Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 17:21
21A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow; the father of a fool has no joy.
Proverbs 17:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.
- New International Version (NIV)To have a fool for a child brings grief; there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.
- English Standard Version (ESV)He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy.
- New King James Version (NKJV)He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy.
Context of Proverbs 17:21
19One who loves to offend loves strife; one who builds a high threshold invites injury. 20One with a twisted mind will not succeed, and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin. A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow; the father of a fool has no joy. 22A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. 23A wicked person secretly takes a bribe to subvert the course of justice.
Read all of Proverbs 17Proverbs 17:21 word by word
יֹלֵ֣ד כְּ֭סִיל לְת֣וּגָה ל֑וֹ וְלֹֽא־יִ֝שְׂמַ֗ח אֲבִ֣י נָבָֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 17:21
- Proverbs 17:25A foolish son is grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him.
- Proverbs 10:1Solomon’s proverbs: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son, heartache to his mother.
- Proverbs 15:20A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
- Proverbs 19:13A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a wife’s nagging is an endless dripping.
- Genesis 26:34When Esau was forty years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hethite, and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hethite.
- 1 Samuel 2:32You will see distress in the place of worship, in spite of all that is good in Israel, and no one in your family will ever again reach old age.
- 1 Samuel 8:3However, his sons did not walk in his ways — they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice.
- 2 Samuel 18:33The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber above the city gate and wept. As he walked, he cried, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”
- Proverbs 23:15My son, if your heart is wise, my heart will indeed rejoice.
- 2 Corinthians 2:3I wrote this very thing so that when I came I wouldn’t have pain from those who ought to give me joy, because I am confident about all of you that my joy will also be yours.
- 3 John 1:4I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in truth.
Commentaries on Proverbs 17:21
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21Verse 21 This speaks very plainly what many wise and good men feel very strongly, how grievous it is to have a foolish, wicked child.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. (Compare Pr 23:24). Different words are rendered by "fool," both denoting stupidity and impiety.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 17:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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Commentaries