The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever.
Ver. 14. The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, &c.] An office not unbeseeming the greatest king, to sit in person to hear the poor man's cause. James IV of Scotland was for this cause called the poor man's king. I have seen, saith a late traveller, the King of Persia many times to alight from his horse, only to do justice to a poor body. "Help, O king!" said the poor woman to Jehoram. And if thou will not hear and right me, why dost thou take upon thee to be king? said another woman to Philip, King of Macedonia. It is a mercy to have judges mode audeant quae sentiunt, as the orator hath it, a so that they have courage to do what they judge fit to be done. Inferior judges may be weighed and swayed, by gifts or greatness of an adversary, to pass an unrighteous sentence. Not so a king; he neither needs nor fears any man, but is, if he be right - as one saith of a just law - a heart without affection, an eye without lust, a mind without passion, a treasurer which keepeth for every man what he hath, and distributeth to every man what he ought to have.
“ Pασι δικαια νεμει μηδε κρισιν ες χαριν ελκει .” - Phocyl.
Lo, such a prince shall sit firm upon his throne; his kingdom shall be bound to him with chains of adamant, as Dionysius dreamt that his was; he shall have the hearts of his subjects, which is the best life-guard, and God for his protection; for he is professedly the poor man's patron, Psa 9:18-19 and makes heavy complaints of those that wrong them. Isaiah 3:13,15 ; Isaiah 10:1,3; Amos 5:11,12 ; Amo 8:4-6; Zep 3:12
a Cic. pro Milone.