Proverbs 14:13 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 14:13 mean?

Proverbs 14:13 observes that a person’s outward happiness may not tell the whole story of what they feel. Laughter can be present alongside sadness, and a cheerful occasion can end in a heavy feeling.

The proverb moves from what happens during laughter to what remains at the end of mirth. Its two short statements invite the listener to look beyond the visible moment to the heart and to what follows.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 14:13

• “heart” — לֵב (lev): This word often refers to a person’s inner life, including thoughts and feelings. Here it points to a sorrow that laughter on the outside may not reveal.
• “heaviness” — תּוּגָה (tugah): This word carries the sense of grief or sadness. The KJV’s “heaviness” pictures that feeling as a weight.

Why Proverbs 14:13 matters

• The proverb makes room for mixed feelings at the same time. The words “even in laughter” place sorrow within a moment that would usually seem cheerful.
• The second half looks beyond the moment of pleasure. “The end of that mirth” directs attention to how the occasion finishes, rather than treating the laughter as the whole account.