Proverbs 15:20

20 A wise son is a joy to his father, and only a fool 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 Hot-tempered people stir up strife, but patient people quiet quarrels.
19 The lazy person's way seems overgrown by thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway.
20 A wise son is a joy to his father, and only a fool despises his mother.
21 Folly appeals to one who lacks sense, but a person of discernment goes straight ahead.
22 Without deliberation, plans go wrong; but with many advisers, they succeed.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.