Proverbs 17:21 (ASV)

Passage

He that begetteth a fool [doeth it] to his sorrow; And the father of a fool hath no joy.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:19 He loveth transgression that loveth strife: He that raiseth high his gate seeketh destruction.

Proverbs 17:20 He that hath a wayward heart findeth no good; And he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.

Proverbs 17:21 He that begetteth a fool [doeth it] to his sorrow; And the father of a fool hath no joy.

Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is a good medicine; But a broken spirit drieth up the bones.

Proverbs 17:23 A wicked man receiveth a bribe out of the bosom, To pervert the ways of justice.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "begetteth", "fool", "doeth", "sorrow", "father", and "hath". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "begetteth" and "fool", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "He that hath a wayward heart findeth..." into verse 22's "A cheerful heart is a good medicine...", so "begetteth" and "fool" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "begetteth" and "fool" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.