Proverbs 29:3 kjv
Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.
Proverbs 29:3 nkjv
Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice, But a companion of harlots wastes his wealth.
Proverbs 29:3 niv
A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
Proverbs 29:3 esv
He who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
Proverbs 29:3 nlt
The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,
but if he hangs around with prostitutes, his wealth is wasted.
Proverbs 29 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Love of Wisdom/Folly | ||
| Prv 4:6 | "Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you." | Wisdom provides protection and guidance. |
| Prv 8:17 | "I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me." | Wisdom reciprocates love and rewards diligent seekers. |
| Ps 111:10 | "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who practice it have a good understanding." | Wisdom stems from reverence for God. |
| Job 28:28 | "And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’" | True wisdom is rooted in piety and avoiding sin. |
| Mt 7:24 | "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man..." | Following Christ's teachings is the path of wisdom. |
| Col 2:3 | "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." | All true wisdom is found in Christ. |
| Bringing Joy/Sorrow to Parents | ||
| Prv 10:1 | "A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother." | Directly echoes the joy wisdom brings parents. |
| Prv 15:20 | "A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish man despises his mother." | Reinforces the wise son's positive impact on parents. |
| Prv 17:21 | "He who fathers a fool gets grief, and the father of a fool has no joy." | The folly of a child brings sorrow to a father. |
| Prv 17:25 | "A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him." | A foolish child causes pain and sorrow to parents. |
| Prv 23:24 | "The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him." | Emphasizes the great joy a wise son brings. |
| Prv 23:25 | "Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice." | Command to bring joy to parents. |
| Prv 28:7 | "The one who keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons shames his father." | Association with destructive behavior shames parents. |
| Consequences of Immorality & Waste | ||
| Prv 2:16-19 | "So also you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words..." | Warning against destructive path of immoral women. |
| Prv 5:3-14 | "For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood..." | Detailed description of the bitter consequences of immorality. |
| Prv 6:26 | "For on account of a prostitute a man is brought to a loaf of bread, and an adulteress hunts down a precious life." | Highlights the impoverishing effect of association with prostitutes. |
| Prv 7:6-27 | "For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, and I have seen among the simple..." | Extended warning about falling into the trap of immorality. |
| Prv 23:27-28 | "For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress is a narrow well. She lies in wait like a robber and increases the traitors among mankind." | Depicts prostitutes as dangerous traps leading to ruin. |
| 1 Cor 6:15-18 | "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute?" | Paul warns against joining believers' bodies to prostitutes, dishonoring Christ. |
| Lk 15:13 | "Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living." | The prodigal son story illustrating reckless spending and ruin. |
| Eph 5:5 | "For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God." | Immorality leads to exclusion from God's kingdom. |
Proverbs 29 verses
Proverbs 29 3 Meaning
Proverbs 29:3 highlights a stark contrast between two life paths and their distinct outcomes, especially as they relate to one's parents. The first path is characterized by a deep love for wisdom, which brings profound joy and honor to a father. The second path involves choosing fellowship with those engaged in sexual immorality (prostitutes), leading directly to the squandering of one's material possessions and reputation. The verse teaches that one's moral choices have significant repercussions not only for the individual but also for the family, particularly the father.
Proverbs 29 3 Context
Proverbs 29 continues the collection of wise sayings, often presented as antithetical parallelism, contrasting righteousness and wickedness, wisdom and folly, and their respective consequences. This chapter specifically delves into themes of justice, governance, pride, discipline, and their impact on individuals, families, and society. Verse 3 is embedded in a broader discourse about character and its familial impact, directly following a verse on just leadership and preceding a verse about the consequences of neglecting the poor. In ancient Israelite culture, the family, particularly the patriarchal father figure, was the foundational unit of society. A son's actions directly reflected upon the family's honor and the father's legacy. Therefore, bringing joy to one's father was a paramount duty, while disgrace brought shame not only to the individual but to the entire household. Associating with prostitutes represented not only sexual sin but also severe financial recklessness, societal degradation, and a rejection of the moral order upheld by the community and the divine law.
Proverbs 29 3 Word analysis
Whoever loves wisdom (אֹהֵב חָכְמָה - ohev chakmah):
- Loves (אֹהֵב - ohev): This is more than a mere appreciation or intellectual assent. It denotes a deep affection, devotion, and active pursuit. It implies a willing alignment of one's desires and life choices with wisdom's principles. This commitment transforms character and conduct.
- Wisdom (חָכְמָה - chakmah): In the Biblical context, wisdom is not just intelligence but moral and practical understanding rooted in the fear of the Lord. It encompasses skill in living righteously, making discerning choices, and aligning one's life with God's truth and design for creation.
makes his father glad (יְשַׂמַּח אָב - yesammach av):
- Makes glad (יְשַׂמַּח - yesammach): A causative verb meaning to cause joy, to cheer up, to make someone happy. This emphasizes the direct, positive emotional impact of the wise child on the parent. It suggests a life lived well, reflecting honor and proper upbringing.
- Father (אָב - av): The patriarchal head of the household and lineage. In this culture, a son's character directly affected the father's honor and standing in the community. A wise son brought affirmation to his father's teaching and character.
but a companion of prostitutes (וְרֹעֶה זוֹנוֹת - ve'ro'eh zonot):
- Companion of (וְרֹעֶה - ve'ro'eh): Literally "one who shepherds" or "one who associates with." This implies an intimate and regular association, suggesting deep friendship or patronage. It’s not a casual acquaintance but a chosen lifestyle. The word "ro'eh" for shepherd suggests guiding or being guided by. Here, it tragically signifies one whose path is now entwined with immoral individuals.
- Prostitutes (זוֹנוֹת - zonot): Refers to those engaged in sexual immorality for gain. Biblically, this often also serves as a metaphor for spiritual idolatry and unfaithfulness to God. Their association leads to moral decay, social ostracism, and practical ruin.
wastes his wealth (יְבַלֵּעַ הוֹן - yevalla' hon):
- Wastes (יְבַלֵּעַ - yevalla'): To swallow, consume, devour, squander, bring to ruin. It's a strong verb conveying utter destruction and consumption, not just depletion. It indicates a swift and complete dissipation of resources.
- Wealth (הוֹן - hon): Refers to material possessions, riches, resources, and substance. This includes not only money but also property, inheritance, reputation, and perhaps even one's health and life force, all of which are consumed by such destructive relationships.
Group analysis:
- "Whoever loves wisdom makes his father glad": This phrase portrays a virtuous cycle where personal commitment to moral and divine wisdom directly translates into filial piety and familial harmony. It underscores the social and familial benefits of a righteous life, creating joy and reinforcing generational blessings.
- "but a companion of prostitutes wastes his wealth": This second part of the parallelism provides a stark contrast, revealing a destructive cycle. It links immoral association directly to financial and personal ruin. It warns that indulging in sinful pleasures has tangible and severe consequences, dissolving both resources and reputation. The contrast highlights the direct and inevitable link between one's chosen associates and one's ultimate fate.
Proverbs 29 3 Bonus section
The concept of "wasting wealth" extends beyond mere money to encompass the wasting of potential, time, health, and a good reputation—elements of a life inheritance from God and parents. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, a son's moral integrity and prosperity were direct reflections on the father's legacy and teachings, underscoring the severity of the disgrace mentioned. The "prostitute" figure in Proverbs is not just a literal person but also represents the allure of folly, sin, and apostasy from God's ways, where true intimacy with Christ (wisdom personified) brings life, but straying into worldly lusts (prostitution) brings death and ruin. This proverb aligns with the broader biblical principle that one's company greatly influences one's character and fate (e.g., Ps 1:1, 1 Cor 15:33).
Proverbs 29 3 Commentary
Proverbs 29:3 delivers a timeless and practical truth rooted in divine wisdom: one's character, particularly expressed through the choice of wisdom or folly, has profound and immediate impacts. The verse employs vivid antithetical parallelism to illustrate this. A person who genuinely loves and pursues wisdom embodies the values taught by a righteous father, bringing deep joy and honor to the family lineage. This joy is not merely superficial but stems from a son living a life of integrity, responsible stewardship, and godly conduct, fulfilling a parent's deepest hopes. Conversely, one who actively chooses companionship with those engaged in promiscuous or licentious behavior inevitably faces ruin. This is not just moral degradation but a literal wasting away of resources—financial assets, good name, health, and potential—all consumed by a destructive lifestyle. The wisdom here teaches that intimate association shapes destiny, emphasizing both the personal accountability for one's choices and the familial implications of those choices. It urges discernment in friendships and underscores the blessing that flows from a life devoted to godly wisdom versus the curses inherent in embracing profligacy.