In the light of the king’s countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.
Parallel translations
- WEB In the light of the king’s face is life. His favor is like a cloud of the spring rain.
- BSB When a king’s face brightens, there is life; his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.
- 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 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 shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
- Job 29:23–24And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
- Acts 2:28Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
- Hos 6:3Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
- Prov 19:12The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.
- Ps 4:6There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
- Ps 21:6For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.
- Ps 30:5For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
- Zech 10:1Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass 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.