The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief 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.
- KJV The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
- BSB The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to 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 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 brings grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him.
- Prov 29:15The rod of correction gives wisdom, but a child left to himself causes shame to his mother.
- Prov 29:3Whoever 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, then my heart will be glad, even mine:
- Prov 23:24–25The father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
- Prov 15:20A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish man despises his mother.
- Prov 17:21He who becomes the father of a fool grieves. The father of a fool has no joy.
- Eccl 12:9Further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
- Prov 19:13A foolish son is the calamity of his father. A wife’s quarrels are a continual dripping.
- Eccl 2:19Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
- Prov 25:1These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.
- 1 Kgs 4:32He spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs numbered one thousand 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
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