The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of 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.
- BSB The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to 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 1:1The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
- Prov 17:25A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.
- Prov 29:15The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
- Prov 29:3Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.
- Prov 23:15–16My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
- Prov 23:24–25The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
- Prov 15:20A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.
- Prov 17:21He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.
- Eccl 12:9And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
- Prov 19:13A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.
- Eccl 2:19And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
- Prov 25:1These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.
- 1 Kgs 4:32And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were 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.