💡WEB · Proverbs 17:21
What does Proverbs 17:21 mean?
"He who becomes the father of a fool grieves. The father of a fool has no joy."
— Proverbs 17:21 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
A man void of understanding strikes hands, and becomes collateral in the presence of his neighbor.
He who loves disobedience loves strife. One who builds a high gate seeks destruction.
One who has a perverse heart doesn’t find prosperity, and one who has a deceitful tongue falls into trouble.
He who becomes the father of a fool grieves. The father of a fool has no joy.
A cheerful heart makes good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
A wicked man receives a bribe in secret, to pervert the ways of justice.
Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.
Explanation
Proverbs 17:21 is straightforward in its wording but weighty in its meaning: to have a child who becomes a "fool" — in the Proverbs sense, someone morally reckless, stubborn, and unwilling to accept correction — brings deep and lasting sorrow to a parent. The verse repeats itself for emphasis, first saying such a father "grieves," then reinforcing it by saying he "has no joy." This poetic repetition, common in Hebrew wisdom literature, underscores just how thoroughly a fool's behavior can weigh on a parent's heart, touching every part of life rather than being a passing sadness.
The book of Proverbs is traditionally attributed largely to Solomon, though it also includes contributions from other wise men, compiled for the instruction of young people — especially sons — entering adulthood in ancient Israel. Its purpose was practical: to train people in wisdom, self-discipline, and the fear of the Lord, contrasting the "wise" person who lives skillfully and righteously with the "fool" who is morally careless and resistant to instruction. In this cultural context, family honor and generational continuity mattered greatly. A child's character reflected not just on himself but on the household, and parents bore real responsibility for raising children in wisdom (see Proverbs 22:6). So this verse reflects a broader concern in the book: how children turn out has real consequences, both for society and for the parents who invested in them.
Theologically, the verse reflects a consistent theme in Proverbs — that wisdom and folly are not just intell
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