The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
Parallel translations
- WEB The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father; but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.
- KJV The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
- ESV The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.
- NKJV The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.
- NASB The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.
- NLT The proverbs of Solomon: A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
A wise son gladdens his father, but a foolish son grieves his mother. Our character brings either joy or sorrow to those who love us.
Overview
This verse opens the main collection of Solomon's proverbs, many in the form of contrasting parallels. It shows that a child's wisdom or folly has real consequences within the family. The principle reminds us that godly character is not private; it blesses or burdens our closest relationships, reflecting the honor children owe their parents (Exodus 20:12).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Prov 1:1These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,
- Prov 17:25A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
- Prov 29:15A rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.
- Prov 29:3A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
- Prov 23:15–16My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will indeed rejoice.
- Prov 23:24–25The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who fathers a wise son will delight in him.
- Prov 15:20A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
- Prov 17:21A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.
- Eccl 12:9Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs.
- Prov 19:13A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.
- Eccl 2:19And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile.
- Prov 25:1These are additional proverbs of Solomon, which were copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:
- 1 Kgs 4:32Solomon composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered a thousand and five.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 10:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.