Proverbs 23:22 kjv
Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Proverbs 23:22 nkjv
Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old.
Proverbs 23:22 niv
Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
Proverbs 23:22 esv
Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
Proverbs 23:22 nlt
Listen to your father, who gave you life,
and don't despise your mother when she is old.
Proverbs 23 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 20:12 | “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land...” | Fifth Commandment: filial duty and blessing. |
| Deut 5:16 | “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you...” | Reiteration of the foundational command. |
| Lev 19:3 | “Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father...” | Emphasizes reverence towards both parents. |
| Prov 1:8 | “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.” | Parental roles as wisdom instructors. |
| Prov 4:1 | “Hear, O sons, a father's instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight.” | Listening to parental wisdom for understanding. |
| Prov 6:20 | “My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching.” | Calls for obedience to both parents' precepts. |
| Prov 20:20 | “If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.” | Severe consequences for dishonoring parents. |
| Prov 30:17 | “The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out...” | Judgment for contempt and disobedience. |
| Mt 15:4 | “For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’” | Jesus affirms divine command to honor parents. |
| Mk 7:10-13 | Jesus condemned avoiding parental care by dedicating resources to God (Corban). | Upholds practical care over religious pretext. |
| Eph 6:1-3 | “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right... first commandment with a promise.” | New Testament exhortation to obedience and honor. |
| Col 3:20 | “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” | Obedience pleases the Lord. |
| 1 Tim 5:4 | “If a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents...” | Children's duty to care for aging family. |
| Lev 19:32 | “You shall rise before the gray head and honor the face of an old man...” | Specific command to respect the elderly. |
| Isa 46:3-4 | “Listen to me... who have been borne by me from before your birth... even to your old age I am He.” | God’s example of constant care, even in old age. |
| Ps 71:9 | “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent.” | Prayer for enduring care, mirroring desired treatment. |
| Job 12:12 | “Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.” | Connects wisdom to experience and age. |
| Tit 2:3 | “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,” | Respect for instruction from older persons. |
| Lk 2:51 | “And He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them.” | Jesus' example of submission to His earthly parents. |
| John 19:26-27 | Jesus entrusts His mother's care to John from the cross. | Christ's provision for His mother in her vulnerability. |
| Heb 12:9 | “Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them...” | Submission to earthly fathers as a parallel to God's discipline. |
| Mal 2:10 | “Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?” | God as the ultimate Creator and Father, linking human parentage to divine. |
| Prov 23:25 | "Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice." | Direct encouragement for parental joy through child's actions. |
Proverbs 23 verses
Proverbs 23 22 Meaning
This proverb is a fundamental call to filial piety, urging children to respectfully heed their father, recognizing his role in their very existence. Simultaneously, it sternly warns against dishonoring or neglecting one's mother, particularly in her vulnerable old age. It underscores the perpetual duty of honor, obedience, and care owed to parents as foundational pillars of individual and societal well-being within the biblical framework.
Proverbs 23 22 Context
Proverbs 23:22 is situated within a collection of wisdom sayings concerning self-control, discerning friendships, the pursuit of wisdom, and the rejection of foolishness. The chapter includes warnings against drunkenness, gluttony, envy of sinners, and ends with a series of calls to gain wisdom, discipline, and understanding. The specific verse underscores the core familial instruction foundational to acquiring wisdom: the honor and obedience due to one's parents. This precept is deeply embedded in ancient Israelite culture, where the household served as the primary unit for moral and spiritual formation. Respect for parental authority was a direct reflection of respect for divine authority, as the family unit was a God-ordained structure.
Proverbs 23 22 Word analysis
- Listen (שְׁמַע - shema): More than merely hearing a sound, shema implies attentive listening followed by obedience and understanding. It suggests active reception of instruction and a willingness to conform one's actions. This verb is foundational to the covenant relationship with God.
- to your father (אָב - av): Refers to the paternal head of the household, a primary source of instruction and discipline in ancient Israel. His wisdom was essential for the son's path.
- who gave you life (יְלָדֶךָ - yeladekha): This phrase emphasizes the father's generative role, physically begetting the child. It implies an inherent responsibility and authority derived from this life-giving act, laying the basis for reverence.
- and do not despise (אַל־תָּבֻז - al-tavuz): A strong prohibition meaning "do not scorn," "do not treat with contempt," "do not belittle," or "do not dishonor." It refers to an inward attitude of devaluing or a public act of disrespect.
- your mother (אִמֶּךָ - immeka): Refers to the maternal parent. The parallel structure with "father" reinforces equal dignity and deserving of honor, highlighting the complementary roles of both parents in nurturing and raising a child.
- when she is old (כִּי־זָקֵנָה - ki zakena): This specific condition adds critical emphasis. It highlights a time when the mother might become frail, vulnerable, perceived as less useful, or potentially a burden. The command thus explicitly forbids neglect, abuse, or disregard when her strength and faculties decline, challenging any inclination to abandon those who are no longer productive or self-sufficient. This demonstrates the profound, lifelong nature of filial duty.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "Listen to your father, who gave you life": This clause connects obedience directly to the source of one's existence. The father's authority is inherently linked to his role as progenitor and primary instructor, making respectful hearing a foundational response. It underscores a lineage of instruction that begins with the very act of birth.
- "and do not despise your mother when she is old": This imperative focuses on the active avoidance of contempt and neglect, especially directed towards the mother in her state of vulnerability. It demands a proactive commitment to care and honor, guarding against the societal temptation to dismiss the elderly. This highlights a sustained, ongoing moral obligation beyond initial childhood dependence.
Proverbs 23 22 Bonus section
- The verse presents a complementary but distinct charge regarding each parent, acknowledging their unique contributions and potential vulnerabilities. The father is honored for his life-giving and foundational instructional role, while the mother is protected against being despised in her specific time of age-related vulnerability.
- This proverb serves as a safeguard against a utilitarian view of human relationships, asserting that worth is not dependent on current ability or productivity, but on inherent dignity and past contributions.
- Honoring parents is often seen as a practical manifestation of one's reverence for God. If one cannot honor earthly parents whom they see, how can they honor a Heavenly Father whom they do not see? (Compare 1 John 4:20).
- The term "despise" (bazah) often implies rejection, contempt, or disdain for something previously valued. Here, it suggests an active abandonment of prior respect and care.
Proverbs 23 22 Commentary
Proverbs 23:22 articulates a vital tenet of biblical wisdom: the profound and enduring duty of filial piety. It calls for diligent heeding of a father's guidance, stemming from his role as the giver of life and initial instructor. This reverence implies a continuous openness to parental wisdom. Crucially, the verse sternly warns against despising one's mother, particularly as she reaches old age. This prohibition against contempt is especially significant, as it addresses a potential human failing: neglecting or devaluing those who may become physically weaker or more dependent. The verse champions the sustained honor and care for parents throughout their lives, advocating for gratitude, respect, and provision, particularly when their needs are greatest. This teaching cultivates not just a virtuous individual but also a robust, compassionate society rooted in divinely ordered family structures.