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In Proverbs 11:17, Solomon writes, The merciful man does himself good, but the cruel man does himself harm (v. 17). Mercy is not only a gift to others; it is also a blessing to the one who practices it. This is because God designed human life so that righteousness and true self-interest ultimately align.
The merciful man does himself good because mercy reflects God’s own character and keeps the heart oriented toward love rather than hardness. Mercy frees a person from becoming ruled by bitterness, revenge, or cold self-protection.
The cruel man does himself harm because cruelty corrupts the soul of the one who practices it. Even if cruelty appears strong in the moment, it damages the inner life and distorts the person into something less than what God intended. Later in the Gospels, Jesus also teaches that the merciful are blessed (to learn more about how showing mercy reflects Christ’s teaching that those who give mercy will receive it, please read our commentary on Matthew 5:7).
Used with permission from TheBibleSays.com.
You can access the original article here:Proverbs 11:17 Meaning
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