A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.
Parallel translations
- WEB He who becomes the father of a fool grieves. The father of a fool has no joy.
- KJV He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.
- NKJV He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy.
- NASB He who fathers a fool does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy.
- NLT It is painful to be the parent of a fool; there is no joy for the father of a rebel.
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
Raising a foolish child brings deep sorrow to a parent. Folly in one's offspring is a grief that robs a parent of joy.
Overview
Proverbs repeatedly contrasts the joy of a wise child with the grief of a foolish one (Prov. 10:1; 15:20). The 'fool' here is not merely the unintelligent but the morally and spiritually rebellious. This verse soberly reminds parents and children alike that character has consequences for those we love, and it points to the heavenly Father's own grief over wayward children and His grace to restore them in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Prov 10:1The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
- Prov 19:13A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.
- Prov 15:20A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
- Prov 17:25A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
- Prov 23:15–16My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will indeed rejoice.
- 1 Sam 2:32–35You will see distress in My dwelling place. Despite all that is good in Israel, no one in your house will ever again reach old age.
- Gen 26:34When Esau was forty years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.
- Phlm 1:19–20I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.
- 3 Jn 1:4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
- 2 Cor 2:3I wrote as I did so that on my arrival I would not be saddened by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would share my joy.
- 2 Sam 18:33The king was shaken and went up to the gate chamber and wept. And as he walked, he cried out, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
- 1 Sam 8:3But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside toward dishonest gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice.
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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 17:21 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.