Proverbs 17:22
New International Version
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

New Living Translation
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.

English Standard Version
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Berean Standard Bible
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

King James Bible
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

New King James Version
A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.

New American Standard Bible
A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.

NASB 1995
A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.

NASB 1977
A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Legacy Standard Bible
A glad heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Amplified Bible
A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Christian Standard Bible
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

American Standard Version
A cheerful heart is a good medicine; But a broken spirit drieth up the bones.

Contemporary English Version
If you are cheerful, you feel good; if you are sad, you hurt all over.

English Revised Version
A merry heart is a good medicine: but a broken spirit drieth up the bones.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
A joyful heart is good medicine, but depression drains one's strength.

Good News Translation
Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time.

International Standard Version
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit drains one's strength.

Majority Standard Bible
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

NET Bible
A cheerful heart brings good healing, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

New Heart English Bible
A cheerful heart makes good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Webster's Bible Translation
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

World English Bible
A cheerful heart makes good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
A rejoicing heart does good to the body, "" And a struck spirit dries the bone.

Young's Literal Translation
A rejoicing heart doth good to the body, And a smitten spirit drieth the bone.

Smith's Literal Translation
A joyful heart shall make good healing: and a dejected spirit shall dry up the bones.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
A joyful mind maketh age flourishing: a sorrowful spirit drieth up the bones.

Catholic Public Domain Version
A joyful soul makes a lifetime flourish. A gloomy spirit dries out the bones.

New American Bible
A joyful heart is the health of the body, but a depressed spirit dries up the bones.

New Revised Standard Version
A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
A merry heart makes the body healthy; but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
A merry heart improves the body and a depressed spirit dries the bones.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
A merry heart is a good medicine; But a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
A glad heart promotes health; but the bones of a sorrowful man dry up.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Better a Dry Morsel in Quietness
21A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy. 22A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. 23A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.…

Cross References
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! / Let your gentleness be apparent to all. The Lord is near. / Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ...

Nehemiah 8:10
Then Nehemiah told them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send out portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

James 5:13-16
Is any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. / Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. / And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. ...

Psalm 32:1-2
Of David. A Maskil. Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. / Blessed is the man whose iniquity the LORD does not count against him, in whose spirit there is no deceit.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice at all times. / Pray without ceasing. / Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 51:8-12
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. / Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. / Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. ...

Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 61:1-3
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners, / to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn, / to console the mourners in Zion—to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, / 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.

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

Matthew 5:12
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.

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

John 16:22-24
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. / In that day you will no longer ask Me anything. Truly, truly, I tell you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. / Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

Psalm 103:1-5
Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul; all that is within me, bless His holy name. / Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds— / He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases, ...

1 Peter 1:8-9
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy, / now that you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.


Treasury of Scripture

A merry heart does good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones.

merry

Proverbs 12:25
Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.

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?

like a medicine

Psalm 22:15
My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

Psalm 32:3,4
When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long…

Psalm 102:3-5
For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth…

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Body Bone Bones Broken Cheerful Crushed Downcast Dries Drieth Dry Glad Good Healing Healthy Heart Joyful Makes Medicine Merry Rejoicing Smitten Spirit
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Proverbs 17
1. Contrasts between the Righteous and the Wicked














A joyful heart
The phrase "a joyful heart" in Proverbs 17:22 emphasizes the importance of inner joy and contentment. The Hebrew word for "joyful" is "שָׂמֵחַ" (sameach), which conveys a sense of gladness and delight. In the biblical context, joy is often associated with a deep-seated sense of well-being that comes from a relationship with God. Historically, joy was seen as a gift from God, a fruit of the Spirit, and a sign of His presence. A joyful heart is not merely about external happiness but an internal state of being that reflects trust and faith in God's goodness and sovereignty.

is good medicine
The phrase "is good medicine" suggests that joy has a healing effect on the body and soul. The Hebrew word for "medicine" is "גֵּהָה" (gehah), which can also mean a cure or healing. This implies that joy and a positive outlook can contribute to physical health and emotional well-being. In ancient times, the connection between emotional and physical health was recognized, and this proverb highlights the holistic nature of well-being. From a scriptural perspective, joy is seen as a divine remedy that can uplift the spirit and promote healing, much like a balm that soothes and restores.

but a broken spirit
The phrase "but a broken spirit" contrasts the effects of joy with the consequences of a downcast or crushed spirit. The Hebrew word for "broken" is "נְכֵאָה" (neke'ah), which implies being stricken, wounded, or afflicted. A broken spirit refers to a state of despair, hopelessness, or deep sorrow. In the biblical narrative, a broken spirit is often associated with sin, guilt, or separation from God. It reflects a condition where one's inner vitality is diminished, leading to spiritual and emotional distress. This phrase serves as a warning about the dangers of allowing negative emotions to dominate one's life.

dries up the bones
The phrase "dries up the bones" vividly illustrates the detrimental effects of a broken spirit on one's physical health. The Hebrew word for "dries up" is "יְבַשׁ" (yevash), which means to wither or become parched. "Bones" in Hebrew, "עֲצָמוֹת" (atzamot), symbolize strength and vitality. Thus, this phrase suggests that a broken spirit can sap one's strength and lead to physical deterioration. In ancient times, bones were considered the core of one's physical being, and their drying up symbolized a loss of life force. This imagery underscores the profound impact that emotional and spiritual states can have on physical health, reinforcing the need for a joyful heart as a source of life and vitality.

(22) A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.--Or rather, Makes good a recovery., (For the duty of religious gladness, in gratitude for the love of God towards us, comp. Philippians 3:1; Philippians 4:4.)

Verse 22. - A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. So Aben Ezra, understanding the particle of comparison, which is not in the Hebrew. The ward translated "medicine" (gehah) occurs nowhere else, and probably means "healing" "relief." The clause is better rendered, a cheerful heart maketh a good healing (comp. Proverbs 15:13; Proverbs 16:25). Vulgate, aetatem floridam facit; Septuagint, εὐεκτεῖν ποιεῖ, "makes one to be in good case." A cheerful, contented disposition enables a men to resist the attacks of disease, the mind, ms every one knows, having most powerful influence over the body. Ecclus. 30:22, "The gladness of the heart is the life of man, and the joyfulness of a man prolongeth his days." A broken spirit drieth the bones; destroys all life and vigour (comp. Proverbs 3:8; Psalm 22:15; Psalm 32:4). We all remember the distich -

"A merry heart goes all the day,
Your sad tires in a mile-a."
So the rabbis enjoin, "Give ears no room in thine heart, for care hath killed many" (Dukes, p. 68). Religious gladness is a positive duty, and "low spirits," as Isaac Williams says, "are a sin." Asks the Greek moralist -

Ἄρ ἐστὶ συγγενές τι λύπη καὶ βίος And Lucretius (3:473) affirms -

"Nam dolor ac morbus leti fabricator uterque est."
"Workers of death are sorrow and disease."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
A joyful
שָׂ֭מֵחַ (mê·aḥ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 8056: Glad, joyful, merry

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

is good
יֵיטִ֣ב (yê·ṭiḇ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3190: To be good, well, glad, or pleasing

medicine,
גֵּהָ֑ה (gê·hāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1456: A healing, cure

but a broken
נְ֝כֵאָ֗ה (nə·ḵê·’āh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 5218: Smitten, afflicted

spirit
וְר֥וּחַ (wə·rū·aḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular
Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit

dries up
תְּיַבֶּשׁ־ (tə·yab·beš-)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3001: To be ashamed, confused, disappointed, to dry up, wither

the bones.
גָּֽרֶם׃ (gā·rem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1634: A bone, self, very


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart makes good medicine (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 17:21
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