Proverbs 21:21

He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(21) 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 live more and more uprightly, and present honour from God and man for so doing. In a higher sense he will gain life eternal now and hereafter (John 17:3), righteousness, or the forgiveness of sins (Romans 2:13), and honour (Romans 8:30) at the last day, when he will be acknowledged as a true son of God (Romans 8:19).

Benson Commentary

Proverbs 21:21. 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 eternal life; righteousness — What is right and due to him, either from God, by virtue of his gracious promise, or from men, whose hearts God will incline to deal justly and kindly with him; and honour — Esteem and respect from wise and good men here, and the crown of righteousness, that fadeth not away, hereafter.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

21:9. It is best to shun bitter contention by pouring out the heart before God. For by prudence and patience, with constant prayer, the cross may be removed. 10. The evil desires of a wicked man's heart, lead to baseness in his conduct. 11. The simple may be made wise by punishments on the wicked, and by instructions to those who are willing to be taught. 12. Good men envy not the prosperity of evil-doers; they see there is a curse on them. 13. Such as oppress the poor by beating down wages, such as will not relieve according to their ability those in distress, and those in authority who neglect to do justice, stop their ears at the cry of the poor. But doubtless care is to be used in the exercise of charity. 14. If money can conquer the fury of the passions, shall reason, the fear of God, and the command of Christ, be too weak to bridle them? 15. There is true pleasure only in the practice of religion. 16. Of all wanderers in the ways of sin, those are in the most dangerous condition who turn aside into the ways of darkness. Yet there is hope even for them in the all-sufficient Saviour; but let them flee to him without delay. 17. A life of worldly pleasure brings ruin on men. 18. The righteous is often delivered out of trouble, and the wicked comes in his stead, and so seems as a ransom for him. 19. Unbridled passions spoil the comfort of all relations. 20. The plenty obtained by prudence, industry, and frugality, is desirable. But the foolish misspend what they have upon their lusts. 21. True repentance and faith will lead him that relies on the mercy of God in Christ, to follow after righteousness and mercy in his own conduct. 22. Those that have wisdom, often do great things, even against those confident of their strength. 23. It is our great concern to keep our souls from being entangled and disquieted. 24. Pride and haughtiness make men passionate; such continually deal in wrath, as if it were their trade to be angry. 25,26. Here is the misery of the slothful; their hands refuse to labour in an honest calling, by which they might get an honest livelihood; yet their hearts cease not to covet riches, pleasures, and honours, which cannot be obtained without labour. But the righteous and industrious have their desires satisfied. 27. When holiness is pretended, but wickedness intended, that especially is an abomination. 28. The doom of a false witness is certain. 29. A wicked man bids defiance to the terrors of the law and the rebukes of Providence. But a good man asks, What does God require of me? 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

21. He who tries to act justly and kindly (Ps 34:14) will prosper and obtain justice and honor.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

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.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire 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, but did not attain to; because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law, Romans 9:31; by which there is no righteousness or justification before God; but an evangelical righteousness, the righteousness of Christ; see Isaiah 51:1. To follow after it is to seek, desire, and thirst after it, Matthew 5:6; which supposes a want of righteousness, a sense of that want; a view of a righteousness without them, even in Christ; a love and liking of it, and therefore follow after it; it being pure, perfect, agreeably to the law and justice of God, which justifies now, and will answer for them in a time to come. And such follow after "mercy" or "grace" (g); seeing themselves miserable by sin, and having no merit of their own, apply to God for pardoning grace and mercy; and seek for righteousness in a way of grace, as a free gift; and for the whole of salvation in the same way, as well as for all grace and fresh supplies of it: it may be understood, in consequence of the former, of a diligent and eager performance of works of righteousness and mercy, and an earnest desire after both. And such a man

findeth life, righteousness, and honour; which is more than he is said to follow after: "life" spiritual, which he has from Christ by his Spirit, and which is owing to the grace and mercy of God; and eternal life, through the righteousness of Christ, in whom it is only to be found, and from whom all the blessings of life come; who has it in his hands to give, and does give it to all his people: "righteousness" also he finds, not in himself, nor by the works of the law, but in Christ; being directed to him by the Spirit and word of God; and an excellent finding this is; a robe of righteousness, which he lays hold upon, puts on, and rejoices in: and likewise "honour", through relation to God and Christ; through grace received from them; by enjoying the presence of them, and being made a king and priest to God; and hereafter will be placed at Christ's right hand, inherit the kingdom of glory, sit on the same throne with Christ, and wear the crown of life and righteousness.

(g) "gratiam", Cocceius.

Geneva Study Bible

He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

21. 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 “righteousness and mercy” will end in the acquisition of “life, righteousness and honour.” But the proverb seems also to insist upon aiming at a perfect character in the pursuit of moral excellence. Not only should the sterner virtues, represented by righteousness, be cultivated, but their gentler fellows, which are summed up in “mercy.” They who “hunger and thirst after righteousness” should also be “the merciful” (Matthew 5:6-7). So shall the reward attained be that which was sought for, righteousness (used here perhaps in its widest sense of moral perfection, including mercy, the “righteous man” and the “good man” being one and the same person, Romans 5:7), and with it in rich companionship life and honour, which were not objects of direct pursuit.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 21. - He that followeth after righteousness and mercy. "Righteousness" (tsedakah), in the first hemistich, signifies the virtue which renders to all, God and man, their due, which is the characteristic of the righteous man (see on Proverbs 15:9). "Mercy" (chesed) is the conduct towards others, animated by love and sympathy (see note on Proverbs 3:3). Findeth life, righteoushess, and honor. "Righteousness" here is the gift of God to his faithful servants, grace to live a holy life. This becomes habit, and forms the righteous character (Job 29:14; Job 33:26). "Life" is a long and prosperous life in the world (Proverbs 3:16); "honour" is respect and reverence among fellow men, and glory in another world. "Whom he justified, them he also glorified" (Romans 8:80). "Life and honour" stand together in Proverbs 22:4. "The fear of the Lord," says Siracides, "is honour, and glory, and gladness, and a crown of rejoicing... maketh a merry heart... and giveth long life "(Ecclus. 1:11, etc.). The LXX. omits the second "righteousness" by mistake: "The way of righteousness and mercy will find life and glory" (Matthew 6:33). Proverbs 21:21

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

21 He that followeth after righteousness and kindness

     Will obtain life, righteousness, and honour.

How we are to render צדקה וחסד is seen from the connection of Proverbs 21:3 and Hosea 6:7 : tsedakah is conduct proceeding from the principle of self-denying and compassionate love, which is the essence of the law, Micah 6:8; and hesed is conduct proceeding from sympathy, which, placing itself in the room of another, perceives what will benefit him, and sets about doing it (cf. e.g., Job 6:14 : to him who is inwardly melted disheartened חסד is due from his neighbour). The reward which one who strives thus to act obtains, is designated 21b by חיּים and כּבוד. Honour and life stand together, Proverbs 22:4, when עשׁר precedes, and here צדקה stands between, which, Proverbs 8:18, Psalm 24:5, is thought of as that which is distributed as a gift of heaven, Isaiah 45:8, which has glory in its train, Isaiah 58:8; as Paul also says, "Whom He justified, them He also glorified." The lxx has omitted tsedakah, because it can easily appear as erroneously repeated from 21a. But in reality there are three good things which are promised to those who are zealous in the works of love: a prosperous life, enduring righteousness, true honour. Life as it proceeds from God, the Living One, righteousness as it avails the righteous and those doing righteously before God, honour or glory (Psalm 29:3) as it is given (Psalm 84:12) by the God of glory. Cf. with חיים צדקה, Proverbs 10:2, and with צדקה, especially James 2:13, κατακαυχᾶται ἔλεος κρίσεως.