Proverbs 15:21 (LSB)

Passage

Folly is gladness to him who lacks a heart of wisdom, But a man of discernment walks straight.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 15:19 The way of the sluggard is as a hedge of thorns, But the path of the upright is a highway.

Proverbs 15:20 A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother.

Proverbs 15:21 Folly is gladness to him who lacks a heart of wisdom, But a man of discernment walks straight.

Proverbs 15:22 Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed.

Proverbs 15:23 A man has gladness in an apt answer, And how good is a timely word!

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "folly", "gladness", "lacks", "heart", "wisdom", "discernment", "walks", and "straight". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "folly" and "gladness", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "A wise son makes a father glad..." into verse 22's "Without consultation plans are frustrated But with...", so "folly" and "gladness" 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 "gladness" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.