Proverbs 15:5 (KJV)

Passage

A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

Proverbs 15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

Proverbs 15:5 A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

Proverbs 15:6 In the house of the righteous is much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble.

Proverbs 15:7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fool", "despiseth", "father", "instruction", "regardeth", "reproof", and "prudent". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fool" and "despiseth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "A wholesome tongue is a tree of..." into verse 6's "In the house of the righteous is...", so "fool" and "despiseth" 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 "fool" and "despiseth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.