Found only in Proverbs 17:22, this noun appears in one of wisdom literature's most memorable health proverbs: 'A joyful heart makes for good healing' (or 'is good medicine'). The saying contrasts emotional states' physical effects—joy promotes healing while depression harms the bones. The word derives from the verbal root meaning to cure or be freed from disease, here nominalized to express the healing process or its result. This psychosomatic wisdom anticipates modern understanding of emotional health's impact on physical wellbeing.