What Does Proverbs 20:8 Mean in the King James?

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

Proverbs 20:8 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

The king’s eyes are a winnowing fan: judgment scatters evil by seeing it.

THE MEANING

The verse speaks now of judgment that sees clearly: what is evil does not stay hidden or gathered under its gaze. The king disperses it with his eyes, as winnowing separates by scattering.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

It undoes the belief that judgment begins only when punishment is imposed: here, the king’s discerning gaze already disperses evil.

THE ROOT

מְזָרֶה

mĕzāreh

GROWS FROM

זרה

z-r-h

To scatter or disperse; also to winnow.

“scattereth away” in this verse is mĕzāreh. The verb’s agricultural use is winnowing: scattering is a way of separating. The king’s gaze does more than notice evil; it disperses what judgment exposes.

ALSO GROWS

zārâ: To scatter, disperse, or winnow.

זָרָה

This is the action the king’s eyes perform: they scatter what judgment sees.

mizrêh: A winnowing fan or fork.

מִזְרֶה

This tool scatters grain in the process of separating it, giving the king’s gaze the image of winnowing.

THE PATTERN

Judgment sees beneath appearances and brings what is hidden into the open.

But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7 · KJVThe LORD’s sight reaches past outward appearance to what lies within.

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 · KJVJudgment brings even secret things into view and distinguishes good from evil.

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Hebrews 4:13 · KJVNothing remains concealed from the sight before which all things are opened.

THE THREAD

A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.

Proverbs 20:26 · KJV

This verse uses the same Hebrew verb, ⁨מְזָרֶה⁩ (mĕzāreh), for scattering. The paired image makes the king’s wisdom an act of discernment that disperses wickedness.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us