Proverbs 12:10 Meaning of the Kindest Acts of the Wicked Are Cruel

Proverbs 12:10
“The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.”

Explanation and Commentary of Proverbs 12:10

Those who are righteous, that is, those who have accepted the free gift of the imputed righteousness of Christ for repentance and the forgiveness of sins, have begun a path to being more like the God who created them in his image to bring order and good to the creation. It is sometimes telling about a person’s nature and character to observe how they treat the lower species, particularly those who cannot fight back. A cruel man or woman is the result of a warped mindset about the world in which we live. They may have learned to consider themselves victims and oppressed in the realm of humans, and will not be able to stop themselves from taking this out on children and animals.

If the wicked, that is, those who are still in their sin with base and sinful desire at the root of their choices, do show kindness, one can be sure that there lurks beneath the surface a dishonest, coercive, or manipulative motive. Kindness employed in the act of sinning against an individual, human or animal, is cruel by way of the ends they seek.

Breaking Down the Key Parts of Proverbs 12:10

#1 “The righteous..”
Righteous is a powerful word for a powerful concept. It carries an all-encompassing weight for one who is like God, or in the process of becoming like God. Derivatives will include, but not necessarily be limited to, honesty, integrity, love, justice, mercy, industry and generosity. A righteous man or woman will display the fruit of the Spirit and so live a joyful life (Gal 5:22-23).

#2 “…care for the needs of their animals,”
The righteous understand the biblical principle of stewardship. A person who is righteous will not fail to provide for his or her household, even for the pets and livestock for which they have taken responsibility. They will understand animals are not humans, nor should they be treated as such, but nonetheless they are part of God’s good creation, living beings who deserve their own sort of justice (Ex 21:28).

#3 “but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.”
The kind acts of the wicked could also fall into the category of the righteous deeds that God considers “filthy rags” (Isa 64:6). It is not that the wicked are incapable of doing a kind action, but that the motives, unredeemed by Christ are sinful, even cruel when the motive is to dominate others.

Expert Overview of Proverbs

Biblical Translations of Proverbs 12:10

NIV
The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

NLT
The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel.

ESV
Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.

KJV
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

NKJV
A righteous man regards the life of his animal, But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.