Proverbs 29:14

Pro 29:14 The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever.

Ver. 14. The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, &c.] An office not unbeseeming the greatest king, to sit in person to hear the poor man’s cause. James IV of Scotland was for this cause called the poor man’s king. I have seen, saith a late traveller, the King of Persia many times to alight from his horse, only to do justice to a poor body. "Help, O king!" said the poor woman to Jehoram. And if thou will not hear and right me, why dost thou take upon thee to be king? said another woman to Philip, King of Macedonia. It is a mercy to have judges mode audeant quae sentiunt, as the orator hath it, {a} so that they have courage to do what they judge fit to be done. Inferior judges may be weighed and swayed, by gifts or greatness of an adversary, to pass an unrighteous sentence. Not so a king; he neither needs nor fears any man, but is, if he be right - as one saith of a just law - a heart without affection, an eye without lust, a mind without passion, a treasurer which keepeth for every man what he hath, and distributeth to every man what he ought to have.

“Pασι δικαια νεμει μηδε κρισιν ες χαριν ελκει.” - Phocyl.

Lo, such a prince shall sit firm upon his throne; his kingdom shall be bound to him with chains of adamant, as Dionysius dreamt that his was; he shall have the hearts of his subjects, which is the best life-guard, and God for his protection; for he is professedly the poor man’s patron, {Psa 9:18-19} and makes heavy complaints of those that wrong them. {Isa 3:13-15; Isa 10:1-3; Amo 5:11-12; Amo 8:4-6; Zep 3:12}

{a} Cic. pro Milone.

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 29:14. The king that faithfully judgeth the poor — And the rich too; but he names the poor, because these are much oppressed and injured by others, and least regarded by princes, and yet committed to their more especial care by the King of kings.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Here is, 1. The duty of magistrates, and that is, to judge faithfully between man and man, and to determine all causes brought before them, according to truth and equity, particularly to take care of the poor, not to countenance them in an unjust cause for the sake of their poverty (Exo 23:3), but to see that their poverty do not turn to their prejudice if they have a just cause. The rich will look to themselves, but the poor and needy the prince must defend (Psa 82:3) and plead for, Pro 31:9. 2. The happiness of those magistrates that do their duty. Their throne of honour, their tribunal of judgment, shall be established for ever. This will secure to them the favour of God and strengthen their interest in the affections of their people, both which will be the establishment of their power, and help to transmit it to posterity and perpetuate it in the family.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(Compare Pro 20:28; Pro 25:5). Such is the character of the King of kings (Psa 72:4, Psa 72:12).

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

(14) His throne shall be established for ever.—Comp. the promise made to Judah (Jer_22:3-4).

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

The king that faithfully judgeth the poor,.... That truly executes justice and judgment among all his subjects, particularly the poor, who are too often neglected, because they cannot afford persons to plead their cause: such a king was Solomon; and especially the Messiah, of whom he was a type, Psa 72:1;

his throne shall be established for ever; be secure to him as long as he lives, and to his posterity after; justice to all men, and mercy to the poor, are the support of a prince's throne; see Pro 20:28.

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

Judgeth the poor, and the rich too; but he names

the poor, because these are most oppressed and injured by others, and least regarded by princes, and yet committed to their more special care by the King of kings.

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

14. Faithfully — Truthfully — according to the truth and facts. Comp. Pro_20:28; Pro_25:5. The King of kings and the Lord of lords is the patron of the poor.

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

The king that faithfully judgeth the poor. (comp. Pro_16:12 Pro_20:28 Pro_25:5) Inflexible fidelity to duty is intended that perfect impartiality, which dispenses justice alike to rich and poor, uninfluenced By personal or social considerations. His throne shall be established forever. Being founded on righteousness, it shall pass on to his descendants for many generations. (comp. Jer_22:3, etc.) The LXX, pointing differently, have, "His throne shall be established for a testimony" (lahed, instead of lahad).

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

14 A king who judgeth the poor with truth,

His throne shall stand for ever.

בּאמת, as at Isa 16:5 (synon. באמונה, במישׁרים, במישׁור), is equivalent to fidelity to duty, or a complete, full accomplishment of his duty as a ruler with reference to the dispensing of justice; in other words: after the norm of actual fact, and of the law, and of his duty proceeding from both together. מלך has in Codd., e.g., Jaman., and in the Venetian 1517, 21, rightly Rebia. In that which follows, שׁופט באמת are more closely related than באמת דלים, for of two conjunctives standing together the first always connects more than the second. מלך שׁופט באמת דלים is the truest representation of the logical grammatical relation. To 14b compare the proverb of the king, Pro 16:12; Pro 25:5.

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.)

This maxim has often been repeated in substance. (Pro 29:4, Pro 29:7 ; Pro 20:28 .) The writer of this book was a king. He was naturally led to write for his own benefit, while the Divine Spirit guided his pen for the use of rulers to the end of time. May every king — specially may our own beloved Sovereign — place this picture of a godly ruler constantly before the eyes! It is natural for the king to desire the establishment of his throne; but not natural for him to seek it in God’s own way. Jeroboam sought it by wickedness;†1 Rehoboam by worldly policy;†2 Ahaz by worldly alliances.†3 The far more sure mode is the faithful administration of justice, not neglecting the rich, but specially protecting the poor, who from their weakness were in the greater need of a covering.†4 David appears to have been a poor man’s king, giving the lowest of his people familiar access to him for judgment. (2Sa 19:8 .) Solomon, and many of his godly successors, ordered their kingdom in the same principles of justice, and were abundantly honored of their God.†5 The maladministration of the rulers never failed to bring a curse upon the government.†6 "Them that honor me, I will honor; and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed." (1Sa 2:30 .)

When our Great Savior King walked upon earth, his enemies bore testimony, whether in flattery or conviction, to his righteous character. (Mat 22:16 .) Not less beautiful than accurate is this description, as applied to the principles of his government, in the connection with the promise of the establishment of his throne.†7

Footnotes:

†1 1Ki 11:26 .

†2 2Ch 11:22-23 ; 2Ch 12:1 .

†3 2Ch 28:16-20 .

†4 Pro 31:9. Psa 82:3-4 .

†5 1Ki 3:16-28 . Jehoshaphat - 2Ch 19:5-11 ; 2Ch 20:30 . Josiah - Jer 22:14-19 . Compare Daniel’s advice to Nebuchadnezzar, Dan 4:27 .

†6 Isa 3:13-14; Isa 10:1 . Jer 22:13-19 . Zep 3:3 .

†7 Psa 72:7, Psa 72:11, Psa 72:15 . Isa 9:7 ; Isa 11:4, Isa 11:9 .

Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs (1846) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.