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KING JAMES BIBLE · PCE

Proverbs 17:21–26

TEXT EDITION
Pure Cambridge Edition selected
He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.
Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.
A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.
Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity.
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PASSAGE SELECTION

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Choose up to 10 verses in this chapter. The study tools update with the selected passage.

SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE

Cross References

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Reference depth

From verse 21

  1. Proverbs 10:1Rank 1 from verse 21
    Open

    1THE proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

  2. Proverbs 19:13Rank 2 from verse 21
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    13A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.

  3. 1 Samuel 2:32–35Rank 3 from verse 21
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    32And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.

    33And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.

    34And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.

    35And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.

  4. Genesis 26:34Rank 4 from verse 21
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    34¶ And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:

  5. Proverbs 15:20Rank 5 from verse 21
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    20A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.

From verse 22

  1. Proverbs 15:13Rank 1 from verse 22
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    13A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

  2. Proverbs 12:25Rank 2 from verse 22
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    25Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.

  3. Proverbs 18:14Rank 3 from verse 22
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    14The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?

  4. 2 Corinthians 7:10Rank 4 from verse 22
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    10For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

  5. Ecclesiastes 9:7–9Rank 5 from verse 22
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    7¶ Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

    8Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

    9Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

From verse 23

  1. Deuteronomy 16:19Rank 1 from verse 23
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    19Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

  2. Exodus 23:8Rank 2 from verse 23
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    8¶ And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.

  3. Micah 7:3Rank 3 from verse 23
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    3¶ That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.

  4. Proverbs 17:8Rank 4 from verse 23
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    8A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.

  5. Isaiah 1:23Rank 5 from verse 23
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    23Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

From verse 24

  1. Ecclesiastes 2:14Rank 1 from verse 24
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    14The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

  2. Ecclesiastes 8:1Rank 2 from verse 24
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    1WHO is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

  3. Proverbs 14:6Rank 3 from verse 24
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    6A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.

  4. Psalms 119:37Rank 4 from verse 24
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    37Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.

  5. 1 John 2:16Rank 5 from verse 24
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    16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

From verse 25

  1. Proverbs 10:1Rank 1 from verse 25
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    1THE proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

  2. 2 Samuel 13:1–22Rank 2 from verse 25
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    1AND it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.

    2And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.

    3But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man.

    4And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king’s son, lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.

    5And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand.

    6¶ So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand.

    7Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon’s house, and dress him meat.

    8So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house; and he was laid down. And she took flour, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes.

    9And she took a pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have out all men from me. And they went out every man from him.

    10And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.

    11And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister.

    12And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.

    13And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee.

    14Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her.

    15¶ Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.

    16And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her.

    17Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.

    18And she had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the king’s daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.

    19¶ And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.

    20And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? but hold now thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.

    21¶ But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth.

    22And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.

  3. Proverbs 15:20Rank 3 from verse 25
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    20A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.

  4. Proverbs 19:13Rank 4 from verse 25
    Open

    13A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.

  5. Ecclesiastes 2:18–19Rank 5 from verse 25
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    18¶ Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

    19And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

From verse 26

  1. Proverbs 17:15Rank 1 from verse 26
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    15He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.

  2. Proverbs 18:5Rank 2 from verse 26
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    5It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.

  3. John 18:22Rank 3 from verse 26
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    22And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?

  4. Job 34:18–19Rank 4 from verse 26
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    18Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?

    19How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.

  5. 2 Samuel 3:39Rank 5 from verse 26
    Open

    39And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the Lord shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.

WORDS IN THIS PASSAGE

Definitions

Open a word for its full definition and concordance.

DEFINED WORDS

Proverbs 17:21

COMBINED MEANING

fool

↗

Sense 1: A person lacking wisdom or moral understanding. Sense 2: As a verb, to act foolishly or deceive.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

sorrow

↗

Sense 1: Grief, sadness, anguish, pain, regret, distress, trouble, or heaviness. Sense 2: To grieve or cause such pain.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

father

↗

Sense 1: A male parent or begetter. Sense 2: An ancestor, forefather, founder, source, originator, chief, elder, or one bearing paternal authority and care. Sense 3: God as Father, including the Father of Jesus Christ and of those described as his children.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

joy

↗

Sense 1: Gladness, delight, or rejoicing. Sense 2: To rejoice, delight, or be glad.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Proverbs 17:22

COMBINED MEANING

merry

↗

Glad, cheerful, joyful, festive, pleased, or enlivened in heart, often in connection with eating, drinking, feasting, celebration, or favourable circumstances.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

heart

↗

Sense 1: The bodily organ. Sense 2: The inward person: the mind, will, affections, conscience, or moral character.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

good

↗

Sense 1: Right, morally upright, beneficial, pleasing, useful, suitable, sound, favourable, or excellent. Sense 2: A good thing, benefit, welfare, possession, or goods. Sense 3: In ‘make good,’ to repair, repay, fulfil, establish, or prove.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

like

↗

Sense 1: Similar or of the same kind; in the same manner; likely. Sense 2: A like person or thing; an equal or counterpart. Sense 3: To please, choose, or regard with favour.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893 · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

but

↗

Sense 1: However; marking contrast or qualification. Sense 2: Except or unless; excluding all others or alternatives. Sense 3: Only; no more than what follows.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893 · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

spirit

↗

Sense 1: An immaterial living or personal being distinct from a body. Sense 2: The inward life, disposition, mind, or courage of a person. Sense 3: The Holy Spirit, the divine Spirit of God.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Proverbs 17:23

COMBINED MEANING

man

↗

1. A human being or person. 2. Mankind collectively. 3. A male person.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

taketh

↗

Third-person singular present form of take: receives, seizes, carries, accepts, chooses, or lays hold of.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

gift

↗

Sense 1: Something given or bestowed; a present. Sense 2: An endowment or ability. Sense 3: A bribe.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893

COMBINED MEANING

out

↗

Outside, away from within, forth, absent, or no longer in a stated condition.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

pervert

↗

To turn aside, twist, corrupt, distort, or lead away from what is right, true, just, or intended.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

judgment

↗

The act, authority, process, cause, or result of judging; discernment, legal hearing, verdict, ordinance, justice, government, vindication, condemnation, or punishment.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Proverbs 17:24

COMBINED MEANING

wisdom

↗

Knowledge, understanding, judgment, skill, or prudence.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

before

↗

Earlier than in time; in front of; in the presence of; or prior in order or rank.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

understanding

↗

1. The capacity or act of perceiving, comprehending, discerning, judging, interpreting, or applying knowledge. 2. Knowledge, insight, wisdom, or prudent judgment possessed or gained. 3. Skill or ability in a work, art, subject, vision, saying, or interpretation.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

but

↗

Sense 1: However; marking contrast or qualification. Sense 2: Except or unless; excluding all others or alternatives. Sense 3: Only; no more than what follows.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893 · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

eyes

↗

The bodily organs of sight; by extension, sight, attention, observation, perception, understanding, desire, judgment, estimation, favour, or the presence and view before which something occurs.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

fool

↗

Sense 1: A person lacking wisdom or moral understanding. Sense 2: As a verb, to act foolishly or deceive.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

ends

↗

Sense 1: Extremities, boundaries, conclusions, purposes, or results. Sense 2: Ceases or brings to a close.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

earth

↗

Sense 1: The world in distinction from heaven. Sense 2: Dry land, ground, soil, or dust. Sense 3: A land, region, or its inhabitants.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Proverbs 17:25

COMBINED MEANING

son

↗

1. A male child or descendant. 2. One belonging to, related to, or characterized by the person, people, place, condition, or quality named.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

grief

↗

Sorrow, pain, distress, anguish, trouble, burden, injury, or the cause of such suffering in mind, body, or spirit.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

father

↗

Sense 1: A male parent or begetter. Sense 2: An ancestor, forefather, founder, source, originator, chief, elder, or one bearing paternal authority and care. Sense 3: God as Father, including the Father of Jesus Christ and of those described as his children.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

bitterness

↗

1. Deep grief, anguish, or painful distress. 2. A bitter or harmful disposition, condition, or expression, including resentment or hostility.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

bare

↗

1. As the past tense of bear, brought forth or gave birth to offspring; also produced fruit or other increase. 2. Carried, conveyed, supported, lifted, or sustained a person, object, or load. 3. Bore, endured, or took upon oneself a loss, infirmity, sin, or other burden. 4. Gave witness or record; testified. 5. Exercised rule or authority. 6. As an adjective, uncovered, naked, exposed, stripped, or without covering.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Proverbs 17:26

COMBINED MEANING

punish

↗

To inflict a penalty, suffering, loss, or correction for an offense or fault.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

good

↗

Sense 1: Right, morally upright, beneficial, pleasing, useful, suitable, sound, favourable, or excellent. Sense 2: A good thing, benefit, welfare, possession, or goods. Sense 3: In ‘make good,’ to repair, repay, fulfil, establish, or prove.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

strike

↗

1. To hit, smite, or make forceful contact, including striking off or through. 2. To apply something by a striking motion. 3. To strike hands: to clasp hands in pledge or surety.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893

COMBINED MEANING

for

↗

1. In behalf of or in the place of. 2. With respect to, concerning, or toward. 3. Because of or on account of. 4. During or throughout. 5. In order to obtain or reach. 6. As a conjunction, because or seeing that.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

equity

↗

Justice, uprightness, or fairness in judgment or dealing.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

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

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

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

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

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24Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

Selected passage

25A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.

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26Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity.

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27He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.

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