Proverbs 10:1 kjv

The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

Proverbs 10:1 nkjv

The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.

Proverbs 10:1 niv

The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

Proverbs 10:1 esv

The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.

Proverbs 10:1 nlt

The proverbs of Solomon: A wise child brings joy to a father;
a foolish child brings grief to a mother.

Proverbs 10 verses

Proverbs 10 1 Meaning

Proverbs 10:1 establishes a fundamental contrast in human experience, highlighting the profound impact of a child's character on their parents. A son who chooses wisdom and lives prudently brings happiness and honor to his father, reflecting well on his upbringing and efforts. Conversely, a son who embodies folly and makes poor, often morally deviant, choices causes deep sorrow and anguish to his mother, underscoring the pain and shame that parental expectations and love can endure. This verse sets the stage for the primary theme of the book of Proverbs, which is the stark distinction between the paths and outcomes of wisdom and folly.

Proverbs 10 1 Context

Proverbs chapter 10 marks a significant shift in the book's structure. Following the longer, poetic exhortations and warnings in chapters 1-9 (often framed as a father instructing his son to choose wisdom over folly, represented by a virtuous woman and a temptress), chapter 10 introduces a collection of short, pithy, independent proverbs. These are primarily "antithetical parallelisms," where two opposing ideas are placed side-by-side to highlight a contrast, usually between the righteous/wise and the wicked/foolish. Proverbs 10:1 serves as a foundational verse for this section, immediately presenting the central theme of contrasting consequences for wisdom and folly, particularly within the crucial family unit. The historical and cultural context underscores the importance of family honor, lineage, and the reputation of parents as inextricably linked to the behavior and character of their children. A wise child reflected well on the father's headship and legacy, while a foolish child brought disgrace not only to themselves but also to the entire household, affecting parental standing in the community.

Proverbs 10 1 Word analysis

• A wise son (בֶּן־חָכָם - ben-chakham):
  • Ben (בֶּן): "Son." Signifies a descendant, but in wisdom literature often implies a disciple or one who adopts the teachings, going beyond mere biological lineage.
  • Chakham (חָכָם): "Wise," skillful, astute, prudent. This wisdom is not just intellectual acumen but moral discernment and practical living according to God's ways, leading to good judgment and righteous conduct.
  • Significance: A son embodying practical righteousness and spiritual understanding.
• brings joy (יְשַׂמַּח - yesamach):
  • From samach (שׂמח): "To rejoice, be glad, make joyful." Indicates deep, genuine happiness and satisfaction.
  • Significance: The father's pride and delight in his son's character and actions are profound.
• to his father (אָבִיו - aviv):
  • Av (אָב): "Father," the patriarch, head of the family, symbol of authority, legacy, and teaching.
  • Significance: The father receives honor and fulfillment through his wise son. The wise son confirms the father's efforts in instruction and upbringing.
• but a foolish son (וּבֶן־כְּסִיל - uven-kesil):
  • Kesil (כְּסִיל): "Fool, simpleton, thick-headed." This term often denotes more than mere lack of intelligence; it describes a morally deficient person who is perverse, arrogant, scornful of wisdom and correction, and prone to reckless or destructive behavior. They actively reject wisdom's path.
  • Significance: A son embodying persistent error, moral laxity, and a rejection of divine instruction.
• brings grief (תּוּגַת - tûgat):
  • Tûgâh (תּוּגָה): "Grief, sorrow, sadness, lamentation." Denotes a heavy, deep emotional pain.
  • Significance: The profound suffering and anguish caused by the foolish son's destructive actions.
• to his mother (אִמּוֹ - immo):
  • Em (אֵם): "Mother." Represents the nurturer, often associated with a deeper, perhaps more vulnerable, emotional connection to the child.
  • Significance: While the father bears the joy (public honor, legacy), the mother often bears the deep, internal pain of shame, concern, and the ongoing burdens of a wayward child. This distinction adds a poignant depth to the parallelism, acknowledging the different ways parents might experience the effects of their children's choices, or simply providing a rich and balanced poetic expression of parental influence.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "A wise son brings joy to his father": This phrase paints a picture of positive family dynamics. It reflects the ideal outcome of righteous living and proper upbringing. A son's wisdom validates parental guidance and brings gladness to the household head. This is the fulfillment of hope.
• "but a foolish son brings grief to his mother": This antithetical phrase sharply contrasts with the first. The foolish son negates all parental hopes, causing anguish. The shift from "father" to "mother" is noteworthy: fathers might primarily experience public honor/shame, while mothers might experience a more profound, visceral grief, perhaps enduring the daily struggles and consequences of a foolish child more directly. It speaks to the burden of parental pain from a child's destructive choices. This binary sets the tone for the proverbs that follow.

Proverbs 10 1 Bonus section

• Proverbs 10:1 serves as a thesis statement for the rest of the book of Proverbs, specifically the main body of Solomon's proverbs (10:1-22:16). The contrast between the "wise son" and the "foolish son" embodies the primary didactic purpose of the book: to instruct in wisdom and to warn against folly.
• The verse encapsulates the biblical worldview where individual choices have corporate ripple effects, first and foremost within the family unit. The family is presented as the primary unit of blessing or brokenness stemming from character.
• This verse undergirds the importance of godly parenting. While it states the outcome of children's choices, it implicitly stresses the parents' role in teaching and shaping their children's paths (e.g., Prov 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go"). The "joy" or "grief" of the parent is often a reflection of the success or failure of that foundational instruction and discipleship.
• The pairing of father-joy and mother-grief, while often noted for its parallelism, also suggests a complementary view of parental experience. The father, as the head of the house and public figure, experiences the honor or dishonor directly. The mother, often seen as the emotional heart of the home, bears the deeper, more constant, internal pain of a foolish child's ruin.

Proverbs 10 1 Commentary

Proverbs 10:1 concisely sets the moral and ethical framework for the entire "Proverbs of Solomon" section (chapters 10-29). It articulates a fundamental truth: the character of children has a direct, profound, and often inverse impact on their parents. The verse highlights the core contrast between wisdom and folly, depicting wisdom as the path to joy and affirmation, and folly as the source of profound sorrow and regret. This isn't merely a matter of social standing, but deep personal experience. The wisdom described is not mere intellectual capacity but practical righteousness and a fear of the Lord, while folly is the stubborn refusal to heed instruction and embrace divine truth, leading to destructive choices. The subtle shift from "father" for joy to "mother" for grief amplifies the emotional resonance, perhaps hinting at different facets of parental burden and reward, or simply enhancing the poetic parallelism by involving both parents in the stark outcome. The verse acts as a call to prioritize wisdom and diligent child-rearing, as the results are eternal and impact the most fundamental relationships.