Proverbs 21:1 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord— The author of the Observations informs us, that in Judea their watering canals are artificially divided into several small streams, which render the country exceedingly fruitful. To these canals, and the fertility produced by them, says he, I imagine Solomon refers in this verse, The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; as the rivers of water, or as watering canals; he turneth it whithersoever he will. Commentators suppose, that this marks out the power of the great Lord of lords over the hearts of princes. It does so, undoubtedly; but, though they have given us the thought in general, I do not remember to have met with any who have given us the energy of it, which seems to be this: "Which way soever the heart of the king turneth, it conveys riches, just as a watering-canal doth plenty; and let it be remembered, that the Lord turns it whithersoever he will, and makes whom he pleases the favourites of princes." Northern readers have often, I dare say, wondered in themselves, that the divine energy upon the minds of men, which is apparently intended by the words, should be represented by man's turning a stream of water whither he pleases, which appears to him a work of difficulty; such difficulty, that it is not often attempted in this country. He therefore is apt to be surprized that some allusion, conveying the idea of greater ease, was not made use of. However, to an oriental imagination, the metaphor will appear strong, but in all respects just, as conveying the thought of that ease with which the power of God operates on the hearts of princes, and of the enriching effects of royal favour (which is elsewhere compared to a cloud of the latter rain); adding further prosperity to those who are in affluent circumstances, and setting beggars among princes; just like those canals which are so common in these countries, which add very much to the fertility of a rich soil, and sometimes turn a desart into a paradise. Thus the province of Faoume, or Fioum, the richest in all Egypt, owes all its fertility, according to Maillet, to a canal made by art in very ancient times, and would without it have been absolutely barren, as the want of keeping this canal with sufficient care has very much injured it.