Proverbs 14:10 in the New International Version (NIV) states that “Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.” With only slight variations of word choice within each, about half the translations I checked agree with what this translation says. The other half prefer “and a stranger does not share its joy.” Such a difference easily opens up a broad avenue for debate with nothing to base opinion on but faith in one translator over another. The words change the meaning in the following ways: where it is “no one else” one can draw the conclusion that nobody at all can feel someone else’s deepest feelings. But if you were to read it “stranger” then one might find that since strangers can not feel the sorrow or joy of the person, friends must be able to. Both interpretations are clearly represented in a number of translations. The only truly different translation I found is that from the Living Bible: “Only the person involved can know his own bitterness or joy—no one else can really share it.” This sides with the “no one else” translation but phrases it differently enough that we see clearly that only the one can feel the bitterness or joy, the other translation does not group the two feelings together.
In understanding this I looked to a few commentaries which helped me make both slight distinctions in meaning between texts and also see the vast differences. I learned that the proverb is most likely speaking in relation to everyday matters for there is no hint at a moral or religious connotation (Toy 287-288). Also, support was found for the proverb to be an expression of human solitude (Kidner 107-108). One commentary translated it as “Every man knows his sorrow, and (therefore) with his joy no pride is mingled.” This introduces a completely new idea behind the proverb, the meaning being that when one remembers one’s bitterness, it keeps that person modest in times of joy. This fourth interpretation of the passage is quite different from the other three and even the commentary from which it came says that is probably not the true translation (Expositor’s).
To interpret this for ourselves we must take into account which translation we agree with. Do we feel that man is indeed an island or do we in fact need a sharing of human emotion on the deepest levels? My feeling would be towards a mixture of both. I call it Hybrid Proverb 14:10 Theory. The theory consists of one knowing it is natural and acceptable to feel alone and cut off from one’s fellow humans, but we must still seek out human companionship and the deepest of friendships. In context of the 21st century we often find ourselves alone, outnumbered by machines and those wielding them better than us. We must turn our attention to God if we are to receive the attention we need and are unable to attain here.
Works Cited
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 5 Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991.
Kidner, Derek, Rev. The Proverbs, an Introduction and Commentary. London: The Tyndale Press, 1972
Toy, Crawford H. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Proverbs. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1948.