The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.
This is a short wisdom saying from the book of Proverbs, a collection of practical observations about life mostly attributed to King Solomon of ancient Israel. It uses two sharp contrasts to describe the power held by a king — the most powerful figure in the ancient world, whose word was literally law and whose moods could mean life or death. A king's anger is compared to the terrifying roar of a lion — lions were the most feared predators of the ancient Near East, and their roar signaled imminent danger. But the same king's favor is compared to dew on dry grass — quiet, gentle, life-giving, arriving without announcement. The proverb doesn't tell us which to be. It simply holds up the mirror and asks us to look.
God, you hold infinite power and still choose gentleness with me every morning. Forgive me for the times my frustration has roared when someone needed dew. Teach me to notice who needs my quiet favor today, and give me the patience to deliver it without fanfare. Amen.
There's a moment in most people's lives when they realize, sometimes with a quiet jolt, that they've become the one with power. Maybe it crept up on you — a promotion, a title, becoming a parent, landing the role of the person others have to answer to. Power is a strange thing to find yourself holding. And this proverb doesn't moralize about it or give you a five-step plan. It just shows you two images and lets them sit there: the roar and the dew. The roar is faster. Fear is efficient. People fall in line. But a room that goes silent when you walk in is not the same as a room that comes alive. Dew doesn't announce itself. It arrives in the dark, in the quiet, and does its slow and invisible work — and by morning the grass that was brittle is soft again. Think about who in your life needs your *favor* right now, not your roar. The kid who keeps getting it wrong. The employee who's barely holding on. The friend who's waiting to find out if you're still safe to talk to. Favor, like dew, is a choice — usually made in the unwitnessed moments, when nobody's watching to give you credit for it. And those are the choices that make things grow.
In what areas of your life — family, work, friendship — do you hold real power over others, and are you conscious of that on a day-to-day basis?
Think of a time someone showed you 'dew' — quiet, generous favor when you expected harshness. How did that change you or the relationship?
This proverb describes *both* responses as natural to a king — not as exceptional evil or exceptional virtue. Does that make you more or less concerned about your own defaults when you're frustrated or in charge?
How does the way you respond when you're angry affect the people closest to you — not just in the moment, but in how safe they feel around you long-term?
Is there someone in your life who needs a specific, tangible act of favor from you this week — not forgiveness, not a conversation, but a concrete kindness? What would that look like?
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1 Peter 5:8
As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.
Proverbs 28:15
Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.
Proverbs 19:6
In the light of the king's countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.
Proverbs 16:15
But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
Luke 12:5
And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
Luke 12:4
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
Ephesians 4:31
The king's wrath terrifies like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is as [refreshing and nourishing as] dew on the grass.
AMP
A king's wrath is like the growling of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
ESV
The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is like dew on the grass.
NASB
A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
NIV
The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is like dew on the grass.
NKJV
The king’s anger is like a lion’s roar, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
NLT
Mean-tempered leaders are like mad dogs; the good-natured are like fresh morning dew.
MSG