Tag Archives: Proverbs 16:10

קֶ֤סֶם עַֽל־שִׂפְתֵי־מֶ֑לֶךְ בְּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט לֹ֣א יִמְעַל־פִּֽיו׃ (Proverbs 16:10) Overview: Syntax as the Throne of Judgment Proverbs 16:10 is a proverb about royal authority, emphasizing the weight of a king’s words in the context of justice. The verse draws on metaphor and legal language, structured in a two-part parallelism. Its syntax reflects both reverence for royal speech and the ethical ideal that a king’s mouth should never betray justice. Clause Structure: Bicolaic Parallelism The verse is structured into two balanced clauses: קֶ֤סֶם עַֽל־שִׂפְתֵי־מֶ֑לֶךְ “An oracle is upon the lips of a king” בְּמִשְׁפָּ֗ט לֹ֣א יִמְעַל־פִּֽיו “In judgment, his mouth will not betray” The relationship is both semantic and grammatical: the first half states a metaphorical principle, and the second expresses its legal consequence or ethical implication.… Learn Hebrew