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Proverbs 21

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God's Sovereignty and True Righteousness 1–8

1
The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. ​
2
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. ​
3
To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. ​
4
An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin. ​
5
The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.
6
The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death. ​
7
The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment.
8
The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.

Justice, Consequences, and Wealth 9–19

9
It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house. ​
10
The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.
11
When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge. ​
12
The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness. ​
13
Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. ​
14
A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath. ​
15
It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
16
The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead. ​
17
He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. ​
18
The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright. ​
19
It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.

Diligence, Self-Control, and Sloth 20–26

20
There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up. ​
21
He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.
22
A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof. ​
23
Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. ​
24
Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.
25
The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour. ​
26
He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not.

The Futility of Wicked Plans 27–31

27
The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? ​
28
A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly.
29
A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way.
30
There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD. ​
31
The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Proverbs 21

Verse 1

as the rivers of water — Peleg is a channel cut for water, an irrigation rill, the word of Ps 1:3, 'planted by the rivers of water'. The LORD turns (natah, to stretch or bend aside) a king's heart as water is turned along its course (cf. Ezra 6:22; Acts 7:10), and does it 'whithersoever he will'.

Verse 2

pondereth the hearts — Takan is to weigh or measure out, as on a scale. It is the verb of Prov 16:2, 'the LORD weigheth the spirits', and of Prov 24:12, where the one who 'pondereth the heart' will 'render to every man according to his works'. The man's own verdict, that his way is 'right' (yashar, straight), does not settle it.

Verse 3

justice and judgment — Tsedaqah and mishpat, righteousness and right decision. The prophets and Samuel set them above offerings: 'to obey is better than sacrifice' (1 Sam 15:22); 'I desired mercy, and not sacrifice' (Hos 6:6). 'More acceptable' is bachar, to choose: the LORD chooses these before sacrifice (cf. Mic 6:8).

Verse 4

plowing of the wicked — Nir is freshly plowed land, the ground a man works to live. The verse sets three things under one word, 'sin': the 'high look' (literally, lifted eyes), the 'proud heart' (rachab, broad) and the wicked man's tillage. A 'proud look' heads the seven things the LORD hates in Prov 6:17.

Verse 6

a vanity tossed to and fro — Hebel is emptiness, what does not last. 'Tossed to and fro' is nadaph, to drive away, the verb of the chaff 'which the wind driveth away' (Ps 1:4). Wealth gathered by a 'lying tongue' scatters like chaff, and those who seek it 'seek death'; 'Treasures of wickedness profit nothing' (Prov 10:2).

Verse 9

corner of the housetop — The roof was a flat, used space, which the law fenced with a 'battlement' (Deut 22:8). The corner is an exposed place to live, and still better than a 'wide house' (literally a house of cheber, company) shared with a woman of madon, strife. The line is repeated in Prov 25:24, and v.19 gives it with the wilderness.

Verse 11

the simple is made wise — Pethi, the simple, is the open and easily led, who learns by seeing the scorner (luts) punished; at the death of Ananias 'great fear came upon all the church' (Acts 5:11). 'Instructed' is sakal, the verb of 'wisely considereth' in v.12 and 'understanding' in v.16. The wise need no such lesson, only teaching.

Verse 12

wisely considereth — The KJV's 'God' has no Hebrew word of its own, so the sentence can be read of the righteous man, who weighs (sakal, as in v.11) the fall of a wicked house and learns from it, or of the Righteous One, God, who overthrows (calaph, to wrench, twist) it. Either way the end matches Prov 14:11: 'The house of the wicked shall be overthrown.'

Verse 13

shall not be heard — Literally 'shall not be answered': anah, the verb of Prov 1:28, 'I will not answer'. The measure returns on the one who shut (atam) his ears to the cry of the poor (dal, the weak): 'he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy' (Jas 2:13); 'it shall be measured to you again' (Matt 7:2).

Verse 14

a gift in secret — The proverb states what a present does, not that every gift is right. Shachad ('reward') is 'bribes' in 1 Sam 8:3 and 'a present' in 1 Kings 15:19. Jacob's gift to Esau is the plain case: 'I will appease him with the present that goeth before me' (Gen 32:20). 'Pacifieth' (kaphah) occurs nowhere else.

Verse 16

the congregation of the dead — Rephaim, the dead, the word of Prov 2:18, 'her paths unto the dead', and 9:18, 'the dead are there'; Isa 14:9 has the dead stirred up to meet a fallen king. 'Wandereth' is ta'ah, the verb of the lost sheep in Ps 119:176. The man who strays from understanding comes at last to 'remain' (nuach, rest) among them.

Verse 17

wine and oil — Wine and oil are the staples of a feast: 'wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine' (Ps 104:15). 'Pleasure' is simchah, gladness, festival joy; the man who loves it as a way of life ends in machsor, want. 'The drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty' (Prov 23:21).

Verse 18

a ransom for the righteous — Kopher is the payment that redeems a life (Ex 21:30), and God says of Israel, 'I gave Egypt for thy ransom' (Isa 43:3). The proverb states how the LORD's judgments fall: 'The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead' (Prov 11:8), as Haman was hanged on the gallows he prepared for Mordecai (Esth 7:10).

Verse 20

oil in the dwelling of the wise — Treasure and oil are stored goods: the wise man's house holds a reserve, and the fool 'spendeth it up', bala, swallows it down. A reserve of oil is what separates the virgins of Matt 25:3–4, where 'the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps'. 'Dwelling' (naveh) is a home, or a pasture.

Verse 22

scaleth the city of the mighty — The wise man goes up (alah) against a walled city and brings down 'the strength of the confidence thereof', the stronghold (oz) in which it trusts (mibtach). The same is said of wisdom elsewhere: it 'strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city' (Eccl 7:19), and is 'better than weapons of war' (Eccl 9:18).

Verse 23

keepeth his mouth and his tongue — One verb twice, shamar, to hedge about and guard, as a watchman does. The man who guards his mouth guards his nephesh, his life, from tsarah, distress. 'He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life' (Prov 13:3); 'If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man' (Jas 3:2).

Verse 25

the desire of the slothful killeth him — Muth in the causative: his longing (ta'avah) brings him to death, and the reason given is in the hands, which 'refuse' (ma'en) 'to labour'. The refusal, not the wanting, is named as the cause. 'The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat' (Prov 13:4).

Verse 27

with a wicked mind — Zimmah is a plan or scheme, so the offering is brought with a wicked purpose behind it. 'Abomination' is to'ebah, the word of Prov 15:8: 'The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.' Jer 6:20 says the same of offerings: 'your burnt offerings are not acceptable'.

Verse 30

no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel — Three words are shut out in turn: chokmah (wisdom), tebunah (understanding) and etsah (counsel, a plan). Against the LORD none of them stands: 'There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand' (Prov 19:21). Gamaliel's warning is the same: 'ye cannot overthrow it' (Acts 5:39).

Verse 31

safety is of the LORD — Teshuah is deliverance or victory, the word of Ps 33:17, 'An horse is a vain thing for safety'. The horse is 'prepared' (kun, made ready); the verse does not forbid the preparing, but gives the outcome to the LORD. 'Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God' (Ps 20:7).