Proverbs 21:30 kjv
There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.
Proverbs 21:30 nkjv
There is no wisdom or understanding Or counsel against the LORD.
Proverbs 21:30 niv
There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.
Proverbs 21:30 esv
No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD.
Proverbs 21:30 nlt
No human wisdom or understanding or plan
can stand against the LORD.
Proverbs 21 30 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 46:10 | "Declaring the end from the beginning... saying, ‘My counsel shall stand...’" | God's counsel stands; His purposes cannot be thwarted. |
| Psa 33:10-11 | "The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing... But the counsel of the LORD stands forever..." | God overturns human plans, His plans are eternal. |
| Job 42:2 | "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted." | Affirmation of God's irresistible sovereignty. |
| Dan 4:35 | "...He does according to His will... None can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’" | God's absolute authority over all things. |
| Lam 3:37 | "Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, when the Lord has not commanded it?" | Only what God ordains truly comes to pass. |
| Gen 11:7-8 | "Come, let us go down and confuse their language... so they stopped building the city." | God foils rebellious human plans at Babel. |
| 1 Cor 1:20 | "Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" | God discredits worldly wisdom. |
| Rom 11:33-36 | "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments..." | God's wisdom is beyond human comprehension. |
| Psa 2:4 | "He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision." | God mocks human schemes against Him. |
| Psa 76:10 | "Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; with the remainder of wrath You will gird Yourself." | Even human malice is subservient to God's plan. |
| Jer 10:23 | "O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps." | Human inability to fully control one's own destiny. |
| Psa 14:1 | "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" | Link between human folly and rejection of God. |
| Isa 55:8-9 | "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the LORD." | God's superiority in thought and action. |
| Rom 16:27 | "to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever." | God is the source of all true wisdom. |
| 1 Tim 1:17 | "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor..." | Ascription of unique wisdom to God. |
| Jam 1:5 | "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God..." | God is the source of wisdom given freely. |
| Acts 5:38-39 | "...if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them." | Divine origin determines success; human plans will fail if against God. |
| Exod 14:4 | "And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them..." | God sovereignly directs even the plans of opponents. |
| 2 Sam 15:31 | "O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness." | David prays for God to thwart opposing counsel. |
| Neh 4:15 | "And when our enemies heard that we knew of it, and that God had frustrated their plan..." | God frustrates the plans of enemies. |
| Job 5:12 | "He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot carry out their plans." | God prevents human schemes from succeeding. |
| Prov 16:9 | "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." | God directs human steps despite human planning. |
| Prov 19:21 | "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand." | The LORD's purpose is ultimate over human plans. |
Proverbs 21 verses
Proverbs 21 30 Meaning
This verse proclaims the absolute supremacy of God over all human intellectual capacity and strategic planning. No matter how brilliant, discerning, or meticulously planned human wisdom, understanding, or counsel may be, it cannot stand or succeed when it attempts to oppose, override, or defy the purposes of the LORD. God's will is ultimate and cannot be thwarted by human efforts.
Proverbs 21 30 Context
Proverbs 21 is a collection of various short, pithy sayings dealing with a wide range of topics related to righteous living, the fear of the LORD, and the consequences of moral choices. The chapter frequently highlights the stark contrast between the wise and the foolish, the righteous and the wicked, and repeatedly underscores the absolute sovereignty of the LORD in all matters, from the heart of a king (Prov 21:1) to the plans of men. This particular verse, Prov 21:30, reinforces the theme found throughout the chapter and the book of Proverbs: ultimate wisdom and success are found only in alignment with God's will, not in independent human striving or opposition to Him. It serves as a potent reminder within wisdom literature that true wisdom acknowledges and submits to divine authority, not attempting to supersede it.
Proverbs 21 30 Word analysis
- No (אֵין, 'eyn): This Hebrew particle denotes an absolute and emphatic negation. It is not merely "there isn't," but rather "there absolutely is not." It conveys a definitive lack or impossibility, leaving no room for exception or counter-argument.
- wisdom (חָכְמָה, chokmah): Refers to sagacity, skill, cleverness, or practical knowledge. It can encompass intellectual insight, technical proficiency, and prudence in daily affairs. Here, it denotes human wisdom applied to strategizing and managing life's complexities.
- understanding (תְּבוּנָה, tvunah): Often used alongside chokmah, this word refers to discerning insight, intuition, or the ability to grasp the interconnections of things. It's about knowing why things are and the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, true and false. It represents a deeper, more analytical human faculty than mere wisdom.
- counsel (עֵצָה, 'etsah): Signifies advice, deliberation, a plan, purpose, or a predetermined course of action. It represents the active formulation of strategies and objectives based on one's wisdom and understanding.
- against (לְנֶגֶד, l'neged): This preposition indicates opposition, being in front of, or in direct confrontation with something. It clearly points to an adversarial posture or an attempt to go contrary to the divine will. It’s not just in the presence of, but in opposition to.
- the LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal, covenantal name of God, revealing His self-existent and immutable nature. It speaks of His absolute sovereignty, faithfulness, and power. The use of YHWH emphasizes that it is the one true God whose will cannot be circumvented.
- Words-group analysis: The trinity of human cognitive and volitional faculties – "wisdom, understanding, and counsel" – represents the entirety of human intellectual prowess and strategic planning. By enumerating all three, the proverb stresses that every conceivable human mental effort, no matter how clever (chokmah), insightful (tvunah), or meticulously planned ('etsah), is utterly inadequate and doomed to fail when it stands in opposition to or independent of the ultimate divine will and purpose of the LORD. It's a comprehensive rejection of human self-sufficiency in determining ultimate outcomes.
Proverbs 21 30 Bonus section
This proverb indirectly encourages prayer and seeking God's will in all human endeavors. It is not an advocation for passivity, but for an active pursuit of God's wisdom and a reliance on His divine purposes rather than human ingenuity alone. The implied opposite is that wisdom, understanding, and counsel that align with the LORD's will can indeed be successful and blessed. The verse emphasizes that ultimate authority and efficacy rest solely with the LORD, promoting a reverent fear of Him as the beginning of true wisdom. It also serves as a polemic against any belief in fate, chance, or the supreme power of human intelligence divorced from divine will, asserting that YHWH is the singular arbiter of all ultimate outcomes.
Proverbs 21 30 Commentary
Proverbs 21:30 is a powerful affirmation of divine sovereignty and a stark warning against human arrogance. It underscores that while humans are gifted with intellect, discernment, and the ability to plan, these capacities become futile when they are deployed in opposition to or even independently of the Almighty LORD's overarching will. God's wisdom, understanding, and counsel are infinitely superior and unassailable. Human endeavors, no matter how brilliantly conceived or strategically executed, ultimately stand or fall based on their alignment with God's perfect plan. This verse invites humility, encouraging humanity to seek wisdom and guidance from God, recognizing that true success is found in submitting to His authority rather than attempting to outmaneuver it. For example, a national government planning policies against God's moral law will eventually see its schemes fail, or an individual striving to build their life purely on their own talents without acknowledging divine providence will find their efforts ultimately unproductive.