잠언 Chapter 21

Translation: ESV

1

The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.

Key Message

Even the most powerful king's heart is in God's hand; the ultimate ruler of history is God.

▸Even the heart of a king—the most powerful human authority—is in the LORD's hand.

Even the heart of a king—the most powerful human authority—is in the LORD's hand. The declaration that the LORD guides the king's will is the concrete expression of the theology that God is the ultimate ruler of history. Just as a stream of water flows according to the farmer's intention, the heart of the king is within God's providence.

Related Verses

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia.
2

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.

Key Message

What a person thinks is right may appear differently to God's eyes. God sees the heart.

▸There is a gap between human self-evaluation and God's evaluation.

13

Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.

Key Message

The one who closes his ear to the cry of his neighbor will not be answered when he himself cries out. Compassion and response are connected.

▸Closing one's ear to the suffering of a neighbor and being ignored when one calls for help are connected as cause and effect.

30

No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD.

Key Message

No wisdom or scheme that opposes God can ultimately succeed.

▸No wisdom or plan that opposes God can succeed.