Proverbs 14:10

Authorized King James Version

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The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.

Original Language Analysis

לֵ֗ב The heart H3820
לֵ֗ב The heart
Strong's: H3820
Word #: 1 of 8
the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the center of anything
י֭וֹדֵעַ knoweth H3045
י֭וֹדֵעַ knoweth
Strong's: H3045
Word #: 2 of 8
to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including o
מָרַּ֣ת bitterness H4787
מָרַּ֣ת bitterness
Strong's: H4787
Word #: 3 of 8
trouble
נַפְשׁ֑וֹ his own H5315
נַפְשׁ֑וֹ his own
Strong's: H5315
Word #: 4 of 8
properly, a breathing creature, i.e., animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or ment
וּ֝בְשִׂמְחָת֗וֹ with his joy H8057
וּ֝בְשִׂמְחָת֗וֹ with his joy
Strong's: H8057
Word #: 5 of 8
blithesomeness or glee, (religious or festival)
לֹא H3808
לֹא
Strong's: H3808
Word #: 6 of 8
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יִתְעָ֥רַב doth not intermeddle H6148
יִתְעָ֥רַב doth not intermeddle
Strong's: H6148
Word #: 7 of 8
to braid, i.e., intermix; technically, to traffic (as if by barter); also or give to be security (as a kind of exchange)
זָֽר׃ and a stranger H2114
זָֽר׃ and a stranger
Strong's: H2114
Word #: 8 of 8
to turn aside (especially for lodging); hence to be a foreigner, strange, profane; specifically (active participle) to commit adultery

Analysis & Commentary

This proverb addresses the privacy of individual emotional experience. "The heart knoweth his own bitterness" acknowledges subjective pain. Lev yode'a marat nafsho (לֵב יוֹדֵעַ מָרַת נַפְשׁוֹ, the heart knows the bitterness of its soul). Marah (מָרָה, bitterness) describes deep sorrow, anguish, grief. Only the individual truly knows the depth of their own suffering.

"And a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy" extends privacy to gladness. Uvesimchato lo-yit'arav zar (וּבְשִׂמְחָתוֹ לֹא־יִתְעָרַב זָר, and in his joy a stranger does not share). Simchah (שִׂמְחָה, joy, gladness) remains partially inaccessible even to outsiders (zar, זָר, stranger, outsider). True joy, like deep sorrow, has private dimensions others cannot fully enter.

The proverb teaches human limitation in empathy. While we should weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15), we cannot fully experience another's inner emotional reality. This calls for humility—not presuming to fully understand others' pain or joy. It also points to Jesus as the perfect empathizer. Hebrews 4:15 declares Christ "touched with the feeling of our infirmities." He alone fully knows our bitterness and joy, having experienced full human emotion. This truth comforts—when no one else understands, Christ does perfectly.

Historical Context

Ancient Near Eastern culture emphasized communal solidarity, yet recognized individual emotional experience. Job's friends tried understanding his anguish but failed (Job 2:11-13, 42:7-9). Hannah's bitterness was unknown even to Eli (1 Samuel 1:12-17). David's psalms express both bitter anguish and ecstatic joy beyond others' comprehension. This proverb acknowledges both community's importance and its limits in accessing individuals' inner lives.

Questions for Reflection

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