“Divination is on the lips of the king; his mouth must not transgress in judgment. Honest weights and scales are the Lord’s; all the weights in the bag are His work. It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, for a throne is established by righteousness” (Proverbs 16:10-12).
These verses begin a cluster of proverbs (vv. 10-15) which provide counsel to and about the king (i.e., governmental authorities).
The translation of “divination” in verse ten is a challenging one, because it gives the impression of divine inspiration. While Israel had at least two kings—David and Solomon—who wrote by inspired guidance (2 Sam. 23:2), its wicked kings were clearly not holy men of God who were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21).
The New American Standard Bible translates this passage: “A divine verdict is on the lips of the king; his mouth should not err in judgment.” With this translation, the emphasis is upon the principle that the governing authorities (especially those who render judicial verdicts) are expected to be God’s minister for good (Rom. 13:1-4). Therefore, every civil authority in the judicial branch of every government is not to transgress his divinely given authority and purpose. His God-given responsibility is to protect the innocent, punish the guilty, and praise the good.
Rendering an unjust verdict which weighs the evidence on dishonest scales is an abomination and wickedness. It is a clear violation of God’s word, for it is written:
- “You shall not show partiality to a poor man in his dispute” (Exodus 23:3).
- “And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous” (Exodus 23:8).
- “You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor” (Lev. 19:15).
- “You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous” (Deut. 16:19).
