A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.
Parallel translations
- WEB A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish man despises his mother.
- BSB A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
- ESV A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
- NKJV A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother.
- NASB A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother.
- NLT Sensible children bring joy to their father; foolish children despise their 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 child brings joy to a parent, while a foolish one brings shame and dishonor. It matters because wisdom or folly affects not only the individual but the whole family.
Overview
This proverb restates a recurring theme in Proverbs (cf. 10:1), tying a child's wisdom to a father's gladness and folly to contempt for a mother. Honoring parents is bound up with the fifth commandment and with godly wisdom itself. It points toward the perfectly wise Son who always pleased His Father (John 8:29).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Prov 29:3Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.
- Prov 10:1The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
- Prov 23:15–16My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
- Lev 19:3Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.
- 1 Kgs 5:7And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be the LORD this day, which hath given unto David a wise son over this great people.
- Prov 23:22Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
- 1 Kgs 1:48And also thus said the king, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.
- Phil 2:22But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.
- Prov 30:17The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
- 1 Kgs 2:9Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.
- Exod 20:12Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 15:20 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.