Proverbs 17:25 (GNV)

Passage

A foolish sonne is a griefe vnto his father, and a heauines to her that bare him.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:23 A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosome to wrest the wayes of iudgement.

Proverbs 17:24 Wisdome is in the face of him that hath vnderstanding: but the eyes of a foole are in the corners of the world.

Proverbs 17:25 A foolish sonne is a griefe vnto his father, and a heauines to her that bare him.

Proverbs 17:26 Surely it is not good to condemne the iust, nor that ye princes should smite such for equitie.

Proverbs 17:27 Hee that hath knowledge, spareth his wordes, and a man of vnderstanding is of an excellent spirit.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "foolish", "sonne", "griefe", "vnto", "father", "heauines", and "bare". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "foolish" and "sonne", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 24's "Wisdome is in the face of him..." into verse 26's "Surely it is not good to condemne...", so "foolish" and "sonne" 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 "foolish" and "sonne" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.