Proverbs 17:21
19 He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his gate high invites destruction.
20 The one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.
A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.
22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
23 A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- A man fathers a fool to his own grief; 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.
- WEB
- He who becomes the father of a fool grieves. The father of a fool has no joy.
- ASV
- He that begetteth a fool [doeth it] to his sorrow; And the father of a fool hath no joy.
- DARBY
- He that begetteth a fool [doeth it] to his sorrow, and the father of a vile [man] hath no joy.
- BLB
- The one begetting a fool, grief [is] unto him, and the father of a fool is not glad.
- ÅB
- Den som har en narr til sønn, får sorg av ham; en dåres far har ingen glede.
- OTB
- Å ha en dåre til barn bringer sorg; det er ingen glede for forelderen til en dåre.
- B1930
- Den som har en narr til sønn, får sorg av ham; en dåres far har ingen glede.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
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.
Read in contextProverbs 19:13
A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.
Read in contextProverbs 15:20
A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
Read in contextProverbs 17:25
A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
Read in contextGenesis 26:34
When Esau was forty years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.
Read in context1 Samuel 2:32–35
You 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.
Read in contextProverbs 23:15–16
My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will indeed rejoice.
Read in context3 John 1:4
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Read in context