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Proverbs 21 Bible study: In the LORD's hand
The chapter says to do justice three times with the same Hebrew words: it is "more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice" (21:3), the wicked "refuse to do what is right" (21:7), and "It is joy to the righteous to do justice" (21:15). And the sluggard's hands "refuse to labor" (21:25) in the Hebrew words of 21:7's refusing.
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“To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”
Try it · Did you catch it?
“In Proverbs 21:21, the one who follows after righteousness finds righteousness.”
Is that in Proverbs 21, or not? Make your call.
What's really going on
The LORD at the beginning and the end
The WEB names the LORD in five verses of this chapter, and they stand at its two ends: the first three (21:1-3) and the last two (21:30-31). It opens, "The king’s heart is in the LORD’s hand like the watercourses. He turns it wherever he desires" (21:1). Then, "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts" (21:2) (tap weighs), and "To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice" (21:3) (tap justice). It closes, "There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD" (21:30), and "The horse is prepared for the day of battle; but victory is with the LORD" (21:31) (tap victory). In between, many sayings speak of people: the diligent and the hasty (21:5), the mocker and the simple (21:11), the sluggard (21:25), and "A wise man" who "scales the city of the mighty" (21:22). Here is what almost everyone misses: between 21:3 and 21:30 the WEB doesn't use the name at all, so the sayings that name him stand at the chapter's two ends, and the last of them says whose the victory is. The chapter doesn't say why its sayings come in this order, and these notes don't either. The notes on Proverbs 12 and 16 look at right in his own eyes and weighs in sayings of their own.
Honest questions
Questions people ask about Proverbs 21
That was a taste
The rest of Proverbs 21 is waiting in Favor
- To do justice, three times
- Refusing and desiring
- Profit and poverty
- Said again elsewhere
- Words met before
- 15 questions as you read
- 14 more Hebrew words
- A short check at the end
- Your notes, saved as you go
Favor reads the Bible in order, so you'll reach Proverbs 21 with everything before it in view. First week free, then $10 a month per person.
The Hebrew word behind it
מִשְׁפָּטmishpatsay mish-PAHT
Brown-Driver-Briggs gives "judgment", and among its senses "justice, right, rectitude". Strong's: "properly, a verdict". The chapter has it three times, each time with asah, to do: "To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice" (21:3), "because they refuse to do what is right" (21:7), where the WEB gives it as what is right, and "It is joy to the righteous to do justice" (21:15). Proverbs has mishpat 20 times in Hebrew; it is the justice of the book's opening lines: "to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity" (Proverbs 1:3).
For your group
Proverbs 21 Bible study questions
- 1"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts" (21:2). When have you been sure you were right, and later seen it differently?
- 2"It is joy to the righteous to do justice" (21:15). When has doing what is right felt like joy to you, and not only like duty?
- 3"Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles" (21:23). What helps you hold back words you would later regret?
Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Proverbs 21 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.
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Questions
What is Favor?
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.
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Favor takes the Bible as one story, in order, so you'll reach Proverbs 21 with everything that leads up to it in view. Start from Genesis, or meet Jesus first in the Gospels. You can read the text of any chapter in Favor's Look up whenever you like.
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The World English Bible, a modern, readable translation in the public domain. God's name appears as "the LORD", as in most English Bibles.
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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home