Proverbs 14:13 - Meaning and Application

This shows how empty worldly joy can be, and it proves what Solomon said about laughter, that it is foolish. First, there is sadness hidden beneath it. Sometimes sinners are under conviction, meaning they feel God’s hand on their conscience, or they are facing some great trouble, and they cover their grief with forced cheer. They put on a brave face because they do not want to seem defeated.

Even when people are truly laughing, there is often something mixed in that spoils their joy. Something inside their heart keeps them from full gladness, even if they try to hide it. Their conscience tells them they have no good reason to be merry (Hosea 9:1), and they cannot help seeing how empty it is. True spiritual joy lives deep in the soul, but the joy of a hypocrite, someone who only pretends to be godly, shows only on the outside. See (John 16:22; 2 Corinthians 6:10).

Second, there is something worse waiting after this kind of joy. The end of such mirth is heaviness. It does not last long, like the crackling of thorns under a pot, bright for a moment and then gone. If a person’s conscience is awake, all sinful and careless joy will later be remembered with bitterness. If the conscience is not awake, the sorrow will be even greater when God brings the sinner into judgment for all these things.

The sorrows of God’s people will end in lasting joy (Psalm 126:5), but the laughter of fools will end in endless weeping and mourning.