Proverbs 15:20

20 A wise son maketh a father joyful: but the foolish man despiseth 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 passionate man stirreth up strifes: he that is patient appeaseth those that are stirred up.
19 The way of the slothful is as a hedge of thorns: the way of the just is without offence.
20 A wise son maketh a father joyful: but the foolish man despiseth his mother.
21 Folly is joy to the fool: and the wise man maketh straight his steps.
22 Designs are brought to nothing where there is no counsel: but where there are many counsellors, they are established.
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