The Meaning of Proverbs 16:14 Explained

Proverbs 16:14

KJV: The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.

YLT: The fury of a king is messengers of death, And a wise man pacifieth it.

Darby: The fury of a king is as messengers of death; but a wise man will pacify it.

ASV: The wrath of a king is as messengers of death; But a wise man will pacify it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The wrath  of a king  [is as] messengers  of death:  but a wise  man  will pacify  it. 

What does Proverbs 16:14 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 16

1  The Plans of the heart

What do the individual words in Proverbs 16:14 mean?

[is] the wrath of king as messengers of death but a man wise will appease it
חֲמַת־ מֶ֥לֶךְ מַלְאֲכֵי־ מָ֑וֶת וְאִ֖ישׁ חָכָ֣ם יְכַפְּרֶֽנָּה

חֲמַת־  [is]  the  wrath 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֵמָא 
Sense: heat, rage, hot displeasure, indignation, anger, wrath, poison, bottles.
מֶ֥לֶךְ  of  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
מַלְאֲכֵי־  as  messengers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
מָ֑וֶת  of  death 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָוֶת  
Sense: death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead.
וְאִ֖ישׁ  but  a  man 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
חָכָ֣ם  wise 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חָכָם  
Sense: wise, wise (man).
יְכַפְּרֶֽנָּה  will  appease  it 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: כָּפַר 
Sense: to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation, cover over with pitch.