Proverbs 20:2
The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.
Cross-reference
In Proverbs 16:14, the same theme appears: a king's wrath is a deadly messenger, and a wise person appeases it.
Proverbs 16:15 offers the direct contrast: a king's favor brings life, unlike his wrath which brings death.
Proverbs 19:12 uses the identical lion roar imagery for royal wrath, then also pairs it with the king's favor.
Proverbs 28:15 also compares a ruler to a roaring lion, but focuses on a wicked ruler oppressing the poor—a specific case of the general danger.
Proverbs 8:36 says sinning against wisdom harms one's own soul and loves death—similar consequence for provoking a different authority.
1 Kings 2:23 provides a historical example: Solomon swears Adonijah will die for his offense, illustrating king's lethal anger.
Esther 1:12 records King Ahasuerus burning with anger when Vashti refuses his command, a concrete case of a provoked king's fury.
In Daniel 2:12, Nebuchadnezzar's furious decree to destroy all wise men is a concrete example of a king's provoked anger leading to death.
Romans 13:3 contrasts this by saying rulers are not a terror to good conduct—only to bad—qualifying the universal fear of the king here.
Romans 13:4 explains that the ruler bears the sword as God's avenger on wrongdoers, directly paralleling the forfeited life for provoking anger.
Ecclesiastes 8:4 reinforces the king's absolute authority—no one can question him—which underlies the warning against provoking him here.
Ecclesiastes 10:4 advises on managing a ruler's anger with calmness, a practical response to the same danger.
Amos 1:2 uses the same lion-roar imagery for the Lord's judgment, shifting the terror from an earthly king to God himself.
1 Peter 5:8 compares the devil to a roaring lion, same simile as the king’s wrath in Proverbs 20:2 — both warn of danger.