Proverbs 14:10
New International Version
Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.

New Living Translation
Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy.

English Standard Version
The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy.

Berean Standard Bible
The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares in its joy.

King James Bible
The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.

New King James Version
The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy.

New American Standard Bible
The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy.

NASB 1995
The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy.

NASB 1977
The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy.

Legacy Standard Bible
The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its gladness.

Amplified Bible
The heart knows its own bitterness, And no stranger shares its joy.

Christian Standard Bible
The heart knows its own bitterness, and no outsider shares in its joy.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The heart knows its own bitterness, and no outsider shares in its joy.

American Standard Version
The heart knoweth its own bitterness; And a stranger doth not inter-meddle with its joy.

Contemporary English Version
No one else can really know how sad or happy you are.

English Revised Version
The heart knoweth its own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with its joy.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger can share its joy.

Good News Translation
Your joy is your own; your bitterness is your own. No one can share them with you.

International Standard Version
The heart knows its own bitterness— an outsider cannot share in its joy.

Majority Standard Bible
The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares in its joy.

NET Bible
The heart knows its own bitterness, and with its joy no one else can share.

New Heart English Bible
The heart knows its own bitterness and joy; he will not share these with a stranger.

Webster's Bible Translation
The heart knoweth its own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with its joy.

World English Bible
The heart knows its own bitterness and joy; he will not share these with a stranger.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
The heart knows its own bitterness, "" And a stranger does not interfere with its joy.

Young's Literal Translation
The heart knoweth its own bitterness, And with its joy a stranger doth not intermeddle.

Smith's Literal Translation
The heart will know the bitterness of its soul, and in its joys the stranger shall not mingle.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The heart that knoweth the bitterness of his own soul, in his joy the stranger shall not intermeddle.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The heart that knows the bitterness of its own soul, in its gladness the outsider shall not meddle.

New American Bible
The heart knows its own bitterness, and its joy no stranger shares.

New Revised Standard Version
The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Fools commit sins; but the children of the upright have good will.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Fools commit sins and upright children are willing.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The heart knoweth its own bitterness; And with its joy no stranger can intermeddle.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
If a man's mind is intelligent, his soul is sorrowful; and when he rejoices, he has no fellowship with pride.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Wise Woman
9Fools mock the making of amends, but goodwill is found among the upright. 10The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares in its joy. 11The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.…

Cross References
Psalm 73:21-22
When my heart was grieved and I was pierced within, / I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You.

Job 21:25
Yet another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, having never tasted prosperity.

Ecclesiastes 7:3-4
Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart. / The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

1 Samuel 1:10
In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears.

Lamentations 1:12
Is this nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see! Is there any sorrow like mine, which was inflicted on me, which the LORD made me suffer on the day of His fierce anger?

Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

Psalm 25:16-17
Turn to me and be gracious, for I am lonely and afflicted. / The troubles of my heart increase; free me from my distress.

Psalm 34:18
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.

Psalm 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Romans 12:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.

2 Corinthians 1:4-5
who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. / For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.

John 16:20-22
Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. / A woman has pain in childbirth because her time has come; but when she brings forth her child, she forgets her anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. / So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.


Treasury of Scripture

The heart knows his own bitterness; and a stranger does not intermeddle with his joy.

heart

Proverbs 15:13
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

Proverbs 18:14
The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?

1 Samuel 1:10
And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

his

Genesis 42:21
And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

and

Psalm 25:14
The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

John 14:18,23
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you…

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

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Proverbs 14
1. A wise woman builds her house














The heart
In Hebrew, the word for "heart" is "לֵב" (lev), which often refers to the inner self, encompassing emotions, thoughts, and will. In biblical times, the heart was seen as the center of one's being, the seat of emotions and moral decision-making. This highlights the deeply personal nature of human experience, suggesting that our innermost feelings and struggles are known fully only to ourselves and God. The heart is a sacred space where God meets us, and it is crucial to guard it diligently (Proverbs 4:23).

knows
The Hebrew word "יָדַע" (yada) means to know intimately or experientially. This implies a deep, personal understanding that goes beyond mere intellectual knowledge. It suggests that the heart has an intrinsic awareness of its own emotional state, which is a profound aspect of human self-awareness. This knowledge is not just cognitive but experiential, indicating that our personal experiences shape our understanding of our own emotions.

its own bitterness
"Bitterness" in Hebrew is "מָרָה" (marah), which can refer to sorrow, grief, or a sense of deep-seated pain. This phrase acknowledges the reality of personal suffering and the unique nature of each individual's trials. In a historical context, bitterness often referred to the hardships faced by the Israelites, such as their bondage in Egypt (Exodus 1:14). This suggests that personal struggles are a part of the human condition, yet they are deeply personal and often hidden from others.

and no stranger
The term "stranger" comes from the Hebrew "זָר" (zar), meaning foreigner or outsider. This highlights the idea that those who are not intimately connected to us cannot fully comprehend our inner joys or sorrows. In ancient Israel, strangers were often those outside the covenant community, emphasizing the distinction between those who are close to us and those who are not. This suggests that true understanding and empathy require a close, personal relationship.

shares in its joy
The Hebrew word for "shares" is "עָרַב" (arab), which can mean to be involved or to partake. "Joy" is "שִׂמְחָה" (simchah), referring to gladness or delight. This phrase underscores the personal nature of joy, which, like bitterness, is deeply individual. While others can witness our happiness, they cannot fully partake in the personal joy that comes from our unique experiences and relationship with God. This highlights the intimate relationship between the believer and God, where true joy is found.

(10) The heart knoweth his own bitterness . . .--None Can perfectly sympathise with the sorrows or joys of others, except the ideal Son of Man, who came to "bear our griefs and carry our sorrows" (comp. Hebrews 4:15), yet could join in the marriage feast at Cana.

Verse 10. - The heart knoweth its own bitterness; literally, the heart (leb) knoweth the bitterness of his soul (nephesh). Neither our joys nor our sorrows can be wholly shared with another; no person stands in such intimate relation to us, or can put himself so entirely in our place, as to feel that which we feel. There is many a dark spot, many a grief, of which our best friend knows nothing; the skeleton is locked in the cupboard, and no one has the key but ourselves. But we can turn with confidence to the God-Man, Jesus, who knows our frame, who wept human tears, and bore our sorrows, and was in all points tempted like as we are, and who has taken his human experience with him into heaven. A stranger doth not intermeddle with its joy. The contrast is between the heart's sorrow and its joy; both alike in their entirety are beyond the ken of strangers. St. Gregory remarks on this passage ('Moral.,' 6:23), "The human mind 'knoweth its own soul's bitterness' when, inflamed with aspirations after the eternal land, it learns by weeping the sorrowfulness of its pilgrimage. But 'the stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy,' in that he, that is now a stranger to the grief of compunction, is not then a partaker in the joy of consolation." A homely proverb says, "No one knows where the shoe pinches so well as he that wears it;" and an Italian maxim runs, "Ad ognuno par piu grave la croce sua" - "To every one his own cross seems heaviest." Septuagint, "The heart of man is sensitive (αἰσθητική), his soul is sorrowful; but when it rejoices, it has no intermingling of insolence;" i.e. when a man's mind is sensitive it is easily depressed by grief; but when it is elated by joy, it should receive its pleasure and relief without arrogance and ribaldry.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The heart
לֵ֗ב (lêḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

knows
י֭וֹדֵעַ (yō·w·ḏê·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

its own
נַפְשׁ֑וֹ (nap̄·šōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

bitterness,
מָרַּ֣ת (mār·raṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 4751: Bitter, bitterness, bitterly

and no
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

stranger
זָֽר׃ (zār)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2114: To turn aside, to be a, foreigner, strange, profane, to commit adultery

shares
יִתְעָ֥רַב (yiṯ·‘ā·raḇ)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6148: To braid, intermix, technically, to traffic, give to be security

in its joy.
וּ֝בְשִׂמְחָת֗וֹ (ū·ḇə·śim·ḥā·ṯōw)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8057: Blithesomeness, glee


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 14:10 The heart knows its own bitterness (Prov. Pro Pr)
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