New King James Version
Proverbs 17:21
21He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow, And 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 Living Translation (NLT)It is painful to be the parent of a fool; there is no joy for the father of a rebel.
Context of Proverbs 17:21
19He who loves transgression loves strife, And he who exalts his gate seeks destruction. 20He who has a deceitful heart finds no good, And he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil. He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy. 22A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones. 23A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back To pervert the ways 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 a grief to his father, And bitterness to her who bore him.
- Proverbs 10:1The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.
- Proverbs 15:20A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother.
- Proverbs 19:13A foolish son is the ruin of his father, And the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping.
- Genesis 26:34When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.
- 1 Samuel 2:32And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house forever.
- 1 Samuel 8:3But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.
- 2 Samuel 18:33Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: “O my son Absalom—my son, my son Absalom—if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son!”
- Proverbs 23:15My son, if your heart is wise, My heart will rejoice—indeed, I myself;
- 2 Corinthians 2:3And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all.
- 3 John 1:4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries