Proverbs 16:15 (LSB)

Passage

In the light of a king’s face is life, And his favor is like a cloud with the late rain.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And he who speaks uprightly is loved.

Proverbs 16:14 The wrath of a king is like messengers of death, But a wise man will atone for it.

Proverbs 16:15 In the light of a king’s face is life, And his favor is like a cloud with the late rain.

Proverbs 16:16 How much better it is to acquire wisdom than fine gold! And to acquire understanding is to be chosen above silver.

Proverbs 16:17 The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil; He who guards his way keeps his soul.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "light", "king", "face", "life", "favor", "like", "cloud", and "late". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "light" and "king", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "The wrath of a king is like..." into verse 16's "How much better it is to acquire...", so "light" 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 "light" and "king" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.