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Tuesday, July 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Myles Coverdale Bible

Proverbs 15:13

A mery herte maketh a chearfull countenaunce, but an vnquyet mynde maketh it heuy.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Contentment;   Countenance;   Heart;   Thompson Chain Reference - Cheerfulness;   Cheerfulness-Despondency;   Joy-Sorrow;   Social Duties;   Sorrow;   The Topic Concordance - Countenance;   Heart;   Sorrow;   Spirit/souls;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Spirit;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Disease;   Heart;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Nehemiah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Countenance;   Face;   Proverbs, Book of;   Spirit;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Broken;   Countenance;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Cheer;   Countenance;   Spirit;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
A joyful heart makes a face cheerful,but a sad heart produces a broken spirit.
Hebrew Names Version
A glad heart makes a cheerful face; But an aching heart breaks the spirit.
King James Version
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
English Standard Version
A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.
New American Standard Bible
A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.
New Century Version
Happiness makes a person smile, but sadness can break a person's spirit.
Amplified Bible
A heart full of joy and goodness makes a cheerful face, But when a heart is full of sadness the spirit is crushed.
World English Bible
A glad heart makes a cheerful face; But an aching heart breaks the spirit.
Geneva Bible (1587)
A ioyfull heart maketh a chearefull countenance: but by the sorow of the heart the minde is heauie.
Legacy Standard Bible
A glad heart makes a face look good,But when the heart is pained, the spirit is broken.
Berean Standard Bible
A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance, but sorrow of the heart crushes the spirit.
Contemporary English Version
Happiness makes you smile; sorrow can crush you.
Complete Jewish Bible
A glad heart makes a face happy, but heartache breaks the spirit.
Darby Translation
A joyful heart maketh a cheerful countenance; but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
Easy-to-Read Version
If you are happy, your face shows it. If you are sad, your spirit feels defeated.
George Lamsa Translation
A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance; but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
Good News Translation
When people are happy, they smile, but when they are sad, they look depressed.
Lexham English Bible
A heart of gladness will make good countenance, but in sorrow of heart a spirit is broken.
Literal Translation
A joyful heart makes a good face, but by grief of heart the spirit is stricken.
American Standard Version
A glad heart maketh a cheerful countenance; But by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
Bible in Basic English
A glad heart makes a shining face, but by the sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance; but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
King James Version (1611)
A merry heart maketh a cheerefull countenance: but by sorrow of the heart, the spirit is broken.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
A mery heart maketh a chearfull countenaunce: but by the sorowe of the heart the mynde is heauy.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
When the heart rejoices the countenance is cheerful; but when it is in sorrow, the countenance is sad.
English Revised Version
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A ioiful herte makith glad the face; the spirit is cast doun in the morenyng of soule.
Update Bible Version
A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance; But by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
Webster's Bible Translation
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
New English Translation
A joyful heart makes the face cheerful, but by a painful heart the spirit is broken.
New King James Version
A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
New Living Translation
A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit.
New Life Bible
A glad heart makes a happy face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.
New Revised Standard
A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
A joyful heart, maketh a pleasing countenance, - but, in sorrow of heart, is a stricken spirit.
Douay-Rheims Bible
A glad heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by grief of mind the spirit is cast down.
Revised Standard Version
A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
Young's Literal Translation
A joyful heart maketh glad the face, And by grief of heart is the spirit smitten.
THE MESSAGE
A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.

Contextual Overview

13 A mery herte maketh a chearfull countenaunce, but an vnquyet mynde maketh it heuy.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

merry: Proverbs 15:15, Proverbs 17:22, 2 Corinthians 1:12

by: Proverbs 12:25, Proverbs 18:14, Nehemiah 2:2, John 14:1, 2 Corinthians 2:7, 2 Corinthians 7:10

Reciprocal: Psalms 13:2 - sorrow Proverbs 14:10 - heart

Cross-References

Genesis 15:1
It happened after these actes, yt the worde of ye LORDE came vnto Abra in a vysion, and sayde: Feare not Abram, I am thy shylde and thy exceadinge greate rewarde.
Genesis 15:2
But Abram sayde: LORDE LORDE, what wilt thou geue me? I go childles, and the seruaunt of my house (this Eleasar of Damascos) hath a sonne.
Genesis 15:6
Abram beleued the LORDE, and yt was counted vnto him for righteousnes.
Genesis 15:7
And he sayde vnto him: I am ye LORDE, yt brought the from Vr out of Chaldea, to geue ye this londe to possesse it.
Genesis 15:8
But Abram sayde: LORDE LORDE, Wherby shall I knowe, that I shall possesse it?
Genesis 15:11
And the foules fell vpo the flesh, but Abram droue them awaye.
Genesis 15:12
Now whan the Sonne beganne to go downe, there fell an heuy slepe vpo Abram. And lo, feare and greate darcknes fell vpon him.
Genesis 15:13
And he sayde vnto Abram: knowe this of a suertye, that thy sede shalbe a strauger, in a londe that is not theirs. And they shall make bonde men of them, and intreate them euell foure hundreth yeares.
Genesis 17:8
And vnto the and to thy sede after the, will I geue the lande, wherin thou art a straunger: euen all the lande of Canaan for an euerlastinge possession, and will be their God.
Exodus 1:11
And he set worke masters ouer them, to kepe them vnder with burthens. (For they buylded the cities Phiton and Raemses, for treasuries vnto Pharao.)

Gill's Notes on the Bible

A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance,.... Or, a "joyful heart" c; that is joyful in the God of its salvation; that rejoices in Christ Jesus; is filled with joy and peace through believing in him, in his person, blood, righteousness, and sacrifice; that has a comfortable view of his justification by his righteousness, of peace and pardon by his blood, of the atonement of his sins by his sacrifice; to whom he has said, "be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee", Matthew 9:2; who has peace in him, though tribulation in the world: as such a man's heart must be made glad, this will make his countenance cheerful, or cause him to lift up his head with joy; as it is in natural things, so it is in spiritual ones;

but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken; a man is dejected, his spirits sink, and it is seen in his countenance: there is a great sympathy between the body and mind, the one is much affected by the other; when the heart is full of sorrow, the animal spirits are low, the nerves are loosened, the whole frame, of nature is enfeebled, and the body emaciated; this is often the case through outward troubles d: physicians say e that grief weakens the strength, and destroys the spirits, more than labour does. "The sorrow of the world worketh death", 2 Corinthians 7:10; and sometimes, through spiritual troubles, a sense of sin and guilt of it, a legal sorrow, which produces a legal contrition of spirit; and such "a wounded spirit who can bear?"

Proverbs 18:14. This is the effect of a mere work of the law upon the conscience; and stands opposed to the spiritual joy, and the effects of it, the Gospel brings.

c לב שמח "cor gaudens", V. L. Baynus. d "Frangit fortia corda dolor", Tibullus, l. 3. Eleg. 2. v. 6. e Fernel. Method. Medendi, l. 7. c. 9. p. 54.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Some prefer to render the last clause, “In sorrow of heart the breath is oppressed.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 15:13. By sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. — Every kind of sorrow worketh death, but that which is the offspring of true repentance. This alone is healthful to the soul. The indulgence of a disposition to sighing tends to destroy life. Every deep sigh throws off a portion of the vital energy.


 
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