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Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary

Proverbs 21:21

That followeth after; that fervently desires, and diligently and constantly endeavours, to attain to them, for such shall and will certainly obtain them. Righteousness and mercy; living in the constant exercise of these virtues. Findeth; shall obtain from God what is right and due to him; either from God, by virtue of his gracious promise; or from men, whose hearts God will dispose to deal justly and kindly with him.

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See also Proverbs 21:21 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    The man who keeps “righteousness” will assuredly find it, but he will find besides it the “life” and the “honor” which he was not seeking. Compare 1 Kings 3:13; Matthew 6:33....

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 21 PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONS AS TO LIFE AND CONDUCT In the proverbs of this chapter the Lord is mentioned five times. “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: He turne...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    PROVERBS 21:1. WATERCOURSES: not the natural brooks and wadys of Palestine, but the artificial irrigation canals of Egypt or Babylonia, which could be diverted in any direction at will. Proverbs 21:4....

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    MERCY. lovingkindness, or grace....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _righteousness_ The proverb asserts the general law of God's moral government, that they who seek good things shall find more than they sought for (1 Kings 3:11; Matthew 6:33); the pursuit of "righteo...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    FINDETH LIFE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND HONOUR— _Shall find life and glory._ Houbigant....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    TEXT Proverbs 21:21-31 21. He that followeth after righteousness and kindness Findeth life, righteousness, and honor. 22. A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, And bringeth down the strengt...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour. HE THAT FOLLOWETH AFTER (WITH GREAT ZEAL AND EARNESTNESS) RIGHTEOUSNESS AND MERCY FINDETH LIFE (THE GIFT OF...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    1. The 'watercourses' (RV) are the artificial irrigation channels of Egypt and Babylon (Isaiah 58:11)....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    LESSONS ABOUT WISDOM PROVERBS _KEITH SIMONS_ CHAPTER 21 V1 A king is like a canal that God controls. God leads the king in the way that God decides....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    We should not desire money, or fame, or foolish things. Instead, we should desire love and goodness. Love and goodness come from God. ‘God is love.’ (1 John 4:16) God gives good gifts (Matthew 7:11)....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    RIGHTEOUSNESS AND MERCY. — He who endeavours to give God and man their due (see above on 10:2), and to shew love to them (Proverbs 3:3), will gain for himself length of days (Proverbs 3:16) power to l...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    רֹ֭דֵף צְדָקָ֣ה וָ חָ֑סֶד יִמְצָ֥א חַ֝יִּ֗ים...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 22 WINE "He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich."- Proverbs 21:17 THE Septuagint translation has an interesting addition to the proverb in...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Verse Proverbs 21:4. The "lamp" of a man's life is his spirit. Where that is exalted and manifests itself in the high look and the proud heart, there is sin. All of which is to say that for a man to f...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour. A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof. Are not the...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 10 THROUGH 31. In chapter 10 begin the details which teach those who give ear how to avoid the snares into which the simple might fall, the path to be followe...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    HE THAT FOLLOWETH AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS AND MERCY,.... Is eager, diligent, and fervent in his pursuit of these things: "after righteousness"; not a legal righteousness, such as the Jews followed after,...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour. Ver. 21. _He that followeth after righteousness._] Though, for such a measure of it as he desires, he cannot o...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _He that followeth after righteousness_, &c. That fervently desires, and diligently and constantly endeavours to attain these virtues, and to live in the exercise of them; _findeth life_ Spiritual and...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    V. 21. HE THAT FOLLOWETH AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS AND MERCY, eagerly desiring and practicing these virtues, FINDETH LIFE, the true spiritual life whose source is in God, righteousness, such as is acceptabl...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Proverbs 21:21 follows H7291 (H8802) righteousness H6666 mercy H2617 Finds H4672 (H8799) life H2416 righteousness H

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Warnings and instructions. CHARACTERS: God. CONCLUSION: Those who follow after righteousness, shall find righteousness, honor and life. KEY WORD: Counsel (Proverbs 20:5). STRONG VERSES: P...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    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._ The allusion is probably to the water-meads and the ditches in the corn field...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour._ RIGHTEOUSNESS AND MERCY In every perfect character there will be found many opposite virtues, such as gentle...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 21:21_ A NOBLE PURSUIT AND A RICH PRIZE I. A NOBLE PURSUIT. Following after righteousness and mercy. These words may be taken as referring both to a state of judicial rig...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION PROVERBS 21:1 THE KING'S HEART IS IN THE HAND OF THE LORD, AS THE RIVERS OF WATER. We are to think of the little channels used for irrigation. As these are altogether under the gardener's...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Shall we turn now in our Bibles to Proverbs 21:1-31. Proverbs 21:1-31, Solomon declares: The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will (Prov...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 15:58; 1 Peter 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; 1 Timothy 6:11;...

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