Proverbs 17:22 (DRB)

Passage

A joyful mind maketh age flourishing: a sorrowful spirit drieth up the bones.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:20 He that is of a perverse heart, shall not find good: and he that perverteth his tongue, shall fall into evil.

Proverbs 17:21 A fool is born to his own disgrace: and even his father shall not rejoice in a fool.

Proverbs 17:22 A joyful mind maketh age flourishing: a sorrowful spirit drieth up the bones.

Proverbs 17:23 The wicked man taketh gifts out of the bosom, that he may pervert the paths of judgment.

Proverbs 17:24 Wisdom shineth in the face of the wise: the eyes of fools are in the ends of the earth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "joyful", "mind", "maketh", "flourishing", "sorrowful", "drieth", and "bones". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "joyful", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "A fool is born to his own..." into verse 23's "The wicked man taketh gifts out of...", so "Spirit" and "joyful" 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 "joyful" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.