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Sorrow in a family comes into focus in Proverbs 17:21: He who sires a fool does so to his sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy (v. 21). Solomon is not suggesting that godly parents control every outcome. Rather, he is observing the pain caused when folly takes root in a child.
To sire a fool to his sorrow means that a foolish child becomes a source of grief in the family. Folly is not self-contained. It burdens parents, disturbs peace, and turns what should have been delight into ache.
The second line intensifies it: the father of a fool has no joy. The proverb reflects the relational cost of sin. Wisdom in a child brings gladness, but folly brings sadness precisely because family love is real and the destructive path of foolishness cannot be watched without pain.
Used with permission from TheBibleSays.com.
You can access the original article here:Proverbs 17:21 Meaning
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