Mid-century illustration of a tree planted by a pool of water on a path

Proverbs 25:5 · World English Bible

Proverbs 25:5 Meaning Take Away the Wicked From the King’s

Take away the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.

What does Proverbs 25:5 mean?

A mind cannot rule itself in peace while it keeps the thoughts of attack near the seat of its decision. The wickedness here is not a person to be driven out but the belief in separation that whispers at the center of choice, and while it is entertained, no steady rest is possible.

From the Christian Psychology reading below.

Proverbs 25:5 through 1 lens

The same verse, read by one tradition.

CHRISTIAN PSYCHOLOGY

Christian Psychology

A mind cannot rule itself in peace while it keeps the thoughts of attack near the seat of its decision. The wickedness here is not a person to be driven out but the belief in separation that whispers at the center of choice, and while it is entertained, no steady rest is possible. When those thoughts are withdrawn from before the deciding self and given no place to counsel, what governs is love, and love needs no defense to stand.

A throne set firm is a mind that has stopped arguing with fear and now chooses only from its right place.

King: the deciding power in the mind, the part that chooses which teacher will govern its thoughts. Throne: the settled inner ground from which the mind rules, made firm only when love, not fear, is what it rests upon.

Christian Psychology lensGo deeper in the app

Christian Psychology lens

Live Proverbs 25:5 today

  1. Mute or unfollow one feed that reliably leaves you sour. You are deciding who gets to sit near your thinking.
  2. Before a conversation with the person who puts you on edge, set down the grudge you usually bring. Walk in without the case prepared.
  3. When criticism lands at work, feel the urge to defend and do not act on it. Answer from a settled place or wait until you have one.

Which thought have I let sit closest to my decisions, and is it one I trust?

The same truth in other traditions

Dhammapada

Guard your thoughts the way a town guards its gates. What you let in settles down and governs you.

Stoicism · Epictetus

Refuse the first impression that insults you and the whole argument never starts. The seat of your judgment is yours to keep clear.

Tao Te Ching

Still water holds its shape without effort. A mind that has stopped arguing needs no defense to stand.

Mid-century illustration of Jesus teaching the crowd on a hillside above the sea

Free · No account needed

Read all of Proverbs 25 through 17 lenses

Lensightful opens every verse of the Bible through the traditions you choose. Save readings, ask a follow-up question, and get one verse a day.

Get Lensightful on the App Store