Proverbs 12:25 (BSB)

Anxiety weighs down the heart of a man, but a good word cheers it up.

From Proverbs 12. Also in the ESV.

Commentary on Proverbs 12:25

• Matthew Henry (Presbyterian), Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on Proverbs 12:25: Here is, 1. The cause and consequence of melancholy. It is heaviness in the heart; it is a load of care, and fear, and sorrow, upon the spirits, depressing them, and disabling them to exert themselves with any vigour on what is to be done or fortitude in what is to borne; it makes them stoop, prostrates and sinks them.
• John Gill (Reformed Baptist), Exposition of the Old and New Testaments on Proverbs 12:25: Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop,.... Either an anxious care and solicitude about living in the world, as the word (m) signifies; when it seizes a man's spirits, it depresses them, and keeps them down: or a fear and dread of adversity, or sorrow and grief, on account of some calamity and distress; when it gets into a man's heart, it sinks...
• Geneva Bible Notes (Reformed), Geneva Bible Study Notes on Proverbs 12:25: Heaviness in the heart of man weigheth it down: but a good word maketh it glad. (k) That is, words of comfort, or a cheerful mind which is declared by his words, rejoices a man, as a covetous mind kills him.
• Keil & Delitzsch (Lutheran), Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament on Proverbs 12:25: Pro 12:25 25 Trouble in the heart of a man boweth it down, And a friendly word maketh it glad. The twofold anomaly that דּאגה is construed as masc. and לב as fem. renders the text doubtful, but the lxx, Syr., Targum, which introduce another subject, φοβερὸς λόγος (דּבר מדאיג?), do not improve it; Theodotion’s is preferable, who translates μέριμνα ἐν καρδίᾳ ἀνδρὸς κατίσχει αὐτόν, and thus reads ישׁחנּוּ.