# Where is “A cheerful heart is good medicine” in the Bible?

> “A cheerful heart is good medicine” is Proverbs 17:22.

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/a-cheerful-heart-is-good-medicine
By Andrew Kittridge · November 10, 2026

It is one of the proverbs of Solomon.

## The verse

> A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
>
> — [Proverbs 17:22](https://www.lumin.faith/read/proverbs/17#22) (Lumin Translation)

English Bibles word this verse in different ways. The Lumin Translation, a modern English Bible, is quoted here.

## What it means there

It is the verse behind “laughter is the best medicine.” The proverb is about joy more than jokes, and its second half gives the other side: a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

## Common questions

### Where is “A cheerful heart is good medicine” in the Bible?

“A cheerful heart is good medicine” is Proverbs 17:22. English Bibles word this verse in different ways. The Lumin Translation, a modern English Bible, is quoted here. It is one of the proverbs of Solomon.

### Is “A cheerful heart is good medicine” in the Bible?

Yes. It is Proverbs 17:22. In the Lumin Translation, Proverbs 17:22 reads: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

### Who said “A cheerful heart is good medicine”?

It is one of the proverbs of Solomon.

### What does “A cheerful heart is good medicine” mean in the Bible?

It is the verse behind “laughter is the best medicine.” The proverb is about joy more than jokes, and its second half gives the other side: a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

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