English Standard Version
Proverbs 21:31
31The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.
Proverbs 21:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord.
- New International Version (NIV)The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But deliverance is of the Lord.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.
Context of Proverbs 21:31
29A wicked man puts on a bold face, but the upright gives thought to his ways. 30No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the Lord. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.
Read all of Proverbs 21Proverbs 21:31 word by word
ס֗וּס מ֭וּכָן לְי֣וֹם מִלְחָמָ֑ה וְ֝לַֽיהוָ֗ה הַתְּשׁוּעָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 21:31
- Psalms 20:7Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
- Psalms 33:17The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.
- Psalms 147:10His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
- Ecclesiastes 9:11Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.
- Isaiah 31:1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!
- Psalms 3:3But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
- Psalms 68:20Our God is a God of salvation, and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
- Psalms 144:10who gives victory to kings, who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.
Commentaries on Proverbs 21:31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31The horse is prepared against the day of battle - Horses were not used among the Jews before the time of Solomon. There was a Divine command against them, Deuteronomy 17:16; but Solomon transgressed it; see 1 Kings 10:29. But he here allows that a horse is a vain thing for safety; and that however strong and well appointed cavalry may be, still safety, escape, and victory, are of the Lord. Among the ancient Asiatics, the horse was used only for war; oxen…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 30-31Verses 30-31 Means are to be used, but, after all, our safety and salvation are only of the Lord. In our spiritual warfare we must arm ourselves with the whole armour of God; but our strength must be in the Lord, and in the power of his might.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 30-31Human wisdom is powerless against the Lord (see Proverbs 16:1, 3, 9, 33). Similarly, military power, symbolized by the horse, is powerless without the Lord's blessing.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 30-3130-31. Men's best devices and reliances are vain compared with God's, or without His aid (Pr 19:21; Psa 20:7; 33:17).Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 21:31
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries