--- title: "Proverbs 21 - Study King James Bible with cokes commentary on the holy bible" description: "Read Proverbs 21 with cokes commentary on the holy bible commentary. 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:" image: "/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg" url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/21" --- [ Read](/kjv/proverbs/21)[ Commentary](/study/proverbs/21)[ Interlinear](/interlinear/proverbs/21) Audio 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. 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.* 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. 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.* [Proverbs 20](/study/proverbs/20) [Proverbs 22](/study/proverbs/22) ## Commentary To verse 1 ***[Proverbs 21:1](/kjv/proverbs/21/1)*****.*****The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord*****—** The author of the *Observations*informs us, that in Judea their watering canals are artificially divided into several small streams, which render the country exceedingly fruitful. To these canals, and the fertility produced by them, says he, I imagine Solomon refers in this verse, *The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; as the rivers of water,*or *as watering canals; he turneth it whithersoever he will.*Commentators suppose, that this marks out the power of the great Lord of lords over the hearts of princes. It does so, undoubtedly; but, though they have given us the thought in general, I do not remember to have met with any who have given us the energy of it, which seems to be this: "Which way soever the heart of the king turneth, it conveys riches, just as a watering-canal doth plenty; and let it be remembered, that the Lord turns it whithersoever he will, and makes whom he pleases the favourites of princes." Northern readers have often, I dare say, wondered in themselves, that the divine energy upon the minds of men, which is apparently intended by the words, should be represented by man's turning a stream of water whither he pleases, which appears to him a work of difficulty; such difficulty, that it is not often attempted in this country. He therefore is apt to be surprized that some allusion, conveying the idea of greater ease, was not made use of. However, to an oriental imagination, the metaphor will appear strong, but in all respects just, as conveying the thought of that ease with which the power of God operates on the hearts of princes, and of the enriching effects of royal favour (which is elsewhere compared to *a cloud of the latter rain*); adding further prosperity to those who are in affluent circumstances, and setting beggars among princes; just like those canals which are so common in these countries, which add very much to the fertility of a rich soil, and sometimes turn a desart into a paradise. Thus the province of Faoume, or Fioum, the richest in all Egypt, owes all its fertility, according to Maillet, to a canal made by art in very ancient times, and would without it have been absolutely barren, as the want of keeping this canal with sufficient care has very much injured it. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/search?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/21#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg","width":672,"height":448,"caption":"Real Bible Believers"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/21#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/21","name":"Proverbs 21 - Study King James Bible with cokes commentary on the holy bible","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/21#primaryimage"},"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"Read Proverbs 21 with cokes commentary on the holy bible commentary. 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:","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/21#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/21"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/21#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study","name":"Study Bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible","name":"cokes commentary on the holy bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs","name":"Proverbs"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/21","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/proverbs/21","name":"21"}}]},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","width":512,"height":512},"logo":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo"},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/RBiblebeliever","https://www.facebook.com/RBibleBelievers"]}]} ```