Proverbs 11:17
WEB
The merciful man does good to his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.
BSB
A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.
KJV
The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H1580
v — treat, benefit, requite, ripen, wean
Derivation: a primitive root;
to treat a person (well or ill), i.e. benefit or requite; by implication (of toil), to ripen, i.e. (specifically) to wean
KJV: bestow on, deal bountifully, do (good), recompense, requite, reward, ripen, serve, mean, yield.
vb — deal fully
גָּמַל vb. 1. deal fully or adequately with, deal out to. 2. wean. 3. ripen
Qal
1.
a. deal out to, do to
b. deal bountifully with
c. recompense, repay, requite
2. wean a child (complete his nursing)
3. trans. ripen, bear ripe (almonds)
Niph. be weaned
H5315
n-f — breathing creature, animal, vitality
Derivation: from 5314;
properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)
KJV: any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, × dead(-ly), desire, × (dis-) contented, × fish, ghost, greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, × jeopardy of) life (× in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, slay, soul, tablet, they, thing, (× she) will, × would have it.
n.f — soul
נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
1. = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being
2. The נפשׁ becomes a living being
3. The נפשׁ is specif.
4. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself
5. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)
6. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions
7. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts
8. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.
9. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.
10. נ׳ in D
H376
n-m — man
Derivation: contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant);
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
KJV: also, another, any (man), a certain, champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), none, one, people, person, steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare 802.
n.m — man
אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)
H2617
n-m — kindness, piety, reproof, beauty
Derivation: from 2616;
kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty
KJV: favour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.
n.m — shame
חֶ֫סֶד n.m. shame, reproach
n.m — goodness
חֶ֫סֶד 247 n.m. goodness, kindness
I. of man:
1. kindness of men toward men, in doing favours and benefits
2. kindness (especially as extended to the lowly, needy and miserable), mercy
3. (rarely) affection of Isr. to י׳, love to God, piety
4. lovely appearance
II. of God: kindness, lovingkindness in condescending to the needs of his creatures.
H5916
v — roil water, disturb, affict
Derivation: a primitive root;
properly, to roil water; figuratively, to disturb or affict
KJV: trouble, stir.
vb — stir up
עָכַר vb. stir up, disturb, trouble
Qal disturb, trouble
Niph. my pain was stirred up
H7607
n-m — flesh, swelling, food, kindred
Derivation: from 7604;
flesh (as swelling out), as living or for food; generally food of any kind; figuratively, kindred by blood
KJV: body, flesh, food, (near) kin(-sman, -swoman), near (nigh) (of kin).
n.m — flesh
שְׁאֵר n.m. flesh (perh. orig. the inner flesh, full of blood, next to the bones)
1. flesh
a. as food
b. fig. for physical power
2. in HP = flesh- (= blood-) relation (i.e. one near of kin)
3. = self
H394
a — terrible
Derivation: from 393;
terrible
KJV: cruel (one).
adj — cruel
אַכְזָרִי adj. cruel, always in this form
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Verse 17
Proverbs 11:17
It is a common principle, Every one for himself. Proximus egomet mihi - None so near to me as myself. Now, if this be rightly understood, it will be a reason for the cherishing of gracious dispositions in ourselves and the crucifying of corrupt ones. We are friends or enemies to ourselves, even in respect of present comfort, according as we are or are not governed by religious principles. 1. A merciful, tender, good humoured man, does good to his own soul, makes and keeps himself easy. He has the pleasure of doing his duty, and contributing to the comfort of those that are to him as his own soul; for we are members one of another. He that waters others with his temporal good things shall find that God will water him with his spiritual blessings, which will do the best good to his own soul. See Isa 58:7, etc. If thou hide not thy eyes from thy own flesh, but do good to others, as to thyself, if thou do good with thy own soul and draw that out to the hungry, thou wilt do good to thy own soul; for the Lord shall satisfy thy soul and make fat thy bones. Some make it part of the character of a merciful man, that he will make much of himself; that disposition which inclines him to be charitable to others will oblige him to allow himself also that which is convenient and to enjoy the good of all his labour. We may by the soul understand the inward man, as the apostle calls it, and then it teaches us that the first and great act of mercy is to provide well for our own souls the necessary supports of the spiritual life. 2. A cruel, froward, ill-natured man, troubles his own flesh, and so his sin becomes his punishment; he starves and dies for want of what he has, because he has not a heart to use it either for the good of others of for his own. He is vexatious to his nearest relations, that are, and should be, to him as his own flesh, Eph 5:29. Envy, and malice, and greediness of the world, are the rottenness of the bones and the consumption of the flesh.
Cross-references: Isa 58:7 · Eph 5:29