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Easy-to-Read Version

Proverbs 12:10

Good people take good care of their animals, but the wicked know only how to be cruel.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Animals;   Malice;   Mercy;   Thompson Chain Reference - Animals;   Cruelty;   Kindness-Cruelty;   The Topic Concordance - Righteousness;   Wickedness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Beasts;   Mercy;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Righteousness;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Animals;   Mercy;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Cattle;   Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ethics;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Cruel;   Mercy;   Tender;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Cruelty to Animals;   Ethics;   Life;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The righteous cares about his animal’s health,but even the merciful acts of the wicked are cruel.
Hebrew Names Version
A righteous man regards the life of his animal, But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
King James Version
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
English Standard Version
Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.
New American Standard Bible
A righteous person has regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.
New Century Version
Good people take care of their animals, but even the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
New English Translation
A righteous person cares for the life of his animal, but even the most compassionate acts of the wicked are cruel.
Amplified Bible
A righteous man has kind regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.
World English Bible
A righteous man regards the life of his animal, But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
Geneva Bible (1587)
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the mercies of the wicked are cruell.
Legacy Standard Bible
A righteous man knows the value of the life of his animal,But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.
Berean Standard Bible
A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are only cruelty.
Contemporary English Version
Good people are kind to their animals, but a mean person is cruel.
Complete Jewish Bible
A righteous man takes care of his animal, but the wicked? Even his compassion is cruel.
Darby Translation
A righteous man is concerned for the life of his beast; but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
George Lamsa Translation
A righteous man regards the life of his beast; but the mercies of the wicked are suppressed.
Good News Translation
Good people take care of their animals, but wicked people are cruel to theirs.
Lexham English Bible
The righteous knows the life of his animal, but the compassion of the wicked is cruel.
Literal Translation
The righteous knows the life of his animal, but the mercies of the wicked are cruel.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
A righteous man regardeth the life of his catell, but the vngodly haue cruell hertes.
American Standard Version
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast; But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
Bible in Basic English
An upright man has thought for the life of his beast, but the hearts of evil-doers are cruel.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast; but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
King James Version (1611)
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruell.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
A ryghteous man regardeth the lyfe of his cattell: but the vngodly haue cruell heartes.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
A righteous man has pity for the lives of his cattle; but the bowels of the ungodly are unmerciful.
English Revised Version
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A iust man knowith the soulis of hise werk beestis; but the entrailis of wickid men ben cruel.
Update Bible Version
A righteous man regards the life of his beast; But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
Webster's Bible Translation
A righteous [man] regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked [are] cruel.
New King James Version
A righteous man regards the life of his animal, But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
New Living Translation
The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel.
New Life Bible
A man who is right with God cares for his animal, but the sinful man is hard and has no pity.
New Revised Standard
The righteous know the needs of their animals, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
A righteous man, regardeth the desire of his beast, but, the compassions of the lawless, are cruel.
Douay-Rheims Bible
The just regardeth the lives of his beasts: but the bowels of the wicked are cruel.
Revised Standard Version
A righteous man has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.
Young's Literal Translation
The righteous knoweth the life of his beast, And the mercies of the wicked [are] cruel.
THE MESSAGE
Good people are good to their animals; the "good-hearted" bad people kick and abuse them.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.

Contextual Overview

10 Good people take good care of their animals, but the wicked know only how to be cruel.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

righteous: Genesis 33:13, Genesis 33:14, Numbers 22:28-32, Deuteronomy 25:4, John 4:11

but: Genesis 37:26-28, Judges 1:7, 1 Samuel 11:2, John 19:31, John 19:32, James 2:13-16

tender mercies: or, bowels, 1 John 3:17

Reciprocal: Genesis 24:11 - kneel Exodus 5:6 - taskmasters Exodus 23:19 - Thou shalt not seethe a kid Numbers 22:29 - for now would Deuteronomy 22:6 - thou shalt not 1 Samuel 30:13 - my master 2 Samuel 24:14 - let me not 1 Chronicles 21:13 - but let me Isaiah 36:17 - I come Acts 5:40 - beaten Acts 27:42 - General Ephesians 4:32 - tenderhearted

Cross-References

Genesis 12:1
The Lord said to Abram, "Leave your country and your people. Leave your father's family and go to the country that I will show you.
Genesis 12:2
I will build a great nation from you. I will bless you and make your name famous. People will use your name to bless other people.
Genesis 12:3
I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you. I will use you to bless all the people on earth."
Genesis 12:4
So Abram left Haran just like the Lord said, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.
Genesis 12:8
Then he left that place and traveled to the mountains east of Bethel. He set up his tent there. Bethel was to the west, and Ai was to the east. Abram built another altar at that place to honor the Lord , and he worshiped the Lord there.
Genesis 12:18
Pharaoh called Abram and said to him, "You have done a very bad thing to me! Why didn't you tell me Sarai was your wife?
Genesis 42:5
The famine was very bad in Canaan, so there were many people from Canaan who went to Egypt to buy grain. Among them were the sons of Israel.
Genesis 43:1
The famine was very bad in that country.
Genesis 47:13
The famine got worse; there was no food anywhere in the land. Egypt and Canaan became very poor because of this bad time.
Ruth 1:1
Long ago, during the time the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man named Elimelech left the town of Bethlehem in Judah. He, his wife, and his two sons moved to the country of Moab.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

A righteous [man] regardeth the life of his beast,.... Or "knoweth" it q; knows the worth of it and values it, and takes care of it, and is concerned for the preservation of it; he provides sufficient food for it, and gives it; he does not overwork it, but allows it proper rest from labour; and, if in any disorder, will make use of all suitable means to heal it; see an instance of the care of Jacob, that righteous man, of his cattle, Genesis 33:14; and, on the other hand, see an instance of a wicked man's cruelty to his beast in Balaam, for which he was reproved, Numbers 22:28; by various laws and rules which God has given, it is his will that men should be merciful to their beasts, Deuteronomy 25:4; and such who are so will be more especially pitiful and tenderhearted to their fellow creatures;

but the tender mercies of the wicked [are] cruel; or "[are] the mercies of a cruel one" r; the most tender things which are expressed or done by them are nothing but cruelty; and what then must be their more severe expressions and actions? so the most tender concern which antichrist and his followers show to the souls of men breathes nothing but cruelty; the compassionate methods they take to convert heretics, as they call them, are dark dungeons and stinking prisons, racks and tortures, fire and faggots; these are their wholesome severities; this their kindness to men, to deliver them up to the secular power, to inflict pains and punishments on them the most grievous to save their souls. Thus, while the beast of Rome looks like a lamb, he speaks like a dragon, and exercises all the cruelty of the first beast, Rome Pagan,

Revelation 13:11.

q יודע "novit", Mercerus, Michaelis; so Vulgate Latin. r אכזרי "sunt miserationes crudelis", Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Aben Ezra in Mercerus, so some Jewish writers in Vatablus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Regardeth - literally, “knoweth.” All true sympathy and care must grow out of knowledge. The duty of a person to animals:

(1) rests upon direct commandments in the Law Exodus 20:10; Exodus 23:4-5;

(2) connects itself with the thought that the mercies of God are over all His works, and that man’s mercy, in proportion to its excellence, must be like His Jonah 4:11; and

(3) has perpetuated its influence in the popular morality of the East.

Tender mercies - Better, “the feelings, the emotions,” all that should have led to mercy and pity toward man.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 12:10. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast — One principal characteristic of a holy man is mercy: cruelty is unknown to him; and his benevolence extends to the meanest of the brute creation. Pity rules the heart of a pious man; he can do nothing that is cruel. He considers what is best for the comfort, ease health, and life of the beast that serves him; and he knows that God himself careth for oxen: and one of the ten commandments provides a seventh part of time to be allotted for the rest of labouring beasts as well as for man.

I once in my travels met with the Hebrew of this clause on the sign board of a public inn: יודע צדיק נפש בהמתו yodea tsaddik nephesh behemto. "A righteous man considereth the life of his beast;" which, being very appropriate, reminded me that I should feed my horse.

The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. — אחזרי achzari, are violent, without mercy, ruthless. The wicked, influenced by Satan, can show no other disposition than what is in their master. If they appear at any time merciful, it is a cloak which they use to cover purposes of cruelty. To accomplish its end, iniquity will assume any garb, speak mercifully, extol benevolence, sometimes even give to the poor! But, timeo Danaos, et dona ferentes. The cry of fire at midnight, provided it be in another's dwelling, is more congenial to their souls than the cry of mercy. Look at the human fiends, "out-heroding Herod," in horse races, bruising matches, and cock fights, and in wars for the extension of territory, and the purposes of ambition. The hell is yet undescribed, that is suited to such monsters in cruelty.


 
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