He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.
He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow; And the father of a fool hath no joy.
Whoso is begetting a fool hath affliction for it, Yea, the father of a fool rejoiceth not.
He that begetteth a fool [doeth it] to his sorrow, and the father of a vile [man] hath no joy.
Proverbs — Gnomic wisdom — sayings, instructions, and the binary of wisdom vs. folly. Fear of the LORD as the integrative theme; the virtuous woman of Prov 31 as the book's closing portrait of wisdom embodied.
Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread — the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.
Voices2
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.
Origen of Alexandria· EXPOSITION ON PROVERBS, FRAGMENT 17:21, 253patristic
He that begetteth a fool doth it to his sorrow,....
John Gill· Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)reformed
The walk8
Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first — the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.
Through
Proverbs 10:1The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
leads to
My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will indeed rejoice.
Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,
A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
A rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.
Through
Proverbs 15:20A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
leads to
The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
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.
leads to
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,
Through
Proverbs 19:13A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.
leads to
A constant dripping on a rainy day and a contentious woman are alike—
The whole web at once: see the Arc.
The verses this one reaches12
The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
A rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.
A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.
When Esau was forty years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.
A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will indeed rejoice.
A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
You will see distress in My dwelling place. Despite all that is good in Israel, no one in your house will ever again reach old age.
Now suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father has committed, considers them, and does not do likewise:
I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.
I wrote as I did so that on my arrival I would not be saddened by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would share my joy.
The king was shaken and went up to the gate chamber and wept. And as he walked, he cried out, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
2 more linked verses are grouped by book below ↓
Every other verse the study tradition links to this one, in the Bible’s own order. The first links in each book carry a line of their text; every reference opens its full verse page.
Cross-references are drawn from classic Bible study tools and open, shareable Bible data.
