Proverbs 8 · Verse 15

Proverbs 8:15

By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
Proverbs 8:15, King James Version

Proverbs 8:15 in other translations

BSBBy me kings reign, and rulers enact just laws;
WEBBy me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
ASVBy me kings reign, And princes decree justice.
YLTBy me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,
DARBYBy me kings reign, and rulers make just decrees;
BBEThrough me kings have their power, and rulers give right decisions.
WebsterBy me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

What does Proverbs 8:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 8:15-16
15-16. of which a wisely conducted government is an example.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 By me kings reign - Every wise and prudent king is such through the influence of Divine wisdom. And just laws and their righteous administration come from this source. In this and the following verse five degrees of civil power and authority are mentioned. 1. מלכים melachim, Kings. 2. רזנים rozenim, Consuls. 3. שרים sarim, Princes, Chiefs of the people. 4. נדיבים nedibim, Nobles. And 5. שפטים shophetim, Judges or Civil Magistrates\\ All orders of government are from God. Instead of שפטי ארץ shophetey arets,"judges of the earth," שפטי צרק shophetey tsedek, "righteous judges," or "judges of righteousness," is the reading of one hundred and sixty-two of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., both in the text and in the margin, and of several ancient editions. And this is the reading of the Vulgate, the Chaldee, and the Syriac, and should undoubtedly supersede the other.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Proverbs 8:12-21

Wisdom, here is Christ, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; it is Christ in the word, and Christ in the heart; not only Christ revealed to us, but Christ revealed in us. All prudence and skill are from the Lord. Through the redemption of Christ's precious blood, the riches of his grace abound in all wisdom and prudence. Man found out many inventions for ruin; God found one for our recovery. He…

Read the full comment on Proverbs 8:12-21 →

Proverbs 8:15 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

בִּ֭יbiby <the> me
מְלָכִ֣יםme.la.KhimkingsH4428
יִמְלֹ֑כוּyim.Lo.khuthey reignH4427
וְ֝רוֹזְנִ֗יםve.roz.Nimand rulersH7336
יְחֹ֣קְקוּye.Cho.ke.kuthey enactH2710
צֶֽדֶק\׃Tze.dekrighteousnessH6664

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Proverbs 8:15

  • Romans 13:1

    Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

  • Daniel 2:21

    And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

  • Matthew 28:18

    And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

  • Revelation 19:16

    And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

  • Daniel 7:13-14

    I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

  • Daniel 4:32

    And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

  • Jeremiah 27:5-7

    I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.

  • Daniel 5:18-31

    O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. …

  • Psalms 72:1-4

    A Psalm for Solomon. Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son. He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

  • 1 Kings 10:9

    Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.

  • Isaiah 1:26

    And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

  • Revelation 19:11

    And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
By.
1Sa 9:17; 16:1; 1Ch 28:5; Jer 27:5-7; Da 2:21; 4:25,32; 5:18-31
Da 7:13,14; Mt 28:18; Ro 13:1; Re 19:16
decree.
1Ki 3:9,28; 5:7; 10:9; Ps 72:1-4; 99:4; Isa 1:26; 32:1,2; Jer 33:15
Re 19:11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Proverbs 8:14

    Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.

  • Proverbs 8:15

    By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

  • Proverbs 8:16

    By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

Read all of Proverbs 8

Proverbs 8:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Por mí reinan los reyes, y los príncipes determinan justicia.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Par moi les rois règnent, et les princes statuent la justice.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Durch mich regieren Könige, und Fürsten treffen gerechte Entscheidungen;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Per me reges regnant, et legum conditores justa decernunt;