“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice”: This line is a variant of 28.12 and verse 16 of this chapter. “The righteous” are contrasted here with “the wicked” in the next line and refer to upright, honorable rulers. See 3.33. “Are in authority” translates the same Hebrew verb as used in 28.28 and rendered by Revised Standard Version as “increase.” The sense is that righteous or just people increase in number or become powerful and thus in control. See Good News Translation “righteous ruler.” “Rejoice”, meaning to be glad or happy, translates the same verb as used in 5.18; 13.9; and 24.17.

“But when the wicked rule, the people groan”: This line contrasts with the first. For “wicked” see 2.22. Here “the wicked rule” or are in authority and the people “groan” instead of rejoicing. In translation it may be necessary to avoid giving the impression that the people merely make groaning noises. The people “groan” because of their misery or, as Good News Translation says, they are “miserable people.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .