Proverbs 20:28
in Proverbs 20Loving devotion and faithfulness preserve a king; by these he maintains his throne.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Kindness and truth preserve the king; And his throne is upholden by kindness.
KJV
Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.
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This verse in Proverbs 20
Commentary
4 notes on this verseFor the perfection of prelacy, two things are necessarily required, namely zeal for justice and the affection of mercy: for mercy and truth preserve the king. According to these two, the governance of prelacy in the Church militant ought to be ordered.
This site's exposition
Mercy and truth preserve the king
on Proverbs 20:28-30
Mercy and truth preserve the king closes the chapter's run of king proverbs, his throne upheld by the same mercy that ought to run through the whole administration of justice described earlier. The glory of young men is their strength, and the beauty of old men is the gray head pairs two seasons of life without ranking one above the other, each carrying its own honour. The chapter's last word turns unexpectedly hard: the blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil, and stripes the inward parts of the belly, correction that hurts on the way to doing good, a closing companion to the rod proverbs scattered through the book.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Mercy and truth preserve the king,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Mercy and truth preserve the king - These are the brightest jewels in the royal crown; and those kings who are most governed by them have the stablest government.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| חֶ֣סֶד | chesed | loyalty | H2617 → | 247 times |
| וֶ֭אֱמֶת | veemet | and faithfulness | H571 → | 127 times |
| יִצְּרוּ־ | yitzeru- | they preserve | H5341 → | 63 times |
| מֶ֑לֶךְ | melekh | a king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְסָעַ֖ד | vesaad | and he sustains | H5582 → | |
| בַּחֶ֣סֶד | bachesed | by <the> loyalty | H2617 → | 247 times |
| כִּסְאֽוֹ׃ | kiso | throne his | H3678 → | 135 times |
חֶ֣סֶדloyalty
chesedH2617 →247 times
וֶ֭אֱמֶתand faithfulness
veemetH571 →127 times
יִצְּרוּ־they preserve
yitzeru-H5341 →63 times
מֶ֑לֶךְa king
melekhH4428 →2525 times
וְסָעַ֖דand he sustains
vesaadH5582 →
בַּחֶ֣סֶדby <the> loyalty
bachesedH2617 →247 times
כִּסְאֽוֹ׃throne his
kisoH3678 →135 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 16:6By loving devotion and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns aside from evil.
it leads to
- Proverbs 14:16
A wise man fears and turns from evil, but a fool is careless and reckless.
- Job 28:28
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
- 2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- Daniel 4:27
Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be…
- Proverbs 8:13
To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.
- Proverbs 14:16
Through
Proverbs 16:12Wicked behavior is detestable to kings, for a throne is established through righteousness.
it leads to
- Proverbs 25:5
Remove the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.
- Proverbs 25:5
Through
Psalms 101:1I will sing of Your loving devotion and justice; to You, O LORD, I will sing praises.
it leads to
- Psalms 89:1
I will sing of the loving devotion of the LORD forever; with my mouth I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations.
- Psalms 89:1
Through
Psalms 26:1Vindicate me, O LORD! For I have walked with integrity; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
it leads to
- Psalms 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I give thanks to Him with my song.
- Psalms 28:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Proverbs
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bonaventure, Breviloquium, Part 5; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.