Proverbs 22:15 (ASV)

Passage

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; [But] the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:13 The sluggard saith, There is a lion without: I shall be slain in the streets.

Proverbs 22:14 The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: He that is abhorred of Jehovah shall fall therein.

Proverbs 22:15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; [But] the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

Proverbs 22:16 He that oppresseth the poor to increase his [gain], [And] he that giveth to the rich, [shall come] only to want.

Proverbs 22:17 Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, And apply thy heart unto my knowledge.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "foolishness", "bound", "heart", "child", "correction", "shall", and "drive". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "foolishness" and "bound", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "The mouth of strange women is a..." into verse 16's "He that oppresseth the poor to increase...", so "foolishness" and "bound" 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 "foolishness" and "bound" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.