Source: https://929chapters.com/2009/05/04/proverbs-21-%E2%80%9Cassorted-sayings%E2%80%9D/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 06:16:05+00:00

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Proverbs 21 is a collection of thirty-one individual sayings. While the chapter does not seem to have an overarching theme, topics such as God’s control of man, a contentious wife, wisdom/folly, and proper speech occur more than once.
v. 9: Dwelling in the corner of a roof is better Than a contentious wife in a spacious house.
v. 17: He who loves pleasure comes to want; He who loves wine and oil does not grow rich.
v. 19: It is better to live in the desert Than with a contentious, vexatious wife.
v. 23: He who guards his mouth and tongue Guards himself from trouble.
v. 25: The craving of a lazy man kills him, For his hands refuse to work.
v. 31: The horse is readied for the day of battle, But victory comes from the LORD.
V. 23 discusses speech: “He who guards his mouth and tongue Guards himself from trouble.” Murphy points out (p. 258) that speech is “a very frequent topic in and for itself; perhaps about 20 percent of chaps. 10–29 deal with it. The frequency points to its importance in the eyes of the sages: when to speak and when to keep silent.” The message that loose speech is harmful comes up often. Prov. 10:19 says, “Where there is much talking, there is no lack of transgressing, But he who curbs his tongue shows sense,” and 13:13 says, “He who guards his tongue preserves his life; He who opens wide his lips, it is his ruin.” Also see Prov. 18:7 and 18:21.
We have noted in many places that “no proverb says it all,” i.e. each and every saying can be qualified. Murphy writes (p. 163), “One of the most stubborn objections against the sages is the belief that they had figured out reality and God in a neat formula. God rewards the wise/good and punishes the fools/wicked.” Our v. 31 serves a possible response, “No wisdom, no prudence, and no counsel Can prevail against the LORD.” In other words, for all that Wisdom is worth (and it is worth a lot! cf. 3:15, 8:11, 20:15, etc.), God works in mysterious and unpredictable ways. Two verses in our chapter affirm this concept: v. 8 says, “The way of a man may be tortuous and strange, Though his actions are blameless and proper,” and v. 31 says, “The horse is readied for the day of battle, But victory comes from the LORD.” All of these verses might be summarized by 3:5 which says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not rely on your own understanding.” Apparently, wisdom has its limits.

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