Proverbs 16:10 (KJV)

Passage

A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.

Proverbs 16:9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

Proverbs 16:10 A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.

Proverbs 16:11 A just weight and balance are the LORD’s: all the weights of the bag are his work.

Proverbs 16:12 It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "divine", "sentence", "lips", "king", "mouth", "transgresseth", and "judgment". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "divine" and "sentence", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "A man s heart deviseth his way..." into verse 11's "A just weight and balance are the...", so "divine" and "sentence" 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 "divine" and "sentence" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.