Proverbs 15:21 (YLT)

Passage

Folly is joy to one lacking heart, And a man of intelligence directeth <FI>his<Fi> going.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 15:19 The way of the slothful <FI>is<Fi> as a hedge of briers, And the path of the upright is raised up.

Proverbs 15:20 A wise son rejoiceth a father. And a foolish man is despising his mother.

Proverbs 15:21 Folly is joy to one lacking heart, And a man of intelligence directeth <FI>his<Fi> going.

Proverbs 15:22 Without counsel <FI>is<Fi> the making void of purposes, And in a multitude of counsellors it is established.

Proverbs 15:23 Joy <FI>is<Fi> to a man in the answer of his mouth, And a word in its season--how good!

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "folly", "lacking", "heart", "intelligence", "directeth", and "going". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "folly" and "lacking", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "A wise son rejoiceth a father And..." into verse 22's "Without counsel FI is Fi the making...", so "folly" and "lacking" 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 "lacking" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.