Proverbs 12:10
in Proverbs 12A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are only cruelty.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast; But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
KJV
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
⋯
This verse in Proverbs 12
Commentary
9 notes on this verseBut the compassion of the wicked is cruel. Who not only do not sympathize with those under them, but also, according to what the Lord says: Beat the male and female servants, saying, My master is delayed in coming (Luke XII).
This site's exposition
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast states the book's animal ethic in a single verse, the care a righteous man extends downward to a creature under his authority, while the tender mercies of the wicked are called cruel, since even his kindness carries an edge. The bench connects the verse to the law's own provisions for animal rest and relief, reading righteousness as a quality that shows itself in how power is used over the powerless.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
John ChrysostomCOMMENTARY ON THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON, FRAGMENT 12:10 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
"The righteous has pity upon the soul of his animals." It is an exercise of human charity when someone, by means of his animals, becomes accustomed to show mercy upon his fellow human beings. Indeed he who has pity upon animals tends to have much more pity upon his brothers.… Do the righteous have pity upon the souls of their animals? Absolutely. Certainly it is necessary to convey benevolence toward them, so that there may be a greater exercise [of benevolence] toward fellow human beings. Indeed with good reason God ordered that we carry hurt animals and take back those that stray, and not to bind the mouth of an ox. He absolutely wants us to preserve the health of animals: in the first place for our sake, second, in order that they may provide us with their menial service. At the same time it is an exercise of benevolence and care. Indeed the one who has pity upon strangers has much more pity upon those who are familiar to him. And the one who has pity upon his servants has much more pity for his brothers. But you may say: an animal provides you with a profitable service, but with what does a brother provide you? He is helpful to you, I say, much more from the viewpoint of God. You can see that when we offer care such as we do for our animals we do not consider this demeaning. For, in doing so we are not only serving them but also ourselves.
The Medieval Church1 voice
The righteous knows the souls of his animals. That is, he pities and sympathizes with the condition and weakness of his neighbors entrusted to him.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
regardeth--literally, "knoweth" (Ps 1:6). mercies . . . cruel--as acts of compassion ungraciously rendered to the needy. The righteous more regards a beast than the wicked a man.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
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.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
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 Exo 20:10; Exo 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 Jon 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.
Modern Voices1 voice
"Remember always that there is one thing that cannot be endured by anybody or anything. That one unendurable thing is to be overworked and also neglected. ...But no beast of the field, no horse, no dog can endure long to be asked to do more …
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
A righteous man has regard for the desire of his beast What his beasts and his household members need.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
He who tills his soil will be sated with bread To be understood according to its apparent meaning, but according to its allegorical meaning, [this means] he who constantly reviews his studies lest they be forgotten.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יוֹדֵ֣עַ | yodea' | [is] knowing | H3045 → | 945 times |
| צַ֭דִּיק | tzadik | a righteous [person] | H6662 → | 206 times |
| נֶ֣פֶשׁ | nefesh | [the] life of | H5315 → | 754 times |
| בְּהֶמְתּ֑וֹ | behemto | animals his | H929 → | |
| וְֽרַחֲמֵ֥י | verachamei | and [the] compassion<s> of | H7356 → | |
| רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים | reshaim | wicked [people] | H7563 → | 263 times |
| אַכְזָרִֽי׃ | ʾakhzari | [is] cruel | H394 → | 8 times |
יוֹדֵ֣עַ[is] knowing
yodea'H3045 →945 times
צַ֭דִּיקa righteous [person]
tzadikH6662 →206 times
נֶ֣פֶשׁ[the] life of
nefeshH5315 →754 times
בְּהֶמְתּ֑וֹanimals his
behemtoH929 →
וְֽרַחֲמֵ֥יand [the] compassion<s> of
verachameiH7356 →
רְ֝שָׁעִ֗יםwicked [people]
reshaimH7563 →263 times
אַכְזָרִֽי׃[is] cruel
ʾakhzariH394 →8 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 John 3:17If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
it leads to
- Hebrews 13:16
And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
- Isaiah 58:7–10
Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own…
- Deuteronomy 15:7–11
If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or…
- 1 John 4:20
If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
- Proverbs 19:17
Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.
- Hebrews 13:16
Through
Deuteronomy 25:4Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 5:17–18
Elders who lead effectively are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
- 1 Corinthians 9:9–10
For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned?
- Hosea 10:11
Ephraim is a well-trained heifer that loves to thresh; but I will place a yoke on her fair neck. I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, and Jacob will break the hard ground.
- 1 Timothy 5:17–18
About Proverbs
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Proverbs; GK Chesterton, Tremendous Trifles, A Somewhat Improbable Story (1909); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, COMMENTARY ON THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON, FRAGMENT 12:10; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.