New International Version
Proverbs 14:10
10Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else 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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy.
Context of Proverbs 14:10
8The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception. 9Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright. Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy. 11The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. 12There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to 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 happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.
- Proverbs 18:14The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?
- 1 Samuel 1:10In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.
- 2 Kings 4:27When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.”
- Job 6:2“If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales!
- Job 7:11“Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
- Job 9:18He would not let me catch my breath but would overwhelm me with misery.
- Job 10:1“I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.
- Ezekiel 3:14The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord on me.
- Mark 14:33He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.
- John 12:27“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
- Genesis 42:21They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come on us.”
- Psalms 25:14The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.
- John 14:18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
- Philippians 4:7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
- 1 Peter 1:8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
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
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