A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance. There is a sympathy between the body and the mind, so that a happy mind is reflected in the happy expression of countenance.

But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken - and therefore the countenance (supplied from the parallel clause) also wears an afflicted expression.

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