Proverbs 8:16
in Proverbs 8By me princes rule, and all nobles who govern justly.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
By me princes rule, And nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
KJV
By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
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This verse in Proverbs 8
Commentary
5 notes on this verseBy me princes rule,.... All governors of provinces and cities, who are under the king as supreme; the discharge of whose office in a right manner requires much wisdom, prudence, justice, and integrity; all which they have from Christ, as well as their power of ruling, that rule well; and nobles, even all the judges of the earth; the word (e) for nobles signifies persons of a "free" spirit, generous, bountiful men; such as are called "benefactors", Luk 22:25; so one of the Ptolemys, king of Egypt, was called Evergetes.
This site's exposition
I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence
on Proverbs 8:12-16
Wisdom keeps company: prudence, counsel, understanding, strength. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil plants the book's motto inside her self-description. By me kings reign, which Henry applies in both directions: rulers rule well by her, and rule at all by God's providence.
This site's exposition
all nobles who govern justly
Gill notes that the word for nobles describes men of a free and generous spirit, the kind called benefactors at Luke 22:25. Wisdom makes greatness generous. Princes and nobles rule justly by her.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The redeemer is the eternal Word and wisdom, the Logos. He is the Wisdom that speaks to the children of men in the former part of the chapter. All divine revelation passes through his hand, and centres in him; but of him as the personal Wisdom, the second person in the Godhead, in the judgment of many of the ancients, Solomon here speaks,
Civil government is a divine institution, and those that are entrusted with the administration of it have their commission from Christ; it is a branch of his kingly office that by him kings reign; from him to whom all judgment is committed their power is derived.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Kings reign with me for the judges and the judgments I teach them.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בִּ֭י | bi | by <the> me | ||
| שָׂרִ֣ים | sarim | princes | H8269 → | 421 times |
| יָשֹׂ֑רוּ | yasoru | they rule | H8323 → | |
| וּ֝נְדִיבִ֗ים | unedivim | and noble [people] | H5081 → | 29 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שֹׁ֥פְטֵי | shofetei | judges of | H8199 → | 202 times |
| צֶֽדֶק׃ | tzedek | righteousness | H6664 → | 119 times |
בִּ֭יby <the> me
bi
שָׂרִ֣יםprinces
sarimH8269 →421 times
יָשֹׂ֑רוּthey rule
yasoruH8323 →
וּ֝נְדִיבִ֗יםand noble [people]
unedivimH5081 →29 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
שֹׁ֥פְטֵיjudges of
shofeteiH8199 →202 times
צֶֽדֶק׃righteousness
tzedekH6664 →119 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
On this chapter
About Proverbs
This page draws on Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Proverbs of Solomon; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.