Proverbs 16:15 (YLT)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

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.

Proverbs 16:16 To get wisdom--how much better than gold, And to get understanding to be chosen than silver!

Proverbs 16:17 A highway of the upright <FI>is<Fi> , `Turn from evil,' Whoso is preserving his soul is watching his way.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "light", "king's", "face", "life", "good-will", "cloud", "latter", and "rain". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "light" and "king's", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "The fury of a king FI is..." into verse 16's "To get wisdom--how much better than gold...", so "light" and "king's" 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's" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.