The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.
The heart knoweth his own bitterness (Hebrew, the bitterness of his soul); and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy - (cf. Proverbs 14:13) None can enter so fully into our bitterness or our joy as ourselves (1 Corinthians 2:11). Eli could not enter into the "bitterness of soul" of Hannah (1 Samuel 1:10; 1 Samuel 1:13; 1 Samuel 1:16): nor Gehazi into that of the Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:27). Michal, though the wife of David's bosom was "a stranger" to his "joy" when "he danced before the Lord with all his might," at the bringing up of the ark to Zion (cf. 1 Samuel 18:13; 1 Samuel 18:20, with 2 Samuel 6:12-16). This proverb teaches the individuality of each soul in its innermost being, so that none except He who searcheth the hearts can with thorough sympathy enter into our joys and our sorrows.