PROVERBS 17:21

KING JAMES VERSION (KJV)

TRANSLATION, MEANING, CONTEXT

To get what Proverbs 17:21 means based on its source text, scroll down or follow these links for the original scriptural meaning , biblical context and relative popularity.

“He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.”

Medium popularity: 110 searches a month
Popularity relative to other verses in Proverbs chapter 17 using average monthly Google searches.

Proverbs 17:21 Translation & Meaning

What does this verse really mean? Use this table to get a word-for-word translation of the original Hebrew Scripture. This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. Follow the buttons in the right-hand column for detailed definitions and verses that use the same root words. Use this reference information to gain deeper insight into the Bible and enrich your understanding. Information based on Strong's Exhaustive Concordance[1].

KJV Verse Original Hebrew Meaning/ Definition
This is a simplified translation of the original Hebrew word. Follow the buttons on the right to get more detail.
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Use the buttons below to get details on the Hebrew word and view related Bible verses that use the same root word.
He that begetteth יֹלֵ֣ד To bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage begetteth
a fool כְּ֭סִיל Properly, fat, i.e., (figuratively) stupid or silly fool
doeth it (No Hebrew definition. English implied.)
to his sorrow: לְת֣וּגָה Depression (of spirits); concretely a grief sorrow
and the father אֲבִ֣י Father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application father
of a fool נָבָֽל׃ Stupid; wicked (especially impious) fool
hath no וְלֹֽא Not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles no
joy. יִ֝שְׂמַ֗ח Probably to brighten up, i.e., (figuratively) be (causatively, make) blithe or gleesome joy

Verse Context

See Proverbs 17:21 with its adjacent verses in bold below. Follow either of the two large buttons below to see these verses in their broader context of the King James Bible or a Bible concordance.

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  • 19  He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.

  • 20  He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.

  • 21  He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.

  • 22  A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

  • 23  A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.




Sources:

The King James Bible (1611) and Strong's Concordance (1890) with Hebrew and Greek dictionaries are sourced from the BibleForgeDB database (https://github.com/bibleforge) within the BibleForge project (http://bibleforge.com). Popularity rankings are based on search volume data from the Google AdWords Keyword Planner tool.


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