Proverbs 11:17

“The merciful man doeth good to his own soul, etc.] Or “to himself”: a man of mercy or grace, a liberal bountiful man, he comfortably enjoys what God has given him, (<210518>Ecclesiastes 5:18); and he does good to others with it, and thereby does good to himself also; as well as he is solicitous in a spiritual sense for the good and welfare of his immortal soul; but [he that is] cruel troubleth his own flesh; a sordid avaricious man withholds from himself that which is meet, will not allow himself the necessaries of life, nor will he provide that which is fit and convenient for his family; he hides himself from his own flesh, and will not communicate to the wants of his nearest friends and…”

“merciful--kind to others; opposed to cruel. Such benefit themselves by doing good to others (compare Pro 24:5), while the cruel injure themselves as well as others. flesh--that is, his body, by penuriousness (Col 2:23).”

“merciful: Psa 41:1-4, Psa 112:4-9; Isa 32:7, Isa 32:8, Isa 57:1, Isa 58:7-12; Dan 4:27; Mat 5:7; Mat 6:14, Mat 6:15, Mat 25:34-40; Luk 6:38; Co2 9:6-14; Phi 4:17 but: Pro 15:27; Job 20:19-23; Ecc 4:8; Jam 2:13, Jam 5:1-5 Proverbs 11:18”

“Three proverbs regarding benevolence: 17 The benevolent man doeth good to his own soul, And the violent man brings trouble on his own flesh. Many interpreters reverse the relation of subject and predicate (Targ. only in 17b, after the phrase ודמוביד, for which the Syr. has only ומובד): qui sibi ipsi benefacit, is quidem erga alios quoque benignus praesumitur, quum caritas ordinata a se ipsa incipiat; qui vero carnem suam male habet, est crudelis erga alios (Michaelis). But this cannot be established; for certainly it occurs that whoever does good to himself does good also to others, and that whoever is hard against himself also judges and treats others harshly; but in by far the greatest…”