Proverbs 16:15

Pro 16:15 In the light of the king’s countenance [is] life; and his favour [is] as a cloud of the latter rain.

Ver. 15. In the light of the king’s countenance is life.] As when it is well with the head, it is the better with all the members; and as when the sky is clear, the bodies of men are in better temper. When David had given Ziba the land, "I humbly beseech thee," said he, "that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord king." {2Sa 16:4} As if he should say, I had rather have the king’s favour than the lands. Artabazus (in Xenophon) complained when Cyrus had given him a cup of gold, and Chrysantas a kiss in token of his special favour, saying, that the cup that he gave him was not so good gold as the kiss that he gave Chrysantas.

“ Ut mala nulla feram nisi nudam Caesaris iram,

Nuda parum nobis Caesaris ira mali est?’

- Ovid.

And his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.] That refresheth the ground after drought, and ripeneth the corn before harvest. In the island of St Thomas, on the back side of Africa, in the midst of it is a hill, and over that a continual cloud wherewith the whole island is watered. {a} Christo optime congruit haec sententia, saith Lavater here. This saying of Solomon may very fitly be applied to Christ, the King Immortal. "He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass, as showers that water the earth"; {Psa 72:6} one cast of his countenance is more worth to a David than all the world’s wealth, {Psa 4:7-8} yea, more worth than the corporeal presence of Christ: therefore he tells his disciples they shall be great gainers by losing of him; for I will send you the Comforter, who shall seal up my love to you, and shed it abroad in your hearts.

{a} Abbot’s Geography, 251.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Pro_16:15

In the light of the kings countenance is life.

The blessedness of the kings favour

This is a general proverb. Its primary application is to royalty. In the previous verse the wrath of a king has been, by a striking metaphor, represented as messengers of death (Est_7:6-10). When a king is angry how swift and sure is his vengeance. Before the word goes forth out of his mouth his will is executed; messengers of death stand about him ready to execute his indignant sentence. And so a wise man will seek to soften the kings wrath and pacify him--nay, will keep at peace with him. In this verse the light of his countenance and his favour supply the antithesis to his wrath. Apply this to the King of kings, and what a sublime lesson on life! Here we have suggested--

1. The blessedness of reconciliation.

2. The conditions of serviceableness. A holy life in its ideal combines two elements--abiding in the light and love of God, and yielding fruit in service. This proverb suggests sunshine and shower. He who is reconciled to God in Christ abides in the light of His smile. He walks in light and dwells in love, and so every condition of holiness and happiness is assured. (Homiletic Review.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15 In the light on the king's countenance there is life,

And his favour is as a cloud of the latter rains.

Hitzig regards אור as the inf. (cf. Pro 4:18), but one says substantively אור פּני, Job 29:24, etc., and in a similar sense מאור עינים, Pro 15:30; light is the condition of life, and the exhilaration of life, wherefore אור החיּים, Ps. 56:14, Job 33:30, is equivalent to a fresh, joyous life; in the light of the king's countenance is life, means that life goes forth from the cheerful approbation of the king, which shows itself in his face, viz., in the showing of favour, which cheers the heart and beautifies the life. To speak of liberality as a shower is so common to the Semitic, that it has in Arab. the general name of nadnâ, rain. 15b conforms itself to this. מלקושׁ (cf. Job 29:23) is the latter rain, which, falling about the spring equinox, brings to maturity the barley-harvest; on the contrary, מורה (יורה) is the early rain, which comes at the time of ploughing and sowing; the former is thus the harvest rain, and the latter the spring rain. Like a cloud which discharges the rain that mollifies the earth and refreshes the growing corn, is the king's favour. The noun עב, thus in the st. constr., retains its Kametz. Michlol 191b. This proverb is the contrast to Pro 16:14. Pro 20:2 has also the anger of the king as its theme. In Pro 19:12 the figures of the darkness and the light stand together as parts of one proverb. The proverbs relating to the king are now at an end. Pro 16:10 contains a direct warning for the king; Pro 16:12 an indirect warning, as a conclusion arising from 12b (cf. Pro 20:28, where יצּרוּ is not to be translated tueantur; the proverb has, however, the value of a nota bene). Pro 16:13 in like manner presents an indirect warning, less to the king than to those who have intercourse with him (cf. Pro 25:5), and Pro 16:14 and Pro 16:15 show what power of good and evil, of wrath and of blessing, is given to a king, whence so much the greater responsibility arises to him, but, at the same time also, the duty of all to repress the lust to evil that may be in him, and to awaken and foster in him the desire for good.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

Which is most comfortable to the dry ground, Deut. 11:14.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

light of . . . countenance--favor (Psa 4:6).

life--preserves it, or gives blessings which make it valuable.

the latter rain--fell just before harvest and matured the crop; hence specially valuable (Deu 11:14).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(15) A cloud of the latter rain.—This fell at the end of March, maturing the barley and wheat crops before the harvest in April. It was eagerly looked for as of great importance. (Comp. Psa_72:6 for the same figure.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15. the latter rain] i.e. the spring rain, which swelled and matured the corn for harvest, just as the “former” or autumn rain prepared the ground, after the drought of summer, for the sowing. Such a cloud was big with the double blessing of the fertilizing shower and the consequent harvest. Comp. the description by “The sweet Psalmist of Israel”:

“One that ruleth over men righteously,

That ruleth in the fear of God,

He shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth,

A morning without clouds;

When the tender grass springeth out of the earth,

Through clear shining after rain.”—2Sa_23:3-4, R.V.

And again:

“He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass,

As showers that water the earth.”—Psa_72:6.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In the light of the king's countenance is life,.... When he looks with a pleasant smiling countenance on a person that has been under his displeasure, and especially if under a sentence of death, it is as life from the dead: so the light of the countenance of God, the King of kings; the discoveries of his love, the manifestations of himself, his gracious presence, communion with him, the comforts of his Spirit, the joys of his salvation, are life unto his people, invigorate their graces, quicken their souls, and make them cheerful; see Psa 30:5. And how delightful and pleasant is the countenance of Christ; which is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars; and is as the sun when it shineth in its strength; and who himself is the sun of righteousness, that arises on his people with healing in his wings! How reviving his love! how comfortable fellowship with him! his absence is as death, his presence gives life;

and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain: which falling a little before harvest, as was usual in Judea, revived the corn and filled it: and such is the favour of God in Christ, which is free, distinguishing, and undeserved, as rain is; the objects of it are very unworthy; and it is given often unasked for, as well as undeserved, in great abundance, and causes great cheerfulness and fruitfulness: and such is the layout of Christ, in coming into the world in the last days to save sinners his coming is said to be as the former and the latter rain, Hos 6:3. He came from heaven, as that does; is the free gift of God, as that is; is in consequence of a decree, as that; and came suddenly, and with great acceptance to those, who knew him and waited for him; and his spiritual coming unto his people, and the discoveries of his love and free favour to them, are very reviving, cheering, and refreshing; see Psa 72:6.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The “latter rain” is that which falls in March or April just before the harvest. The “cloud” which brings it, immediately screening people from the scorching sun, and bringing plenty and blessing, is a fit type of the highest favor.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Life. A mild government resembles a serene sky. (Sen.) (Clem.) (Job xxix. 23.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

In the light of the king’s countenance is life; his favour and smiling countenance is most sweet and refreshing, especially to him that was under a sentence of death, Pro 16:14.

His favour is as a cloud of the latter rain; as acceptable as those clouds which bring the latter rain, whereby the fruits are filled and ripened a little before the harvest; of which see Deu 11:14; Job 29:23; Jam 5:7.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

15. Light of the king’s countenance — When a man is pleased his countenance lights up. This stands opposed to the dark, frowning countenance of the preceding verse, which indicated the wrath of the king, and prognosticated death to the unhappy object of royal displeasure. The light of a king’s countenance, under such a government, insured life while the light lasted.

And his favour — Or, good pleasure.

As a cloud of the latter rain — That is, that brings the latter rain. These rains fall in March and April, just before the harvest, at once screening from the scorching sun, and bringing plenty and blessing. They were necessary to fill out and complete the crops, and hence were considered the very life of the inhabitants. (See Land and Book, vol. i, page 130; vol. ii, page 66.) They were a fitting type of the king’s favour in Oriental lands. Comp. Deu_11:14; Jer_3:3; Jer_5:24; Jas_5:7.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In the light of the king"s countenance is life. (Pro_15:30 Psa_4:6) As the king"s anger and the darkening of his countenance are death (ver. 14), so, when his look is cheerful and bright, it sheds joy and life around, as the rain refreshes the parched ground. A cloud of the latter rain. The former rain in Palestine falls about the end of October or the beginning of November, when the seed is sown; the latter rain comes in March or April, and is absolutely necessary for the due swelling and ripening of the grain. It is accompanied, of course) with cloud, which tempers the heat, while it brings fertility and vigour. To this the king"s favour is well compared. "He shall come down," says the psalmist, "like the rain upon the mown grass, as showers that water the earth". (Psa_72:6) The LXX, reading ynb (beni) for ynp (peni), translates, "In the light of life is the son of the king; and they who are acceptable to him are as a cloud of the latter rain."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

A cloud - As acceptable as those clouds which bring the latter rain, whereby the fruits are filled and ripened a little before the harvest.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

v. 15. In the light of the king’s countenance is life, when he is graciously disposed, he dispenses favors which make life pleasant for his subjects; and his favor is as a cloud of the latter rain, that which preceded harvest, the point of comparison being the enlivening strength.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Verse 15 contrasts with verse 14.

In the light of a king's face is life

The writer speaks of an expression of joy on the king's face as if his face emitted light. AT: "When the king is cheerful, people live" (See: Metaphor)

his favor is like a cloud that brings a spring rain

The writer compares the king showing favor towards someone with a cloud that brings rain to make crops grow. Both promise blessing to those who receive them. (See: Simile)

How much better it is to get wisdom than gold

This exclamation emphasizes that having wisdom is much better than having gold. AT: "It is much better to get wisdom than to get gold" (See: Exclamations)

To get understanding should be chosen more than silver

This can be stated in active form. AT: "A person should choose to get understanding more than to get silver" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

king

life

favor

wise

gold

silver

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

In the light of the King’s countenance is life The one to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, shows a bright countenance—it is life to him. Therefore, a person must straighten his way before Him.

and His delight is like a cloud of the late rain Whoever is accepted by Him—His delight is beneficial to him like the cloud that brings the rain.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.