A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.
Parallel translations
- WEB A wise king winnows out the wicked, and drives the threshing wheel over them.
- BSB A wise king separates out the wicked and drives the threshing wheel over them.
- NKJV A wise king sifts out the wicked, And brings the threshing wheel over them.
- NASB A wise king scatters the wicked, And drives a threshing wheel over them.
- NLT A wise king scatters the wicked like wheat, then runs his threshing wheel over them.
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 wise king sifts out the wicked and decisively deals with them. It matters because just rule requires separating and punishing evil.
Overview
Using imagery of winnowing and threshing, the proverb depicts a discerning ruler who identifies the wicked and executes judgment. Such justice protects the righteous and upholds order (Proverbs 20:8; 25:4-5). It foreshadows Christ, who at the final harvest separates wheat from chaff in perfect righteousness (Matthew 3:12).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Prov 20:8A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
- 2 Sam 12:31And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick-kiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.
- Isa 28:27–28For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.
- 2 Sam 4:9–12And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
- Ps 101:5–8Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 20:26 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.