Proverbs 16:13 (YLT)

Passage

The delight of kings <FI>are<Fi> righteous lips, And whoso is speaking uprightly he loveth,

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:11 A just beam and balances <FI>are<Fi> Jehovah's, His work <FI>are<Fi> all the stones of the bag.

Proverbs 16:12 An abomination to kings <FI>is<Fi> doing wickedness, For by righteousness is a throne established.

Proverbs 16:13 The delight of kings <FI>are<Fi> righteous lips, And whoso is speaking uprightly he loveth,

Proverbs 16:14 The fury of a king <FI>is<Fi> messengers of death, And a wise man pacifieth it.

Proverbs 16:15 In the light of a king's face <FI>is<Fi> life, And his good-will <FI>is<Fi> as a cloud of the latter rain.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "light", "delight", "kings", "righteous", "lips", "whoso", "speaking", and "uprightly". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "light" and "delight", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "An abomination to kings FI is Fi..." into verse 14's "The fury of a king FI is...", so "light" and "delight" 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 "delight" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.