Proverbs Chapter 21 Summary - Key Points & Themes

Read Proverbs Chapter 21 Summary

The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He will. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart. To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. The way of the guilty is crooked, but the conduct of the pure is upright. Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity. Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; whoever loves wine and oil will not be rich. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.

Original

Characters in This Chapter

Solomon

Primary author, known for his God-given wisdom

Places in This Chapter

Jerusalem

Center of Israel's wisdom tradition and royal court

The Wilderness

The wilderness refers to the desert regions of Sinai and Judea. Israel wandered here for 40 years after the Exodus. John the Baptist preached in the wilderness of Judea, and Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness for 40 days. It represents testing, preparation, and encounter with God.

Position in Book

Purpose and FoundationChapters 1-9

Solomon's ProverbsChapters 10-22

Collection of short, two-line proverbs covering all aspects of life.

Sayings of the WiseChapters 22-24

Hezekiah's CollectionChapters 25-29

Agur and LemuelChapters 30-31