Proverbs 15:20

20 A ¹wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man ²despises 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 hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But the slow to anger calms a dispute.

19 The way of the lazy is as a hedge of thorns, But the path of the upright is a highway.

20 A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother.

21 Folly is joy to him who lacks sense, But a man of understanding walks straight.

22 Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed.

Cross References

• 1. Proverbs 10:1; Proverbs 29:3
• 2. Proverbs 30:17