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Proverbs 15:21

in Proverbs 15

Folly is joy to one who lacks judgment, but a man of understanding walks a straight path.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Folly is joy to him that is void of wisdom; But a man of understanding maketh straight his going.

KJV

Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly.

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This verse in Proverbs 15

Commentary

4 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

A wise son brings joy to his father

on Proverbs 15:20-21

A wise son makes a glad father, while a foolish man despises his mother, the family portrait the book returns to from its opening chapters. Folly is joy to the man destitute of wisdom, while a man of understanding walks uprightly by a standard folly cannot see.

This site's exposition

Folly is joy to one who lacks judgment

Albert Barnes reads the lines as two travellers, each walking where his delight leads him. The empty-hearted man enjoys folly and goes the wrong way, and the man of understanding enjoys wisdom and keeps the right one. Delight sets direction.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom,....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

i. e., The empty-hearted, rejoicing in folly, goes the wrong way; the man of understanding, rejoicing in wisdom, goes the right way.

The words behind it

8 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • אִ֭וֶּלֶתfoolishness

    ʾiveletH200 →25 times

  • שִׂמְחָ֣ה[is] a joy

    simchahH8057 →94 times

  • לַחֲסַר־to [one] lacking of

    lachasar-H2638 →17 times

  • לֵ֑בheart

    levH3820 →595 times

  • וְאִ֥ישׁand a person of

    veishH376 →1663 times

  • תְּ֝בוּנָ֗הunderstanding

    tevunahH8394 →42 times

  • יְיַשֶׁר־he makes straight

    yeyasher-H3474 →25 times

  • לָֽכֶת׃to walk

    lakhetH1980 →1546 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

11 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Ephesians 5:15Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,8 worksProverbs 10:23The fool delights in shameful conduct, but a man of understanding has wisdom.7 worksProverbs 14:16A wise man fears and turns from evil, but a fool is careless and reckless.6 worksJob 28:28And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”5 worksProverbs 11:12Whoever shows contempt for his neighbor lacks judgment, but a man of understanding remains silent.5 worksProverbs 14:9Fools mock the making of amends, but goodwill is found among the upright.5 works
The other 5 cross-references, with their words ▾
Proverbs 26:18–19Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows,5 worksJames 3:13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.5 worksPsalms 111:10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!5 worksProverbs 26:19so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”3 worksProverbs 15:32He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Job 28:28

    And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 3:7

      Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Psalms 111:10

      The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!

    • Proverbs 1:7

      The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

    • Proverbs 9:10

      The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

    • Ecclesiastes 12:13

      When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.

  • Through

    Ephesians 5:15

    Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

    it leads to

    • Colossians 4:5

      Act wisely toward outsiders, redeeming the time.

    • James 3:13

      Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

    • Philippians 1:27

      Nevertheless, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm…

Where this verse is studied

About Proverbs

The Judgment of Solomon, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Judgment of Solomon, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Proverbs: the study guide →Read Proverbs 15 →

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).

Read on in Proverbs 15 →