The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.
The saying is brief and pithy, putting its point by comparison to set forth a familiar truth about power and self-preservation. The dread inspired by a king is like the roaring of a lion, so to stir him to anger is to put one's own life in peril and bring harm upon oneself. That danger bears with special force where the ruler is intemperate, for drink makes a king unstable and unsafe to provoke. Wine and strong drink can cause rulers to forget the law and pervert justice for the afflicted, leaving such a ruler dangerously unpredictable in his wrath.
The saying is brief and pithy, putting its point by comparison to set forth a familiar truth about power and self-preservation. The dread inspired by a king is like the roaring of a lion, so to stir him to anger is to put one's own life in peril and bring harm upon oneself. That danger bears with special force where the ruler is intemperate, for drink makes a king unstable and unsafe to provoke. Wine and strong drink can cause rulers to forget the law and pervert justice for the afflicted, leaving such a ruler dangerously unpredictable in his wrath.