Proverbs 17:2 (YLT)

Passage

A wise servant ruleth over a son causing shame, And in the midst of brethren He apportioneth an inheritance.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:1 Better <FI>is<Fi> a dry morsel, and rest with it, Than a house full of the sacrifices of strife.

Proverbs 17:2 A wise servant ruleth over a son causing shame, And in the midst of brethren He apportioneth an inheritance.

Proverbs 17:3 A refining pot <FI>is<Fi> for silver, and a furnace for gold, And the trier of hearts <FI>is<Fi> Jehovah.

Proverbs 17:4 An evil doer is attentive to lips of vanity, Falsehood is giving ear to a mischievous tongue.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wise", "servant", "ruleth", "over", "causing", "shame", "midst", and "brethren". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wise" and "servant", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Better FI is Fi a dry morsel..." into verse 3's "A refining pot FI is Fi for...", so "wise" and "servant" 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 "wise" and "servant" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.