--- title: "Proverbs 21 - Study King James Bible with keil and delitzsch old testament commentary" description: "Read Proverbs 21 with keil and delitzsch old testament commentary 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/keil-and-delitzsch-old-testament-commentary/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 The group, like the preceding one, now closes with a proverb of the king. A king's heart in Jahve's hand is like brooks of water; He turneth it whithersoever He will. Brook and canal (the *Quinta*: ὑδραγωγοί ) are both called פּלג , or פּלג , [Job 20:17](/kjv/job/20/17), Arab. falaj (from פּלג , to divide, according to which Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion, διαρέσεις ; *Venet*. διανομαί ; Jerome, *divisiones*); *Jâkût* has the explanation of the word: “ falaj is the name given to flowing water, particularly the brook from a spring, and every canal which is led from a spring out over flat ground.” Such brooks of water are the heart of a king, *i.e.*, it is compared to such, in Jahve's hand. The second line contains the point of comparison: He inclines it, gives to it the direction ( הטּה , causat. of נטה , [Numbers 21:15](/kjv/numbers/21/15)) toward whatever He will ( חפץ denotes willing, as a bending and inclining, viz., of the will; *vid*., at [Proverbs 18:2](/kjv/proverbs/18/2)). Rightly Hitzig finds it not accidental that just the expression “brooks of water” is chosen as the figure for tractableness and subjection to government. In [Isaiah 32:2](/kjv/isaiah/32/2), the princes of Judah are compared to “rivers of water in a dry place” with reference to the exhaustion of the land during the oppression of the Assyrian invasion; the proverb has specially in view evidences of kindness proceeding from the heart, as at [Proverbs 16:15](/kjv/proverbs/16/15) the favour of the king is compared to clouds of latter rain emptying themselves in beneficent showers, and at [Proverbs 19:12](/kjv/proverbs/19/12) to the dew refreshing the plants. But the speciality of the comparison here is, that the heart of the king, however highly exalted above his subjects, and so removed from their knowledge he may be, has yet One above it by whom it is moved by hidden influences, *e.g.*, the prayer of the oppressed; for man is indeed free, yet he acts under the influence of divinely-directed circumstances and divine operations; and though he reject the guidance of God, yet from his conduct nothing results which the Omniscient, who is surprised by nothing, does not make subservient to His will in the world-plan of redemption. Rightly the Midrash: God gives to the world good or bad kings, according as He seeks to bless it or to visit it with punishment; all decisions that go forth from the king's mouth come לכתחלה , *i.e.*, in their first commencement and their last reason they come from the Holy One. ```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/keil-and-delitzsch-old-testament-commentary/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/keil-and-delitzsch-old-testament-commentary/proverbs/21#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/keil-and-delitzsch-old-testament-commentary/proverbs/21","name":"Proverbs 21 - Study King James Bible with keil and delitzsch old testament commentary","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/keil-and-delitzsch-old-testament-commentary/proverbs/21#primaryimage"},"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"Read Proverbs 21 with keil and delitzsch old testament commentary 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/keil-and-delitzsch-old-testament-commentary/proverbs/21#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/keil-and-delitzsch-old-testament-commentary/proverbs/21"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/keil-and-delitzsch-old-testament-commentary/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/keil-and-delitzsch-old-testament-commentary","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/keil-and-delitzsch-old-testament-commentary","name":"keil and delitzsch old testament commentary"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/keil-and-delitzsch-old-testament-commentary/proverbs","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/keil-and-delitzsch-old-testament-commentary/proverbs","name":"Proverbs"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/keil-and-delitzsch-old-testament-commentary/proverbs/21","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/keil-and-delitzsch-old-testament-commentary/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"]}]} ```