SEV Biblia, Chapter 17:22
¶ El corazón alegre hará bien como una medicina; mas el espíritu triste seca los huesos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Proverbs 17:22
Verse 22. A merry heart doeth good like a medicine ] Instead of hhg gehah, a medicine, it appears that the Chaldee and Syriac had read in their copies hwg gevah, the body, as they translate in this way. This makes the apposition here more complete: "A merry heart doeth good to the body; but a broken spirit drieth the bones." Nothing has such a direct tendency to ruin health and waste out life as grief, anxiety, fretfulness, bad tempers, &c. All these work death.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 22. A merry heart doth good [like] a medicine , etc.] Does the body good, makes it healthful and vigorous. Cheerfulness of spirit has a great influence upon the body, and much contributes to the health and welfare of it; (see Ecclesiastes 9:7-9); and especially a heart full of spiritual joy, peace of conscience, flowing from the blood of Christ, joy in the Holy Ghost, a rejoicing in Christ Jesus and his righteousness, and in hope of the glory of God, much affect even the outward man. Or, “a merry heart makes a good medicine” f504 ; it is a good medicine of itself; raises the spirits, invigorates the body, and fits it for service and business: or, “does a medicine good” f505 ; makes that operate kindly, and to a good purpose: or, as Jarchi, makes the countenance shine well, makes a serene countenance; which Schultens approves, and, from the use of the word in the Arabic language, confirms; but a broken spirit drieth the bones ; a spirit broken with sorrow, whether on spiritual or temporal accounts; as it weakens the nerves, it dries up the marrow in the bones, and emaciates the body, and reduces it to a skeleton: the joy or grief of the mind, those passions of the soul, have a very great influence upon the body, either for its good or hurt.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 22 - It is great mercy that God gives us leave to be cheerful, and cause to be cheerful, if by his grace he gives us hearts to be cheerful.
Original Hebrew
לב 3820 שׂמח 8056 ייטב 3190 גהה 1456 ורוח 7307 נכאה 5218 תיבשׁ 3001 גרם׃ 1634
