On Compassion and Cruelty: A Brief Reflection on Proverbs 12:10
At first blush, Proverbs 12:10 may strike readers as a straightforward verse that provides little to reflect upon. The text may be translated, “A righteous man cares for the life of his beast, but the compassion of the wicked is cruel.”
To many, the verse stands out as a simple call to care for animals. Thus, some have even used the verse to advocate for causes such as veganism and animal rights. Though such readings of Prov 12:10 may seem plausible at first, I would like to suggest that they actually fail to reckon with the profundity of this little proverb.
Despite initial appearances, Prov 12:10 is not primarily about animals (and it is certainly not a call for veganism). Such becomes clear from attending to the parallelism within the proverb.
As is well known, most of biblical proverbs are written in the form of a parallelism, which is a literary convention in which two or more lines of text are brought together to address the same subject. These lines of text may be synonymous, antithetical, or progressive. But the important point to note is that both lines are intended to clarify the topic of discussion and the sage’s perspective on the subject.
For example, Prov 18:11a states, “The wealth of the rich man is his strong city.” If read on its own, this line would suggest that wealth serves as a source of security for those who are rich. However, the second line provides an important clarification when it says, “And [it is] like a high wall in his imagination.” By adding the parallel line, Solomon actually undermines the notion that riches offer real security to those who have them. But readers only arrive at this understanding if they read the first line in the light of the second.
“Despite initial appearances, Prov 12:10 is not primarily about animals ”
Similarly, when we read Prov 12:10a in light of 12:10b, we quickly realize that this text is about much more than animals. If Solomon was primarily concerned with animal welfare, we would expect him to bring up the issue once more in 12:10b. However, Solomon’s focus shifts away from animals and towards the (so-called) compassion of the wicked, which he describes as cruelty. Given how often Solomon compares and contrasts the righteous and the wicked, it becomes readily apparent what the proverb is really about: the difference between the righteous and the wicked in relation to their compassion.
On the one hand, the verse states that a righteous person is one who is so filled with compassion that his care extends even beyond the bounds of human society. Not only does he care for those within his household, but he even concerns himself with the state of his cattle.
Here, I would argue that the reference to the righteous caring for “his beasts” is intended to serve a primarily rhetorical function: it highlights (in contrast to the wicked) the depths of the righteous person’s compassion. While it does have a bearing on how people should treat animals, the verse is really a call for readers to examine whether or not their lives are marked by generous compassion because such generous compassion is inseparable from true righteousness.
On the other hand, Solomon contends that the wicked are so filled with malice that what they consider to be compassionate leads only to more suffering. The proverb uses the adjective “cruel” (אכזרי) to describe the compassion of the wicked. This same adjective is used in prophetic literature to refer to the destructive ferocity of armies used by YHWH to level nations in His judgment (Isa 13:9; Jer 6:23; 30:14; 50:42). The word is used to speak of realities that bring about immense levels of pain and destruction; and according to Solomon, the so-called “compassion” of the wicked should be classed as one of these destructive realities.
Perhaps if Christians today reflected on the intended meaning of Prov 12:10, we would find it to be helpful on two fronts. First, the verse would help us by convicting us of our lack of compassion. While we have been made righteous through faith in Christ, Christians are called to live lives filled with righteousness after the model of Christ himself. But according to Prov 12:10, true righteousness evidences itself in generous compassion. How generous is our compassion? Do we feel and express compassion for all kinds of people? Or is our compassion constrained somehow? Do we refuse to care for the plight of those who look different than us, think differently than us, vote differently than us, worship differently than us, or otherwise live differently than us?
“When we remember Prov 12:10, we are given insight into why a society that prizes compassion simultaneously champions so many causes that lead only to more suffering and destruction. ”
But in addition, the verse would also help us to learn how to live within our current culture. When we remember Prov 12:10, we are given insight into why a society that prizes compassion simultaneously champions so many causes that lead only to more suffering and destruction. This proverb helps us understand how, under the guise of euphemisms and misnomers such as “gender-affirming care,” “women’s choice,” “reproductive rights,” “aid-in-dying,” and a host of others, our culture can continue to pursue courses of action deemed “compassionate” that in reality promote harm and death. Finally, the verse can provide us with confidence to stand firm when we are accused of lacking compassion for our refusal to support such allegedly “compassionate” causes. Proverbs 12:10 reminds us that, when we refuse to go along with the culture on these fronts, it is not because we lack compassion. On the contrary, it is because we, by the grace of God, are able to recognize the difference between compassion and cruelty.
