He who assaults his father or evicts his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace.
Parallel translations
- WEB He who robs his father and drives away his mother, is a son who causes shame and brings reproach.
- KJV He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach.
- NKJV He who mistreats his father and chases away his mother Is a son who causes shame and brings reproach.
- NASB He who assaults his father and drives his mother away Is a shameful and disgraceful son.
- NLT Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother are an embarrassment and a public disgrace.
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 son who mistreats his parents brings shame and reproach. Dishonoring father and mother is a disgraceful sin.
Overview
This proverb condemns the son who robs his father and drives out his mother as one who brings shame and reproach upon himself. It upholds the fifth commandment's call to honor parents (Exod. 20:12) and exposes the disgrace of violating it. Such honor toward parents reflects the deeper honor due to God, and the gospel renews hearts to love and care for family rather than to wound them.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Prov 10:5He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.
- Prov 28:24He who robs his father or mother, saying, “It is not wrong,” is a companion to the man who destroys.
- Prov 30:17As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it.
- Prov 17:2A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.
- Prov 28:14Blessed is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
- Prov 28:7A discerning son keeps the law, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.
- Deut 21:18–21If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and does not listen to them when disciplined,
- Prov 10:1The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
- Prov 17:25A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
- Prov 30:11There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
- Prov 23:22–25Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
- Luke 15:12–16The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
- Luke 15:30But when this son of yours returns from squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
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 19:26 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.