Proverbs 17:22

A joyful soul maketh liking age (or A joyful soul maketh a good life); a sorrowful spirit maketh dry bones.

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

In The King James Version

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

In Context

21A fool is born in his shame; but neither the father shall be glad in a fool. (A fool is born to his parents? shame; and the father shall never be glad, or have joy, over his foolish son.)

23A wicked man taketh gifts from the bosom, to mis-turn the paths of doom. (A wicked person accepeth secret gifts, or bribes, to pervert the course of justice.)

Read all of Proverbs 17

Cross References

Psalms 22:15My virtue dried as a tilestone, and my tongue cleaved to my cheeks; and thou hast brought forth me into the dust of death. (My strength dried up like a tilestone, and my tongue cleaved to my cheeks; and thou hast brought me down into the dust of death.)

Psalms 102:3For my days have failed as smoke; and my bones have dried up as croutons/as cracklings, either (the) leaving (s) of frying. (For my days have vanished like smoke; and my bones have dried up like croutons.)

Proverbs 15:13A joyful heart maketh glad the face; (but) the spirit is cast down in the mourning of (the) soul.

Ecclesiastes 2:2And laughing I areckoned error, and I said to joy, What art thou, deceived in vain? (And I reckoned laughter as but error, and I said to joy, Of what value art thou?)

Romans 5:2By whom we have nigh going to [or access], by faith into this grace, in which we stand, and have glory in the hope of the glory of God’s children.

2 Corinthians 7:10For the sorrow that is after God, worketh penance into steadfast health; but sorrow of the world worketh death. (For the sorrow that is from God, worketh repentance unto certain salvation; but the sorrow of the world worketh death.)

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 17:22

21 He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy. This expresses that very emphatically which many wise and good men feel very sensibly, what a grievous vexatious thing it is to have a foolish wicked child. See here, 1. How uncertain all our creature-comforts are, so that we are often not only disappointed in them, but that proves the greatest cross in which we promised ourselves most satisfaction. There was joy when a man-child was born into the world, and yet, if he prove… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Proverbs 17:22