‘The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.’ Proverbs 21:25 Proverbs 21:25 confronts a subtle but deadly contradiction: strong desire paired with stubborn inaction. The slothful man wants the outcome—provision, comfort, success—but refuses the means God has ordained to reach it. His desire is not weak; it is lethal precisely because it never moves him to obedience. Wanting without working becomes a form of self-destruction. Scripture consistently ties blessing to diligent action, not mere longing. Proverbs 13:4 declares, “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.” Desire alone produces emptiness, while diligence produces satisfaction. Ecclesiastes 10:18 warns that “by much slothfulness the building decayeth,” showing that neglect always leads to loss. In the New Testament, James sharpens the same truth spiritually: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” Desire without action is self-deception, whether in work, faith, or character. The phrase “his hands refuse to labour” reveals the heart of the issue. This is not inability, but refusal. The slothful man resists effort, discipline, and perseverance. His death is not sudden, but slow—killed over time by unmet desires, wasted potential, and opportunities that pass him by. Proverbs 10:4 states plainly, “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.” God has designed work—both physical and spiritual—as a means of life, provision, and growth. Practically, Proverbs 21:25 warns us against confusing intention with obedience. Good desires do not excuse disobedient hands. Wanting a godly life without prayer, Scripture, and repentance will slowly starve the soul. Wanting provision without effort will erode responsibility. Wanting growth without discipline leads to frustration and decay. This verse calls us to align desire with action, longing with labor. God honors diligence not because work saves us, but because faithful effort reflects a heart willing to obey. Desire becomes life-giving only when it moves the hands to do what God has already made clear.

‘Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.’ Proverbs 21:24 Proverbs 21:24 gives a sober definition of a person marked not merely by pride, but by settled contempt. This is not a momentary lapse into arrogance, but a character shaped by self-exaltation. The word scorner describes one who mocks wisdom, despises correction, and resists truth. Pride fuels his anger, and his anger expresses itself in harshness, retaliation, and reckless speech. God does not describe this man by his achievements or position, but by his spirit—proud, haughty, and wrathful. Scripture consistently links pride with resistance to God. Proverbs 16:18 warns that “pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” James 4:6 echoes the same truth: “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” The scorner stands in direct opposition to God’s posture, because pride refuses dependence and humility refuses self-rule. Psalm 10:4 says, “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God.” Pride is not merely a personality flaw; it is a spiritual stance that pushes God out of the equation and enthrones self in His place. The proud wrath mentioned in Proverbs 21:24 reveals how pride expresses itself in relationships. Pride is easily offended, slow to forgive, and quick to retaliate. Ecclesiastes 7:9 warns, “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” When pride governs the heart, anger becomes a tool to defend ego rather than pursue righteousness. This kind of wrath is not righteous indignation against sin, but personal outrage when one’s authority, image, or desires are challenged. Practically, this verse calls us to examine not only our actions, but the spirit behind them. Pride often disguises itself as strength, confidence, or conviction, yet God exposes it by its fruit—contention, anger, mockery, and refusal to be taught. Proverbs 13:10 tells us plainly, “Only by pride cometh contention.” Where pride rules, peace cannot remain. The warning is clear: to tolerate pride is to invite spiritual blindness and relational destruction.

‘Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.’ Proverbs 21:23 Proverbs 21:23 confronts the everyday battlefield of words—the place where more damage is done than perhaps any other. Scripture repeatedly teaches that the tongue is not a small matter; it is a spiritual instrument capable of building or destroying, healing or wounding, glorifying God or stirring sin. The verse draws a straight line between guarded speech and inner peace. To keep the mouth is to guard one’s life; to let it run freely is to invite trouble in like an unbarred door. James speaks with striking clarity on this truth, calling the tongue “a fire, a world of iniquity” in James 3:6, and declaring that the person who offends not in word is “a perfect man.” In Psalm 141:3, David prays, “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips,” recognizing that only God can help restrain what the flesh so quickly unleashes. Proverbs 13:3 teaches the same principle from another angle: “He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.” The danger is not theoretical—it is certain. Words scatter seeds, and Scripture teaches that those seeds always grow into a harvest. This proverb’s application reaches deeper than simply avoiding careless speech. It calls us to examine the heart from which words flow, for Jesus reminds us in Matthew 12:34 that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” Guarding our tongue means guarding what we allow into our heart—our thoughts, our meditations, our affections. When we fail to keep watch over our words, it often reveals that we have not kept watch over our spiritual life. Idle complaints signal ingratitude. Harsh words betray pride or impatience. Gossip exposes a lack of love. Exaggeration uncovers insecurity. The mouth reveals what the heart conceals. Practically, Proverbs 21:23 teaches that silence is often the safest and most righteous choice. Not every thought deserves a voice, not every offense requires an answer, and not every situation needs our opinion. Restraint is wisdom. Many relational conflicts, internal anxieties, and spiritual setbacks arise not from major failures but from undisciplined speech. Keeping the tongue is keeping the soul—holding it back from sin, from regret, and from self-inflicted wounds. When we cultivate a disciplined tongue, we walk in a disciplined life, reflecting Christ, “who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.”

‘A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.’ Proverbs 21:22 Proverbs 21:22 shows that true power does not rest in physical might, strong defenses, or human confidence, but in wisdom. A city fortified by walls and protected by warriors appears unshakable to the natural eye, yet Scripture teaches that wisdom can accomplish what brute force cannot. The verse paints the picture of one wise man doing what an entire army might fail to do—penetrating, dismantling, and overturning the very thing in which the mighty trust. Wisdom from above is greater than strength from below. This truth runs throughout Scripture. Ecclesiastes 9:14–16 tells of a poor wise man who saved an entire city from destruction, and the Word concludes that “wisdom is better than strength.” In 2 Corinthians 10:4, we are reminded that the “weapons of our warfare are not carnal,” yet they are “mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” It is not human power but God-given wisdom that brings down the false confidences of the world. Even Jericho’s mighty walls fell not by military brilliance, but by obedience to God’s wise command (Joshua 6). And James 3:17 describes heavenly wisdom as “first pure, then peaceable… and full of mercy and good fruits,” a wisdom that accomplishes victory by righteousness, not by fleshly might. In our daily lives, Proverbs 21:22 calls us to pursue wisdom as our primary strength rather than leaning on self-confidence, resources, talent, or influence. The world builds its security upon visible walls—wealth, reputation, human alliances, and personal ability—but wisdom sees beyond these illusions and operates with the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of knowledge. Wisdom enables a believer to discern spiritual strongholds, to break destructive patterns, to navigate conflict, and to dismantle the enemy’s subtle fortresses of pride, deceit, and temptation. What seems impossible to human effort becomes attainable through godly insight and obedience.

‘He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.’ Proverbs 21:21 Proverbs 21:21 gives a simple but profound picture of pursuit. Life does not drift toward godliness by accident; it moves in the direction of whatever it follows. To “follow after” righteousness and mercy means to chase them deliberately, to consider them worthy enough to shape decisions, attitudes, and relationships. God promises that those who pursue such a path will not merely find moral improvement but will discover life itself—life in its fullness, righteousness in its divine approval, and honor that comes not from man but from God. Scripture echoes this pattern of pursuit. Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Hunger implies desperation, not casual interest. Paul urges believers in 1 Timothy 6:11, “follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness,” showing that following righteousness is a continual chase, not a one-time decision. Hosea 6:6 reveals God’s heart: “I desired mercy, and not sacrifice.” Pursuing righteousness without mercy becomes cold religion; pursuing mercy without righteousness becomes empty sentiment. The Lord requires both, woven together in a life shaped by His character. Practically, Proverbs 21:21 confronts us with a question: What are we following after? Not what do we claim to value, but what does our daily pursuit reveal? When we chase possessions, approval, or pleasure, we cannot expect to find the life and honor that only God gives. But when we choose righteousness in secret places, when we extend mercy in difficult situations, when we allow God to shape our reactions rather than our impulses, we step into the path where His blessings naturally meet us. This verse reminds us that God does not reward spiritual passivity—He honors pursuit. And the one who follows after righteousness and mercy will find that the God they pursue is already running toward them with life, approval, and honor beyond anything the world can offer.