Proverbs 15:20

20 The wise son makes a glad father, but the foolish man despises his mother.

Proverbs 15:20 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 15:20

A wise son maketh a glad father
(See Gill on Proverbs 10:1); but a foolish man despiseth his mother;
that bore him and brought him up, and perhaps was too indulgent to him; which aggravates his sin and her sorrow; (See Gill on Proverbs 10:1); or causes her to be despised by others, as Jarchi interprets it; such a man's sin, which is great folly, and shows him to be a foolish man, is highly resented by the Lord, and will be severely punished; see ( Proverbs 30:17 ) . The Targum is,

``a foolish son despises his mother;''

and so the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, which makes the antithesis more clear; and the Hebrew text designs one grown up to man's estate.

Proverbs 15:20 In-Context

18 A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he that is slow to anger appeases strife.

19 The way of the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns, but the path of the righteous is made plain.

20 The wise son makes a glad father, but the foolish man despises his mother.

21 Folly is joy to him that is destitute of understanding, but the man who is intelligent walks uprightly.

22 Without counsel purposes are disappointed, but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.