Proverbs 15:21 (DRB)

Passage

Folly is joy to the fool: and the wise man maketh straight his steps.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 15:19 The way of the slothful is as a hedge of thorns: the way of the just is without offence.

Proverbs 15:20 A wise son maketh a father joyful: but the foolish man despiseth his mother.

Proverbs 15:21 Folly is joy to the fool: and the wise man maketh straight his steps.

Proverbs 15:22 Designs are brought to nothing where there is no counsel: but where there are many counsellors, they are established.

Proverbs 15:23 A man rejoiceth in the sentence of his mouth: and a word in due time is best.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "folly", "fool", "wise", "maketh", "straight", and "steps". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "folly" and "fool", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "A wise son maketh a father joyful..." into verse 22's "Designs are brought to nothing where there...", so "folly" 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 "folly" and "fool" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.