New Living Translation
Proverbs 11:17
17Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you.
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
15There’s danger in putting up security for a stranger’s debt; it’s safer not to guarantee another person’s debt. 16A gracious woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth. Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you. 18Evil people get rich for the moment, but the reward of the godly will last. 19Godly people find life; evil people find 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 41:1Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble.
- Psalms 112:4Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.
- Isaiah 32:7The smooth tricks of scoundrels are evil. They plot crooked schemes. They lie to convict the poor, even when the cause of the poor is just.
- Isaiah 57:1Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come.
- Isaiah 58:7Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
- Daniel 4:27“‘King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.’
- Matthew 5:7God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
- Matthew 6:14“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
- Matthew 25:34“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.
- Luke 6:38Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:6Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.
- Philippians 4:17I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.
- Proverbs 15:27Greed brings grief to the whole family, but those who hate bribes will live.
- Job 20:19For they oppressed the poor and left them destitute. They foreclosed on their homes.
- Ecclesiastes 4:8This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.
- James 2:13There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries