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Proverbs 12:25
Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, but a kind word makes it glad.
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Interpretation

Proverbs 12:25 shows a anxious heart that is lived within solitude and community—see "anxiety" and "man's". Choose anxious heart in what we celebrate and refuse—bind joy to obedience.

Context

Proverbs speaks here as poetry/wisdom writing, highlighting anxious heart. Within ch. 12, a small unit frames the emphasis. It edges toward wisdom & worship. Watch the terms “anxiety” and “man's”.

Authorship & Historical Background

Proverbs was received under the name of Solomon & sages. Many scholars judge Proverbs as follows: Wisdom collection assembled over time.. Scholars commonly date Proverbs Developed in stages from monarchy to post‑exilic times.. Here the thread of wisdom & worship comes into view.

More details
Traditional:Solomon & sages
Modern scholarship:Wisdom anthology compiled in stages.
Date:Monarchic to post‑exilic.
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
In the Masoretic tradition the Hebrew text is preserved, standardized between the 6th–10th centuries CE. The Dead Sea Scrolls (1947-1956 discoveries) provide manuscripts 1000+ years older than medieval texts, generally confirming the Masoretic Text's reliability with only minor variations. The Septuagint (Greek translation, 3rd-2nd century BCE) offers an independent textual witness. Variations between manuscripts are typically minor: spelling differences, word order, or clarifications that do not affect the core meaning. Modern translations compare all available manuscripts to reconstruct the probably reflects the initial text text.
Sources & witness notes
MT