against his own soul; exposeth himself to manifest danger of death.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion,.... The wrath and displeasure of a king, which causes fear; see Proverbs 19:12; kings should be terrors to evil works and workers, though not to good ones, Romans 13:3. This is true of the King of kings, who one day will be terrible to the drunkards, the mockers, and murderers of his people, before spoken of;

whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul; he exposes his life to danger: the Targum supplies it as we do. It may be rendered, his "soul sinneth" (a); he is guilty of sin, as well as is in danger of punishment; see Proverbs 8:36.

(a) .

Geneva Study Bible

The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoever provoketh him to anger {b} sinneth against his own soul.

(b) Puts his life in danger.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. is as] The terror inspired by a king is like that caused by the roaring of a lion in act to spring upon its prey. See 1 Peter 5:8.

soul] i.e. life, as R.V. with “Heb. soul,” in the marg. Comp. Habakkuk 2:10.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion (see Proverbs 19:12). The terror which a king causes when his anger is rising is like the roar of a lion, which betokens danger. Septuagint, "The threat of a king differeth not from the wrath of a lion." Whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul; imperils his life, which he has no right wilfully to jeopard. Septuagint, "He who enrageth him (ὁ παροξύνων αὐτόν)." The Complutensian and some Greek versions introduce the words, καὶ ἐπιμιγνύμενος, "and has intercourse with him;" i.e. he who having aroused a king's resentment does not avoid his presence, exposes himself to certain death. Proverbs 20:2

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

2 A roaring as of a lion is the terror of the king;

   And he that provoketh him forfeiteth his life.

Line first is a variation of Proverbs 19:12. The terror which a king spreads around (מלך, gen. subjecti., as, e.g., at Job 9:34 and generally) is like the growling of a lion which threatens danger. The thought here suggested is that it is dangerous to arouse a lion. Thus מתעבּרו does not mean: he who is angry at him (Venet.: χολούμενος αὐτῷ), but he who provokes him (lxx, Syr., Targ., Jerome, Luther). התעבּר signifies, as we saw at Proverbs 14:16, to be in a state of excessive displeasure, extreme anger. Here the meaning must be: he who puts him into a state of anger (lxx, ὁ παροξύνων αὐτόν, in other versions with the addition of καὶ ἐπιμιγνύμενος, who conducts himself familiarly towards him equals מתערבו). But can mitharvo have this meaning? That the Hithpa. of transitive stems, e.g., התחגּן (1 Kings 8:59) and השׁתּמּר (Micah 6:16), is construed with the accus. of that which any one performs for himself (cf. Ewald's Gramm. Arab. 180), is not unusual; but can the Hithpa. of the intrans. עבר, which signifies to fall into a passion, "express with the accusative the passion of another excited thereby" (Ewald, 282a)? There is no evidence for this; and Hitzig's conjecture, מתעבּרו (Tiphel of the Targ. תּעבור equals עברה), is thus not without occasion. But one might suppose that התעבּר, as the reflexive of a Piel or Hiphil which meant to be put into a state of anger, may mean to draw forth the anger of any one, as in Arab., the VIIIth form (Hithpa.) of ḥaḍr, to be present, with the accus. as reflexive of the IVth form, may mean: sibi aliquid praesens sistere. Not so difficult is חטא with the accus. of that which is missing, vid., Proverbs 8:36 and Habakkuk 2:10.