Proverbial Self-Control
"A tranquil heart is life to the body, But passion is rottenness to the bones." (NASB1995)
"A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones." (NKJV)
"A tranquil heart is life to the body, but jealousy is rottenness to the bones." (CSB)
"A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." (NIV)
Proverbs 14:30
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.14.30.NASB1995
My default bible, and the one I preach from, is a New American Standard Bible (NASB) which is the first text listed here. However, there is benefit in consulting other translations as well; especially in the book of Proverbs, which can be challenging in some places. For today’s post, I included three additional translations. I think they help provide some further insight that helps with understanding the proverb and how it relates to self-control.
Envy/Jealousy are specific types of “passion”. Passion is a much more generic term, and so the translations that render it “envy” or “jealousy” help us to understand the specific type of passion discussed here that leads to such inward rottenness.
(Bible dictionaries and commentaries can certainly be helpful with some of these types of explanations and distinctions but isn’t it fascinating how so much can be gleaned from just reading the text, but in using/comparing the different translations* to do so? It doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t change the meaning of the text or proverb. It just helps give one a more complete understanding of it!)
“Rottenness” is contrasted to “tranquil” and “peace”, but more so to the word “sound” which we associate with health (“He is of sound mind and body”, etc.). As such, we get a clearer picture of the poisonous nature of the passion of envy/jealousy. Jealousy is consuming from the inside out. It is an inner passion born of selfishness, ingratitude, and immaturity. It poisons the heart and mind and causes so much stress and anxiety that it can even have physiological effects like increased heart rate, sweating, trouble sleeping, and situational “deafness” and “blindness” (because you can only focus on the object of jealousy) to name a few. It’s unhealthy.
There is also a bit of a distinction between the words envy and jealousy. Envy - a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck. (ie. “I want what you have) Jealousy - fiercely protective or vigilant of one's rights or possessions. (ie. “I don’t what you to have what’s mine). Both demonstrate a heart that is lacking in maturity, awareness, sympathy, compassion, and gratitude - all virtues that we would associate with a healthy, sound, peaceful, tranquil heart. And that’s where it starts the heart.
So to control problems of jealousy and envy we must start at the heart. Training the heart in the wisdom of God to have the perspective towards things and others that is healthy. Daily Bible reading and prayer are foundational acts to help with that, but so is self-evaluation or the counsel of others who are close to us and trained in the word. As you devote yourself to this, may your heart find health and peace!
*Obviously, not all translations are created equal and there are several (like The Message Bible) that I’d highly discourage you from using for such work as this. But conservative word-for-word translations are reliable and helpful. (Be wary of the NIV and anything more thought-for-thought translation that it.)
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