The Meaning of Proverbs 20:8 Explained

Proverbs 20:8

KJV: A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.

YLT: A king sitting on a throne of judgment, Is scattering with his eyes all evil,

Darby: A king sitting on the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.

ASV: A king that sitteth on the throne of judgment Scattereth away all evil with his eyes.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

A king  that sitteth in  the throne  of judgment  scattereth away  all evil  with his eyes. 

What does Proverbs 20:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Proverbs 20:1-15 - Sobriety Industry Honesty
Strong drink is the greatest of all foes to human happiness. It gains an influence over men by fair promises, but when once it is entrenched, it mocks at the misery of its abject slave. It promises strength for the arm, joy for the heart, brilliance for the mind; but those fair promises are not kept, and the end is impotence, misery, and imbecility. Let each reader of these words henceforth utterly abjure it!
The sluggard is depicted throughout this book to stir us to diligent industry. After all, it is not by great gifts but by patient persistence that men succeed. Indeed, the highest genius is left behind by the careful plodder, if the one lacks and the other possesses this invaluable quality. "Diligent in business, serving the Lord."
All our life lies open to the eye of God. He is closely acquainted with the transactions of the bank, the office, the ledger, and the weights in the store. No lapse from perfect honesty escapes his notice; and for every act of deception there is an inevitable Nemesis. [source]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 20

1  Proper Living

What do the individual words in Proverbs 20:8 mean?

A king who sits on the throne of judgment Scatters with his eyes all evil
מֶ֗לֶךְ יוֹשֵׁ֥ב עַל־ כִּסֵּא־ דִ֑ין מְזָרֶ֖ה בְעֵינָ֣יו כָּל־ רָֽע

מֶ֗לֶךְ  A  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יוֹשֵׁ֥ב  who  sits 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
כִּסֵּא־  the  throne 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כִּסֵּא 
Sense: seat (of honour), throne, seat, stool.
דִ֑ין  of  judgment 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דִּין 
Sense: judgment.
מְזָרֶ֖ה  Scatters 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: זָרָה 
Sense: to scatter, fan, cast away, winnow, disperse, compass, spread, be scattered, be dispersed.
בְעֵינָ֣יו  with  his  eyes 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
רָֽע  evil 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.