Proverbs 17:21
in Proverbs 17A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow; And the father of a fool hath no joy.
KJV
He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.
⋯
This verse in Proverbs 17
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
He that hath a froward heart
on Proverbs 17:20-23
A froward heart finds no good and a perverse tongue falls into trouble, the inward condition producing the outward ruin the chapter keeps returning to. A fool's father grieves without joy, but a merry heart works like medicine while a broken spirit dries the bones, a physical image for what emotion does to the body that the commentators note anticipates later medical observation without claiming to be one. Taking a bribe out of the bosom to bend judgment closes the unit on the same corruption named at verse 15.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Origen of AlexandriaEXPOSITION ON PROVERBS, FRAGMENT 17:21 · Written before 253.
proposed
God is called "father" and God's love to humankind "mother," which was the cause of the divine incarnation and his suffering for our sake. Although God is our Father, he does not rejoice in an adopted son who is uneducated in divine wisdom and knowledge and who is committed to wickedness and evil. But a reasonable son gladdens his mother, that is, God's love toward humankind. It is she who presents us to God the Father as undernourished children, longing for solid spiritual food.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He that begetteth a fool doth it to his sorrow,....
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יֹלֵ֣ד | yoled | [one who] begets | H3205 → | 496 times |
| כְּ֭סִיל | kesil | a fool | H3684 → | 70 times |
| לְת֣וּגָה | letugah | to grief | H8424 → | 4 times |
| ל֑וֹ | lo | of him | ||
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִ֝שְׂמַ֗ח | yismach | he rejoices | H8055 → | 155 times |
| אֲבִ֣י | ʾavi | [the] father of | H1 → | 1212 times |
| נָבָֽל׃ | naval | a fool | H5036 → | 18 times |
יֹלֵ֣ד[one who] begets
yoledH3205 →496 times
כְּ֭סִילa fool
kesilH3684 →70 times
לְת֣וּגָהto grief
letugahH8424 →4 times
ל֑וֹof him
lo
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִ֝שְׂמַ֗חhe rejoices
yismachH8055 →155 times
אֲבִ֣י[the] father of
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
נָבָֽל׃a fool
navalH5036 →18 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 10:1The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
it leads to
- Proverbs 23:15–16
My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will indeed rejoice.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 29:3
A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 1:1
These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,
- Proverbs 17:25
A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
- Proverbs 29:15
A rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.
- Proverbs 23:15–16
Through
Proverbs 15:20A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
it leads to
- Proverbs 10:1
The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 10:1
Through
Genesis 26:34When Esau was forty years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.
it leads to
- Genesis 36:2
Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite,
- Genesis 36:2
Through
Proverbs 19:13A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.
it leads to
- Proverbs 27:15
A constant dripping on a rainy day and a contentious woman are alike—
- Proverbs 27:15
Where this verse is studied
About Proverbs
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, EXPOSITION ON PROVERBS, FRAGMENT 17:21.