The theme that runs through the last two verses of chapter 21, and that began in the first two verses, is that there is no human plan or wisdom that can succeed against the Lord and there is no success in human affairs without the Lord. Verse 30 is a single sentence, and the way the lines are arranged in Revised Standard Version and other more literal English versions does not match the Hebrew arrangement, which has “no counsel” in the second line.

“No wisdom, no understanding”: “Wisdom”, which is a keyword in Proverbs, is used here in a sense that is unusual in the book. Here it is “the arrogant claim of secular wisdom” (Scott). Good News Translation makes this clear with “human wisdom.” “Understanding” and the term “counsel” that follows are both very close in meaning to “wisdom”. “Understanding”, as in 2.2, has the sense of “being intelligent” or “being able to discern.”

“No counsel, can avail against the Lord“: “Counsel” means something like “the ability to advise.” The last part of the verse in Hebrew is simply “in front of the Lord”; and many versions render this like Revised Standard Version “can avail against the Lord” or “can succeed against the Lord” (New International Version). But it can also be expressed as “is worth anything before Yahweh” (New Jerusalem Bible) or “are of no help if the Lord is against you” (Good News Translation).

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .