Bible Strands
Proverbs 10:1
The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The text opens a collection of wisdom sayings attributed to Solomon, presented without a specific historical moment or named audience.
The words — חָכָם (Cha.khom) describes a person marked by practical skill and moral discernment, while כְּסִיל (ke.Sil) denotes a stubborn, morally obtuse individual who rejects correction.
The thread — The text's focus on a son's impact on his parents runs to Proverbs 17:25, which records the grief a foolish son brings to his father and mother, and Proverbs 29:15, which notes that a child left to himself disgraces his mother.
Why it lands — The verse presents a direct causal link between a son's moral character and his parents' emotional state, requiring the reader to choose a path that produces joy rather than sorrow.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 1:1 These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,
- Proverbs 17:25 A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
- Proverbs 29:15 A rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.
- Proverbs 23:15 My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will indeed rejoice.
- Proverbs 29:3 A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
- Proverbs 23:24 The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who fathers a wise son will delight in him.
- Proverbs 15:20 A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
- Proverbs 17:21 A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.
- Ecclesiastes 12:9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs.
- Proverbs 19:13 A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.