Lexical Summary gehah: Healing, cure Original Word: גֵּהָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance medicine From gahah; a cure -- medicine. see HEBREW gahah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom gahah Definition a healing, cure NASB Translation medicine (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs גֵּהָה noun feminine healing, cure — גֵּהָ֑ה Proverbs 17:22 ׳לֵב שָׂמֵחַ יֵיטִיב ג compare Now. Topical Lexicon Occurrence and Literary Setting The noun גֵּהָה appears only once in Scripture, within the concise proverb “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22). Nestled in a chapter that contrasts righteousness with folly, the term functions as the pivot of a balanced couplet: what cheerfulness accomplishes, despondency undoes. The verse is not a clinical statement but a wisdom‐shaped observation about how the inner life permeates the whole person. Imagery of Healing The word pictures a curative agent that restores and invigorates. In the ancient Near East, “medicine” was commonly viewed as an external application—balm, salve, or potion. Proverbs, however, lifts the scene to the inner realm, asserting that authentic healing begins in the heart. The sage assumes an integrated view of humanity: emotional, spiritual, and physical dimensions intertwine. When the heart rejoices, vitality radiates outward; when the spirit is crushed, even the bones—symbols of deepest strength—wither. Wisdom’s Link Between Joy and Health Proverbs 16:24 echoes the same motif: “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones”. The teacher of wisdom recognizes that wholeness involves more than dietary or herbal remedies; words, attitudes, and relationships can act as true therapy. The biblical worldview never divorces physical well‐being from moral and spiritual realities (see also Deuteronomy 7:12-15; Psalm 107:20). Intertextual Perspective Other writers employ “bones” to depict an individual’s deepest vitality. David laments, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away” (Psalm 32:3), while Ezekiel records a vision where dead bones come to life under the breath of God (Ezekiel 37:1-14). Proverbs 17:22 sits naturally within this larger pattern: brokenness of spirit drains life; God-given joy revives it. Theological Trajectory Toward Christ Old Testament glimpses of healing culminate in the ministry of Jesus Christ, “who went throughout Galilee, teaching…proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people” (Matthew 4:23). Whereas Proverbs points to the principle, Christ embodies the remedy, securing forgiveness (Psalm 103:3) and promising rest for weary souls (Matthew 11:28-29). The apostolic witness maintains the integration: “May God Himself…sanctify you wholly. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Historical Reception Jewish tradition often cited Proverbs 17:22 in medical and ethical writings, encouraging gladness as preventive care. Early Christian commentators—Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysostom, and later Reformers—echoed this theme, urging believers to cultivate joy rooted in redemption, not mere temperament. The verse was frequently quoted in pastoral manuals as biblical warrant for the ministry of encouragement. Pastoral and Practical Applications 1. Counseling: Scriptural joy, grounded in God’s character and promises, serves as an instrument of holistic health. Counselors draw on passages such as Nehemiah 8:10 (“the joy of the LORD is your strength”) to foster resilient hearts. Summary Though גֵּהָה surfaces but once, it distills a timeless principle: the joy God supplies operates as a God-designed remedy, while despair saps life’s marrow. The proverb summons believers to nurture rejoicing hearts, confident that such joy is not escapist sentiment but divinely sanctioned therapy whose ultimate source and guarantee is found in Christ. Forms and Transliterations גֵּהָ֑ה גהה gê·hāh geHah gêhāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Proverbs 17:22 HEB: שָׂ֭מֵחַ יֵיטִ֣ב גֵּהָ֑ה וְר֥וּחַ נְ֝כֵאָ֗ה NAS: is good medicine, But a broken KJV: doeth good [like] a medicine: but a broken INT: A joyful is good medicine spirit A broken |
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