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Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament

Proverbs 21

Proverbs 21: the king's heart in the hand of the Lord, the brawling woman, and safety that is of the Lord

General context

The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as rivers of water, and he turns it where he will. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord ponders the hearts. To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. The thoughts of the diligent tend to plenty, the hasty to want. Treasures got by a lying tongue are a vanity of those who seek death. It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop than with a brawling woman in a wide house. God overthrows the wicked for their wickedness. Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor shall cry himself and not be heard. The man who wanders from the way of understanding remains in the congregation of the dead. The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous. It is better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious and angry woman. Treasure and oil are in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man spends it up. He that follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness and honour. Whoever keeps his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles. Proud and haughty scorner is his name who deals in proud wrath. The desire of the slothful kills him because his hands refuse to labour; he covets all day, but the righteous gives. The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination, much more when brought with a wicked mind. There is no wisdom, understanding or counsel against the Lord. The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord.

Cited passages: Proverbs 21:1, Proverbs 21:2, Proverbs 21:3, Proverbs 21:4, Proverbs 21:5, Proverbs 21:6, Proverbs 21:7, Proverbs 21:9, Proverbs 21:11, Proverbs 21:12, Proverbs 21:13, Proverbs 21:14, Proverbs 21:15, Proverbs 21:16, Proverbs 21:17, Proverbs 21:18, Proverbs 21:19, Proverbs 21:20, Proverbs 21:21, Proverbs 21:22, Proverbs 21:23, Proverbs 21:24, Proverbs 21:25, Proverbs 21:26, Proverbs 21:27, Proverbs 21:28, Proverbs 21:29, Proverbs 21:30, Proverbs 21:31

Proverbs 21 (KJV)

1The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

2Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.

3To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

4An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

5The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.

6The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.

7The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment.

8The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.

9It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

10The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.

11When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.

12The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness.

13Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

14A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath.

15It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

16The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.

17He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.

18The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.

19It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.

20There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.

21He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.

22A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.

23Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.

24Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.

25The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.

26He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not.

27The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?

28A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly.

29A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way.

30There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord.

31The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord.

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Historical context

No heading; no king, woman or person is named. The Lord is named in verses 1, 2, 3, 30 and 31, at the two ends of the chapter, and verse 12 uses "God" instead, the only verse here to do so. The king of verse 1 is any king; the saying places his heart in the Lord's hand without naming a reign. Verse 2 repeats the thought of 16:2, a man's way right in his own eyes against the Lord who weighs or ponders. Two "better" sayings, verses 9 and 19, concern living with a "brawling" or "contentious and an angry woman"; they describe a household type and no individual. Sacrifice appears twice, in verse 3 ranked below justice and in verse 27 called abomination when the wicked bring it, and neither verse names a place or priest. Verse 18, that the wicked shall be "a ransom for the righteous", is stated without explanation, and the chapter does not say how the exchange happens. "The city of the mighty" in verse 22 and "the day of battle" in verse 31 are general; no war is described. The closing verse credits safety to the Lord while granting that the horse is prepared, and it does not say the preparation is useless.

Cited passages: Proverbs 21:1, Proverbs 21:31, Proverbs 21:12, Proverbs 21:2, Proverbs 16:2, Proverbs 21:9, Proverbs 21:19, Proverbs 21:3, Proverbs 21:27, Proverbs 21:18, Proverbs 21:22

Literary context

The chapter is framed by the Lord's control: it opens with the king's heart turned like water in his hand (verse 1) and closes with no counsel standing against him (verse 30) and safety that is his though the horse is prepared (verse 31). Between the frame the sayings are mostly single statements, with fewer "but" pairs than in chapters 10 to 15. Two "It is better to dwell" sayings (verses 9 and 19) share one shape, a cramped or empty place preferred to a wide house with a quarrelsome woman. Sacrifice is ranked below justice in verse 3 and called abomination in verse 27, the second with the "how much more" step used at 15:11. Verse 13 is built as a reversal, the ear stopped to the cry of the poor becoming the cry that is not heard. Verses 25 and 26 draw the slothful man across two verses, his desire killing him and his coveting all day long, before the righteous who "giveth and spareth not". Verse 24 names a type by his behaviour, "Proud and haughty scorner is his name". Verse 5 sets the diligent against the hasty rather than the slothful, and verse 6 gives lying gain a whole image, "a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death". Verse 2 restates 16:2 with "pondereth" for "weigheth".

Cited passages: Proverbs 21:1, Proverbs 21:30, Proverbs 21:31, Proverbs 21:9, Proverbs 21:19, Proverbs 21:3, Proverbs 21:27, Proverbs 15:11, Proverbs 21:13, Proverbs 21:25, Proverbs 21:26, Proverbs 21:24, Proverbs 21:5, Proverbs 21:6, Proverbs 21:2, Proverbs 16:2

Key moments

  1. The king's heart (Proverbs 21:1). The king's heart is in the Lord's hand and turned like rivers of water.
  2. Justice over sacrifice (Proverbs 21:3). Doing justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
  3. A corner of the housetop (Proverbs 21:9). A corner of the roof is preferred to a wide house with a brawling woman.
  4. The cry of the poor (Proverbs 21:13). Whoever stops his ears at the poor's cry will cry unheard himself.
  5. Keeping the mouth (Proverbs 21:23). Keeping mouth and tongue keeps the soul from troubles.
  6. The desire of the slothful (Proverbs 21:25). The slothful man's desire kills him because his hands refuse to labour.
  7. The horse and the Lord (Proverbs 21:31). The horse is prepared for battle, but safety is of the Lord.

For reflection

Verse 31 says the horse is prepared for battle but safety is of the Lord, and verse 5 says the diligent man's thoughts tend to plenty. What does the chapter leave for a man's own preparation to accomplish?