SEV Biblia, Chapter 12:10
Ā¶ El justo tiene misericordia aun a su bestia; mas las piedad de los impíos es crueldad.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Proverbs 12:10
Verse 10. 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. He considers what is best for the comfort, ease health, and life of the beast that serves him, and he knows that God himself careth for oxen: and one of the ten commandments provides a seventh part of time to be allotted for the rest of labouring beasts as well as for man. I once in my travels met with the Hebrew of this clause on the sign board of a public inn: wtmhb ¨pn qydx [dwy yodea tsaddik nephesh behemto. "A righteous man considereth the life of his beast;" which, being very appropriate, reminded me that I should feed my horse.
The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. ] yrzja achzari, are violent, without mercy, ruthless. The wicked, influenced by Satan, can show no other disposition than what is in their master. If they appear at any time merciful, it is a cloak which they use to cover purposes of cruelty. To accomplish its end, iniquity will assume any garb, speak mercifully, extol benevolence, sometimes even give to the poor! But, timeo Danaos, et dona ferentes. The cry of fire at midnight, provided it be in another's dwelling, is more congenial to their souls than the; cry of mercy. Look at the human fiends, "out-heroding Herod," in horse races, bruising matches, and cock fights, and in wars for the extension of territory, and the purposes of ambition. The hell is yet undescribed, that is suited to such monsters in cruelty.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 10. A righteous [man] regardeth the life of his beast , etc.] Or “knoweth” it f329 ; knows the worth of it and values it, and takes care of it, and is concerned for the preservation of it; he provides sufficient food for it, and gives it; he does not overwork it, but allows it proper rest from labour; and, if in any disorder, will make use of all suitable means to heal it; see an instance of the care of Jacob, that righteous man, of his cattle, ( Genesis 33:14); and, on the other hand, see an instance of a wicked man’s cruelty to his beast in Balaam, for which he was reproved, ( Numbers 22:28); by various laws and rules which God has given, it is his will that men should be merciful to their beasts, ( Deuteronomy 25:4 Exodus 20:10); and such who are so will be more especially pitiful and tenderhearted to their fellow creatures; but the tender mercies of the wicked [are] cruel ; or “[are] the mercies of a cruel one” f330 ; the most tender things which are expressed or done by them are nothing but cruelty; and what then must be their more severe expressions and actions? so the most tender concern which antichrist and his followers show to the souls of men breathes nothing but cruelty; the compassionate methods they take to convert heretics, as they call them, are dark dungeons and stinking prisons, racks and tortures, fire and faggots; these are their wholesome severities; this their kindness to men, to deliver them up to the secular power, to inflict pains and punishments on them the most grievous to save their souls. Thus, while the beast of Rome looks like a lamb, he speaks like a dragon, and exercises all the cruelty of the first beast, Rome Pagan, ( Revelation 13:11,12).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 10 - A godly man would not put even an animal to needless pain. But the wicked often speak of others as well used, when they would not endur like treatment for a single day.
Original Hebrew
יודע 3045 צדיק 6662 נפשׁ 5315 בהמתו 929 ורחמי 7356 רשׁעים 7563 אכזרי׃ 394
