Passage
A glad heart maketh a cheerful countenance; But by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
Proverbs 15:13 (ASV)
Nearby Context
Proverbs 15:11 Sheol and Abaddon are before Jehovah: How much more then the hearts of the children of men!
Proverbs 15:12 A scoffer loveth not to be reproved; He will not go unto the wise.
Proverbs 15:13 A glad heart maketh a cheerful countenance; But by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
Proverbs 15:14 The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge; But the mouth of fools feedeth on folly.
Proverbs 15:15 All the days of the afflicted are evil; But he that is of a cheerful heart [hath] a continual feast.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "Spirit", "glad", "heart", "maketh", "cheerful", "countenance", and "sorrow". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "glad", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 12's "A scoffer loveth not to be reproved..." into verse 14's "The heart of him that hath understanding...", so "Spirit" and "glad" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "Spirit" and "glad" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.