Proverbs 16:10
New International Version
The lips of a king speak as an oracle, and his mouth does not betray justice.

New Living Translation
The king speaks with divine wisdom; he must never judge unfairly.

English Standard Version
An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment.

Berean Standard Bible
A divine verdict is on the lips of a king; his mouth must not betray justice.

King James Bible
A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.

New King James Version
Divination is on the lips of the king; His mouth must not transgress in judgment.

New American Standard Bible
A divine verdict is on the lips of the king; His mouth should not err in judgment.

NASB 1995
A divine decision is in the lips of the king; His mouth should not err in judgment.

NASB 1977
A divine decision is in the lips of the king; His mouth should not err in judgment.

Legacy Standard Bible
A divine decision is in the lips of the king; His mouth should not err in judgment.

Amplified Bible
A divine decision [given by God] is on the lips of the king [as His representative]; His mouth should not be unfaithful or unjust in judgment.

Christian Standard Bible
God’s verdict is on the lips of a king; his mouth should not give an unfair judgment.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
God’s verdict is on the lips of a king; his mouth should not give an unfair judgment.

American Standard Version
A divine sentence is in the lips of the king; His mouth shall not transgress in judgment.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
An oracle is upon the lips of the King, and his mouth will not err in judgment.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
There is an oracle upon the lips of a king; and his mouth shall not err in judgement.

Contemporary English Version
Rulers speak with authority and are never wrong.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Divination is in the lips of the king, his mouth shall not err in judgment.

English Revised Version
A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth shall not transgress in judgment.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When a divine revelation is on a king's lips, he cannot voice a wrong judgment.

Good News Translation
The king speaks with divine authority; his decisions are always right.

International Standard Version
When a king is ready to speak officially, what he says should not err with respect to justice.

JPS Tanakh 1917
A divine sentence is in the lips of the king; His mouth trespasseth not in judgment.

Literal Standard Version
An oath [is] on the lips of a king, | In judgment his mouth does not trespass.

Majority Standard Bible
A divine verdict is on the lips of a king; his mouth must not betray justice.

New American Bible
An oracle is upon the king’s lips, no judgment of his mouth is false.

NET Bible
The divine verdict is in the words of the king, his pronouncements must not act treacherously against justice.

New Revised Standard Version
Inspired decisions are on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment.

New Heart English Bible
Inspired judgments are on the lips of the king. He shall not betray his mouth.

Webster's Bible Translation
A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.

World English Bible
Inspired judgments are on the lips of the king. He shall not betray his mouth.

Young's Literal Translation
An oath is on the lips of a king, In judgment his mouth trespasseth not.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Reply of the Tongue is from the LORD
9A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. 10A divine verdict is on the lips of a king; his mouth must not betray justice. 11Honest scales and balances are from the LORD; all the weights in the bag are His concern.…

Cross References
1 Kings 3:28
When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.

2 Chronicles 26:16
But when Uzziah grew powerful, his arrogance led to his own destruction. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.


Treasury of Scripture

A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresses not in judgment.

a divine sentence

Proverbs 16:12,13
It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness…

Genesis 44:5,15
Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing…

Deuteronomy 17:18-20
And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: …

transgresseth

Hosea 10:4
They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.

Amos 5:7
Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,

Amos 6:12
Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:

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Proverbs 16
1. The Plans of the heart














(10) His mouth transgresseth not in judgment.--Or, should not transgress, as being the representative of God upon earth, and so distinguished by the title of "God" himself (Psalm 82:6). This verse recalls the days of Solomon's youth, when it was his highest aspiration to judge his people righteously (1Kings 3:9). Comp. David's noble words (2Samuel 23:3).

Verse 10. - A Divine sentence is in the lips of the king. קֶסֶם (quesem) is "divination," "soothsaying," oracular utterance. Septuagint, μαντεῖον. The king's words have, in people's minds, the certainty and importance of a Divine oracle, putting an end to all controversy or division of opinion. It seems to be a general maxim, not especially referring to Solomon or the theocratic kingdom, but rather indicating the traditional view of the absolute monarchy. The custom of deifying kings and invoking them as gods was usual in Egypt and Eastern countries, and made its way to the West. "It is the voice of a god, and not of a man," cried the people, when Herod addressed them in the amphitheatre at Caesarea (Acts 12:22). The Greeks could say -

Αἰκὼν δὲ βασιλεύς ἐστιν ἔμψυχος Θεοῦ.

"God's very living image is the king." And thus his utterances were regarded as irrefragably true and decisive. His month transgresseth not in judgment. The decisions which he gives are infallible, and, at any rate, irresistible. We may refer to Solomon's famous verdict concerning the two mothers (1 Kings 3:16, etc.), and such sentences as Proverbs 8:15, "By me (wisdom) kings reign, and princes decree justice" (see below on ver. 12; Proverbs 21:1); and David's words (2 Samuel 23:4), "He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God" (Wisd. 9:4, 10, 12). Delitzsch regards the second hemistich as giving a warning (consequent on the former clause), and not stating a fact, "In the judgment his mouth should not err." The present chapter contains many admonitions to kings which a wise father like Solomon may have uttered and recorded for the benefit of his son. If this is the case, it is as strange as it is true that Rehoboam made little use of the counsels, and that Solomon's latter days gave the lie to many of them.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
A divine verdict
קֶ֤סֶם ׀ (qe·sem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7081: A lot, divination, oracle

is on
עַֽל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the lips
שִׂפְתֵי־ (śip̄·ṯê-)
Noun - fdc
Strong's 8193: The lip, language, a margin

of a king;
מֶ֑לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

his mouth
פִּֽיו׃ (pîw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

should not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

betray
יִמְעַל־ (yim·‘al-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4603: To cover up, to act covertly, treacherously

justice.
בְּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט (bə·miš·pāṭ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 16:10 Inspired judgments are on the lips (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 16:9
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