Proverbs 21:1
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
Proverbs 21:1 in other translations
| BSB | The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases. |
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| WEB | The king’s heart is in the LORD’s hand like the watercourses. He turns it wherever he desires. |
| ASV | The king’s heart is in the hand of Jehovah as the watercourses: He turneth it whithersoever he will. |
| YLT | Rivulets of waters is the heart of a king in the hand of Jehovah, Wherever He pleaseth He inclineth it. |
| DARBY | The king's heart in the hand of Jehovah is as brooks of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. |
| BBE | The king's heart in the hands of the Lord is like the water streams, and by him it is turned in any direction at his pleasure. |
| Webster | The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. |
What does Proverbs 21:1 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Introduction
The king's heart is in the hand of God. We should practice mercy and justice. The lying tongue. The quarrelsome woman. The punishment of the wicked. The uncharitable. The private gift. The happiness of the righteous. The wicked a ransom for the righteous. The treasures of the wise. He who guards his tongue. Desire of the sluggard. The false witness. Salvation is of the Lord. Verse 1 The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord - The Lord is the only ruler of princes. He alone can govern and direct their counsels. But there is an allusion here to the Eastern method of watering their lands. Several canals are dug from one stream; and by opening a particular sluice, the husbandman can direct a stream to whatever part he please: so the king's heart, wherever it turns; i.e., to whomsoever he is disposed to show favor. As the land is enriched with the streams employed in irrigation; so is the favourite of the king, by the royal bounty: and God can induce the king to give that bounty to whomsoever he will. See Harmer.Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain
Proverbs 21:1 in the original Hebrew
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Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for Proverbs 21:1
- Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.
- Ezra 6:22
And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the Lord had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
- Proverbs 20:24
Man’s goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?
- Acts 7:10
And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
- Proverbs 16:1
The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.
- Ezra 7:27-28
Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem: And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
- Daniel 4:35
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
- Psalms 106:46
He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.
- Isaiah 43:19
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
- Nehemiah 2:4
Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
- Nehemiah 1:11
O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.
- Psalms 105:25
He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants.
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Context
- Proverbs 21:1
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
- Proverbs 21:2
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.
Proverbs 21:1 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | COMO los repartimientos de las aguas, así está el corazón del rey en la mano de Jehová: á todo lo que quiere lo inclina. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Le cœur d’un roi, dans la main de l’ Éternel, est des ruisseaux d’eau; il l’incline à tout ce qui lui plaît. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Gleich Wasserbächen ist eines Königs Herz in der Hand Jehovas; wohin immer er will, neigt er es. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Sicut divisiones aquarum, ita cor regis in manu Domini: quocumque voluerit, inclinabit illud. |