God’s Word Translation
Proverbs 11:17
17A merciful person helps himself, but a cruel person hurts 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
15Whoever guarantees a stranger’s loan will get into trouble, but whoever hates the closing of a deal remains secure. 16A gracious woman wins respect, but ruthless men gain riches. A merciful person helps himself, but a cruel person hurts himself. 18A wicked person earns dishonest wages, but whoever spreads righteousness earns honest pay. 19As righteousness leads to life, so whoever pursues evil finds his own death.
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 41:1Blessed is the one who has concern for helpless people. The Lord will rescue him in times of trouble.
- Psalms 112:4Light will shine in the dark for a decent person. He is merciful, compassionate, and fair.
- Isaiah 32:7The tricks of scoundrels are evil. They devise wicked plans in order to ruin poor people with lies, even when needy people plead for justice.
- Isaiah 57:1Righteous people die, and no one cares. Loyal people are taken away, and no one understands. Righteous people are spared when evil comes.
- Isaiah 58:7Share your food with the hungry, take the poor and homeless into your house, and cover them with clothes when you see ⌞them⌟ naked. Don’t refuse to help your relatives.
- Daniel 4:27“That is why, Your Majesty, my best advice is that you stop sinning, and do what is right. Stop committing the same errors, and have pity on the poor. Maybe you can prolong your prosperity.”
- Matthew 5:7Blessed are those who show mercy. They will be treated mercifully.
- Matthew 6:14“If you forgive the failures of others, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
- Matthew 25:34“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, my Father has blessed you! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.
- Luke 6:38Give, and you will receive. A large quantity, pressed together, shaken down, and running over will be put into your pocket. The standards you use for others will be applied to you.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:6Remember this: The farmer who plants a few seeds will have a very small harvest. But the farmer who plants because he has received God’s blessings will receive a harvest of God’s blessings in return.
- Philippians 4:17It’s not that I’m looking for a gift. The opposite is true. I’m looking for your resources to increase.
- Proverbs 15:27Whoever is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble to his family, but whoever hates bribes will live.
- Job 20:19because he crushed and abandoned the poor. He has taken by force a house that he didn’t build.
- Ecclesiastes 4:8There are people who are all alone. They have no children or other family members. So there is no end to all the hard work they have to do. Their eyes are never satisfied with riches. But ⌞they never ask themselves⌟ why they are working so hard and depriving themselves of good things. Even this is pointless and a terrible tragedy.
- James 2:13No mercy will be shown to those who show no mercy to others. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries