In the light of the king’s face is life. His favor is like a cloud of the spring rain.
Parallel translations
- KJV In the light of the king’s countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.
- BSB When a king’s face brightens, there is life; his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.
- ESV In the light of a king’s face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.
- NKJV In the light of the king’s face is life, And his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain.
- NASB In the light of a king’s face is life, And his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain.
- NLT When the king smiles, there is life; his favor refreshes like a spring rain.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
A king's favor brings life and refreshment, like rain that revives the land. It matters because the goodwill of those in authority can be a source of great blessing.
Overview
Contrasting the previous verse, this proverb pictures the life-giving effect of a king's pleased countenance, likened to the welcome spring rains. Favor from authority can refresh and sustain. This points beyond earthly kings to the favor of God, whose face shining upon His people is their true life (Numbers 6:24-26).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Ps 72:6He will come down like rain on the mown grass, as showers that water the earth.
- Job 29:23–24They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
- Acts 2:28You made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
- Hos 6:3Let us acknowledge Yahweh. Let us press on to know Yahweh. As surely as the sun rises, Yahweh will appear. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain that waters the earth.”
- Prov 19:12The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
- Ps 4:6Many say, “Who will show us any good?” Yahweh, let the light of your face shine on us.
- Ps 21:6For you make him most blessed forever. You make him glad with joy in your presence.
- Ps 30:5For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.
- Zech 10:1Ask of Yahweh rain in the spring time, Yahweh who makes storm clouds, and he gives rain showers to everyone for the plants in the field.
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 16:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.