God’s Word Translation
Proverbs 14:10
10The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger can share its joy.
Proverbs 14:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.
- New International Version (NIV)Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy.
Context of Proverbs 14:10
8The wisdom of a sensible person guides his way of life, but the stupidity of fools misleads them. 9Stubborn fools make fun of guilt, but there is forgiveness among decent people. The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger can share its joy. 11The houses of wicked people will be destroyed, but the tents of decent people will continue to expand. 12There is a way that seems right to a person, but eventually it ends in death.
Read all of Proverbs 14Proverbs 14:10 word by word
לֵ֗ב י֭וֹדֵעַ מָרַּ֣ת נַפְשׁ֑וֹ וּ֝בְשִׂמְחָת֗וֹ לֹא־יִתְעָ֥רַב זָֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 14:10
- Proverbs 15:13A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but with a heartache comes depression.
- Proverbs 18:14A person’s spirit can endure sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit?
- 1 Samuel 1:10Though she was resentful, she prayed to the Lord while she cried.
- 2 Kings 4:27When she came to the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi went to push her away. But the man of God said, “Leave her alone. She is bitter. The Lord has hidden the reason from me. He hasn’t told me.”
- Job 6:2“If only my grief could be weighed, if only my misery could be laid on the scales with it,
- Job 7:11So I won’t keep my mouth shut, but I will speak from the distress that is in my spirit and complain about the bitterness in my soul.
- Job 9:18He would not let me catch my breath. He fills me with bitterness.
- Job 10:1“I hate my life. I will freely express my complaint. I will speak as bitterly as I feel.
- Ezekiel 3:14Then the Spirit lifted me and took me away. I went away feeling bitter and angry. The strong power of the Lord came over me.
- Mark 14:33He took Peter, James, and John with him and began to feel distressed and anguished.
- John 12:27“I am too deeply troubled now to know how to express my feelings. Should I say, ‘Father, save me from this time ⌞of suffering⌟’? No! I came for this time of suffering.
- Genesis 42:21They said to each other, “We’re surely being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw how troubled he was when he pleaded with us for mercy, but we wouldn’t listen. That’s why we’re in trouble now.”
- Psalms 25:14The Lord advises those who fear him. He reveals to them the intent of his promise.
- John 14:18“I will not leave you all alone. I will come back to you.
- Philippians 4:7Then God’s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus.
- 1 Peter 1:8Although you have never seen Christ, you love him. You don’t see him now, but you believe in him. You are extremely happy with joy and praise that can hardly be expressed in words
Commentaries on Proverbs 14:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10The heart knoweth his own bitterness - נפשו מרת morrath naphsho, "The bitterness of its soul." Under spiritual sorrow, the heart feels, the soul feels; all the animal nature feels and suffers. But when the peace of God is spoken to the troubled soul, the joy is indescribable; the whole man partakes of it. And a stranger to these religious feelings, to the travail of the soul, and to the witness of the Spirit, does not intermeddle with them; he does not…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10A striking expression of the ultimate solitude of each man‘s soul at all times, and not merely at the hour of death. Something there is in every sorrow, and in every joy, which no one else can share. Beyond that range it is well to remember that there is a Divine Sympathy, uniting perfect knowledge and perfect love.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10Verse 10 We do not know what stings of conscience, or consuming passions, torment the prosperous sinner. Nor does the world know the peace of mind a serious Christian enjoys, even in poverty and sickness.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10No one can completely understand another person's emotions (compare Psalm 103:14; Isaiah 63:9; Nahum 1:7; Romans 8:27). Bitterness and joy are opposites in emotions. This poetic device, called merism, refers to these extremes to cover all emotions in between.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. Each one best knows his own sorrows or joys.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 14:10
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 14
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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