Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version To have a fool for a child brings grief; there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool. New Living Translation It is painful to be the parent of a fool; there is no joy for the father of a rebel. English Standard Version He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy. Berean Standard Bible A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy. King James Bible He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy. New King James Version He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy. New American Standard Bible He who fathers a fool does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy. NASB 1995 He who sires a fool does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy. NASB 1977 He who begets a fool does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy. Legacy Standard Bible He who begets a fool does so to his grief, And the father of a wicked fool is not glad. Amplified Bible He who becomes the parent of a fool [who is spiritually blind] does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool [who is spiritually blind] has no joy. Christian Standard Bible A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow; the father of a fool has no joy. Holman Christian Standard Bible A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow; the father of a fool has no joy. American Standard Version He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow; And the father of a fool hath no joy. Contemporary English Version It's never pleasant to be the parent of a fool and have nothing but pain. English Revised Version He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy. GOD'S WORD® Translation The parent of a fool has grief, and the father of a godless fool has no joy. Good News Translation There is nothing but sadness and sorrow for parents whose children do foolish things. International Standard Version The man who fathers a fool does so to his sorrow— the father of a fool has no joy. Majority Standard Bible A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy. NET Bible Whoever brings a fool into the world does so to his grief, and the father of a fool has no joy. New Heart English Bible He who becomes the father of a fool grieves. The father of a fool has no joy. Webster's Bible Translation He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy. World English Bible He who becomes the father of a fool grieves. The father of a fool has no joy. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionWhoever is begetting a fool has affliction for it, "" Indeed, the father of a fool does not rejoice. Young's Literal Translation Whoso is begetting a fool hath affliction for it, Yea, the father of a fool rejoiceth not. Smith's Literal Translation The foolish one was born for sorrow to himself, and the father of the foolish one shall not rejoice. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleA fool is born to his own disgrace: and even his father shall not rejoice in a fool. Catholic Public Domain Version A foolish one is born into his own disgrace. But his father will not rejoice in one who is senseless. New American Bible Whoever conceives a fool has grief; the father of a numskull has no joy. New Revised Standard Version The one who begets a fool gets trouble; the parent of a fool has no joy. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleHe who begets a fool does it to his own shame; his father will have no joy in him. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated He that begets a fool, it is to his own shame, neither will his father rejoice in him. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow; And the father of a churl hath no joy. Brenton Septuagint Translation and the heart of a fool is grief to its possessor. A father rejoices not over an uninstructed son; but a wise son gladdens his mother. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Better a Dry Morsel in Quietness…20The one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble. 21A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy. 22A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.… Cross References Proverbs 10:1 The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother. Proverbs 15:20 A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother. Proverbs 19:13 A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping. Proverbs 23:24-25 The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who fathers a wise son will delight in him. / May your father and mother be glad, and may she who gave you birth rejoice! Proverbs 29:15 A rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother. Proverbs 29:17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will bring delight to your soul. Ecclesiastes 2:18-19 I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. / And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile. 1 Samuel 2:12-17 Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD / or for the custom of the priests with the people. When any man offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling / and plunge it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or cooking pot. And the priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. ... 2 Samuel 18:33 The king was shaken and went up to the chamber over the gate 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!” Genesis 26:34-35 When Esau was forty years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. / And they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah. Genesis 27:46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a Hittite wife from among them, what good is my life?” Luke 15:11-32 Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. / The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. / After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living. ... Ephesians 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. / “Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), / “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.” ... Colossians 3:20-21 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. / Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become discouraged. Hebrews 12:5-11 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. / For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.” / Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? ... Treasury of Scripture He that begets a fool does it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool has no joy. that Proverbs 17:25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him. Proverbs 10:1 The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother. Proverbs 15:20 A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother. hath Proverbs 23:15,16 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine… 2 Corinthians 2:3 And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. 3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Jump to Previous Affliction Begetteth Begetting Churl Fool Foolish Gets Grief Grieves Joy Rejoiceth Sires Sorrow Stupid Unwise VileJump to Next Affliction Begetteth Begetting Churl Fool Foolish Gets Grief Grieves Joy Rejoiceth Sires Sorrow Stupid Unwise VileProverbs 17 1. Contrasts between the Righteous and the WickedA man fathers a fool The Hebrew word for "fool" here is "כְּסִיל" (kesil), which often denotes someone who is morally deficient or lacking in wisdom. In the ancient Near Eastern context, wisdom was not merely intellectual but deeply tied to moral and ethical living. The act of "fathering" a fool suggests a failure in imparting wisdom and godly values, which was a significant responsibility in Hebrew culture. Fathers were expected to guide their children in the ways of the Lord, as seen in Deuteronomy 6:6-7. The grief mentioned here is profound, as it reflects a failure in fulfilling one's God-given role as a parent. to his own grief the father of a fool has no joy Persons / Places / Events 1. The FatherRepresents a parent or guardian who has invested time, love, and resources into raising a child. 2. The Fool In the context of Proverbs, a fool is someone who rejects wisdom and understanding, often leading to moral and spiritual failure. 3. The Family Unit The broader context of family dynamics and the impact of individual behavior on family harmony and reputation. Teaching Points The Importance of Wisdom in ParentingParents are called to instill wisdom and godly values in their children to prevent the grief associated with foolishness. The Consequences of Foolishness Foolish behavior not only affects the individual but also brings sorrow to their family, highlighting the communal impact of personal choices. The Role of Discipline and Guidance Consistent, loving discipline and guidance are crucial in steering children away from foolishness and towards wisdom. Seeking God’s Wisdom Parents should seek God’s wisdom in prayer and scripture to guide their children effectively. Hope and Redemption Even if a child strays, there is hope for redemption and restoration through God’s grace, as seen in the account of the Prodigal Son.(21) He that begetteth a fool (khesil).--See above, on Proverbs 1:32. The father of a fool (n?bh?l).--See above, on Proverbs 17:7. Verse 21. - He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow (comp. ver. 25). The words for "fool" in the two clauses are different. Here it is kesil, which implies bold, self-confident folly, the worst form of the vies; in the second hemistich it is nabal, which rather denotes dulness and stupidity, a want of mental power. A conceited, offensive fool causes infinite trouble to his father, both from his need of constant correction, and the watchfulness required to repair the consequences of his foolish actions. There is also the grief at seeing instruction and warning thrown away on a worthless object. Septuagint, "The heart of a fool is a pain to him who possesseth it." The father of a fool hath no joy. The contrast in the case of a good son is seen in Proverbs 15:20 and Proverbs 23:24. The LXX. adds a clause from Proverbs 10:1, with the view of improving the parallelism, "But a prudent son rejoiceth his mother."Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew A man fathersיֹלֵ֣ד (yō·lêḏ) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage a fool כְּ֭סִיל (kə·sîl) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 3684: Stupid fellow, dullard, fool to his own grief; לְת֣וּגָה (lə·ṯū·ḡāh) Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 8424: Depression, a grief the father אֲבִ֣י (’ă·ḇî) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 1: Father of a fool נָבָֽל׃ (nā·ḇāl) Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 5036: Foolish, senseless has no וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-) Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no joy. יִ֝שְׂמַ֗ח (yiś·maḥ) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 8055: To brighten up, be, blithe, gleesome Links Proverbs 17:21 NIVProverbs 17:21 NLT Proverbs 17:21 ESV Proverbs 17:21 NASB Proverbs 17:21 KJV Proverbs 17:21 BibleApps.com Proverbs 17:21 Biblia Paralela Proverbs 17:21 Chinese Bible Proverbs 17:21 French Bible Proverbs 17:21 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Proverbs 17:21 He who becomes the father (Prov. Pro Pr) |
    |