EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Proverbs 11:17
17A faithful person helps himself with good things, but a cruel person brings trouble on himself.
Proverbs 11:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.
- New International Version (NIV)Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.
- English Standard Version (ESV)A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The merciful man does good for his own soul, But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.
Context of Proverbs 11:17
15If you promise to pay a stranger's debt, you will be sorry. You will be safe if you do not agree to do that. 16A kind woman receives honour, but cruel men only get riches for themselves. A faithful person helps himself with good things, but a cruel person brings trouble on himself. 18A wicked person gets riches that soon disappear. But someone who lives in a good way will surely receive good things. 19If someone continues to do what is right, he will live. But if someone loves to do evil things, he will die.
Read all of Proverbs 11Proverbs 11:17 word by word
גֹּמֵ֣ל נַ֭פְשׁוֹ אִ֣ישׁ חָ֑סֶד וְעֹכֵ֥ר שְׁ֝אֵר֗וֹ אַכְזָרִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 11:17
- Psalms 41:1If someone is kind to poor people, God blesses him. When he is in trouble, the Lord rescues him.
- Psalms 112:4God's light shines on those who serve him, even when they are in a dark place. God blesses those who are kind to others, and who do what is right and fair.
- Isaiah 32:7Cruel people do evil things to deceive others. They think of ways that they can cheat their friends. They tell lies to give trouble to poor people. So poor people do not receive the justice that they deserve.
- Isaiah 57:1When somebody who worships God dies, nobody else may think much about it. An honest person may suddenly die. Nobody really understands what is happening. God takes away his servants, so that evil things will not hurt them any more.
- Isaiah 58:7Instead, share your food with hungry people. Give a place in your home to poor people who have no home. Give clothes to people who have nothing to wear. If people in your own family need help, do not refuse to help them.
- Daniel 4:27So King Nebuchadnezzar, please do as I suggest. Stop doing bad things. Start to do things that are right. Turn away from your sins. Instead, be kind to poor people. Then, perhaps, you will continue to be comfortable and happy.’
- Matthew 5:7Happy are the people who help other people and who forgive them. God will forgive people like that.
- Matthew 6:14Then Jesus said, ‘When other people do wrong things against you, you must forgive them. Then God, your Father in heaven, will also forgive you for the wrong things that you have done.
- Matthew 25:34The king will say to those people who are on his right side, “Come here. My Father has been good to you. He has prepared a place for you in his kingdom. That kingdom has been ready for you since the time that God made the world.
- Luke 6:38Give to other people and God will give to you. He will give to you even more than you gave. He will fill your pocket until no more will go in. It will be so full that it will come out over the top. Think about how you give to other people. God will give in the same way to you.’
- 2 Corinthians 9:6Remember this: If a farmer plants only a few seeds, he will not get much as a result. But if he plants plenty of seeds, he will get a big harvest.
- Philippians 4:17It is not your gifts themselves that I want. But I want you to do good things so that God will bless you in return.
- Proverbs 15:27Anyone who cheats people to become rich will cause trouble for his family. But anyone who refuses to accept bribes will live safely.
- Job 20:19This will happen because he has been cruel to poor people. He has refused to help them. He has taken houses for himself that do not belong to him.
- Ecclesiastes 4:8There are people who live alone. They have no friends, children or brothers. They work hard every day. They want to get more riches for themselves. But they are never happy with the things that they have. They should ask themselves, ‘Why am I working so hard? Am I helping anybody? I am not doing things that make me happy.’ Their work has no purpose. It only brings trouble to their lives.
- James 2:13God will not forgive anyone who has not forgiven other people. But God is kind! He judges us, but even more than that, he forgives us!
Commentaries on Proverbs 11:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17The merciful man doeth good to his own soul - Every gracious disposition is increased while a man is exercised in showing mercy. No man can show an act of disinterested mercy without benefiting his own soul, by improving his moral feeling. But he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh - We seldom see a peevish, fretful, vindictive man either in good health, or good plight of body. I have often heard it observed of such, "He frets his flesh off his bones."Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17Verse 17 A cruel, froward, ill-natured man, is vexatious to those that are, and should be to him as his own flesh, and punishes himself.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. merciful--kind to others; opposed to cruel. Such benefit themselves by doing good to others (compare Pr 24:5), while the cruel injure themselves as well as others. flesh--that is, his body, by penuriousness (Col 2:23).Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 11:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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