Proverbs 18:14 (WEB)

Passage

A man’s spirit will sustain him in sickness, but a crushed spirit, who can bear?

Nearby Context

Proverbs 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is proud, but before honor is humility.

Proverbs 18:13 He who gives answer before he hears, that is folly and shame to him.

Proverbs 18:14 A man’s spirit will sustain him in sickness, but a crushed spirit, who can bear?

Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the discerning gets knowledge. The ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

Proverbs 18:16 A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "sustain", "sickness", "crushed", and "bear". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "sustain", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "He who gives answer before he hears..." into verse 15's "The heart of the discerning gets knowledge...", so "Spirit" and "sustain" 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 "sustain" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.