Passage
The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: and the wise man will pacify it.
Proverbs 16:14 (DRB)
Nearby Context
Proverbs 16:12 They that act wickedly are abominable to the king: for the throne is established by justice.
Proverbs 16:13 Just lips are the delight of kings: he that speaketh right things shall be loved.
Proverbs 16:14 The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: and the wise man will pacify it.
Proverbs 16:15 In the cheerfulness of the king's countenance is life: and his clemency is like the latter rain.
Proverbs 16:16 Get wisdom, because it is better than gold: and purchase prudence, for it is more precious than silver.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "wrath", "king", "messengers", "death", "wise", and "pacify". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wrath" and "king", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 13's "Just lips are the delight of kings..." into verse 15's "In the cheerfulness of the king's countenance...", so "wrath" and "king" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "wrath" and "king" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.