Proverbs 20:2

“The fear of a king [is] as the roaring of a lion, etc.] The wrath and displeasure of a king, which causes fear; (see <201912>Proverbs 19:12); kings should be terrors to evil works and workers, though not to good ones, (<451303>Romans 13:3). This is true of the King of kings, who one day will be terrible to the drunkards, the mockers, and murderers of his people, before spoken of; [whoso] provoketh him to anger sinneth [against] his own soul; he exposes his life to danger: the Targum supplies it as we do. It may be rendered, his “soul sinneth”f555; he is guilty of sin, as well as is in danger of punishment; (see <200836>Proverbs 8:36).”

“(Compare Pro 19:12). Men who resist authority injure themselves (Rom 13:2).”

“Sinneth against his own soul - i. e., Against his own life (compare Habakkuk 2:10). return to 'Top of Page'”

“The fear - The terror which the wrath of a king causes. Proverbs 20:3”

“20:2 Queen Esther was willing to rouse the king’s anger and risk her life (Esth 7).”

“fear: Pro 16:14, Pro 16:15, Pro 19:12; Ecc 10:4; Hos 11:10; Amo 3:8 sinneth: Pro 8:36; Kg1 2:23 Proverbs 20:3”

“2 A roaring as of a lion is the terror of the king; And he that provoketh him forfeiteth his life. Line first is a variation of Pro 19:12. The terror which a king spreads around (מלך, gen. subjecti., as, e.g., at Job 9:34 and generally) is like the growling of a lion which threatens danger. The thought here suggested is that it is dangerous to arouse a lion. Thus מתעבּרו does not mean: he who is angry at him (Venet.: χολούμενος αὐτῷ), but he who provokes him (lxx, Syr., Targ., Jerome, Luther). התעבּר signifies, as we saw at Pro 14:16, to be in a state of excessive displeasure, extreme anger. Here the meaning must be: he who puts him into a state of anger (lxx, ὁ παροξύνων αὐτόν, in…”