Proverbs 23:25 — Word Study
WLCיִֽשְׂמַח־ אָבִ֥יךָ וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל יֽוֹלַדְתֶּֽךָ׃
BSAMay your fatherʼâb [loving, paternal] and motherʼêm be gladsâmach▸ [rejoice, experience joy] and may she who gave you birthyâlad [bore, brought forth] rejoicegîyl▸ [be joyful, have delight]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| יִֽשְׂמַח־ | may he rejoice | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| אָבִ֥יךָ | father your | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ | and mother your | Conjunction, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל | and may she rejoice | Conjunction, verb qal jussive third person feminine singular |
| יֽוֹלַדְתֶּֽךָ׃ | [the] [one who] bore you | Verb qal participle (active) feminine singular common, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | May your father and mother be glad, and may she who gave you birth rejoice! |
| KJV | Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. |
| ASV | Let thy father and thy mother be glad, And let her that bare thee rejoice. |
| YLT | Rejoice doth thy father and thy mother, Yea, she that bare thee is joyful. |
| WEB | Let your father and your mother be glad! Let her who bore you rejoice! |
| BBE | Let your father and your mother be glad, let her who gave you birth have joy. |
Translations agree on the emotional tone of joy expressed by the parents.
The sentence is structured around a main clause expressing a wish for joy, followed by a subordinate clause that adds to the wish.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׂמַח
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Proverbs 23:25
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Wisdom Sayings on Familygenerated
Proverbs 23:25 is part of a larger discourse on the importance of family relationships and the joy they bring. The verses surrounding it highlight the joy of a father and mother, and the joy of a mother who has given birth, emphasizing the emotional connections within a family. This theme is prevalent throughout the book of Proverbs, which often provides practical wisdom for daily living and relationships.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 17:25 | A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him. |
| 2 | 1 Chronicles 4:9–10 | Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” |
| 3 | Luke 1:31–33 | Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. |
| 4 | Luke 11:27–28 | As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and blessed are the breasts that nursed You!” |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יִֽשְׂמַח, yis.mach-generated
The verb שָׂמַח (samach) is a Qal imperfect form, meaning 'to rejoice' or 'to be glad'. It conveys a sense of joy that can be both spontaneous and enduring. The use of the imperfect tense suggests an ongoing state of happiness rather than a one-time event.
This word is often used in contexts of celebration and religious joy, such as during festivals or significant life events. In this verse, it captures the emotional response of parents when their child brings them joy.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In this study, the verse is read in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the term be glad for the parents' joy.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause is governed by the verb יִֽשְׂמַח־, may he rejoice, which introduces the wish for the father's joy. This is followed by a noun phrase for the father and mother, and then a second clause with the verb וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל, and may she rejoice, indicating the mother's joy.
The structure is straightforward, with a clear wish expressed for both parents, highlighting their emotional responses to the child's life.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יִֽשְׂמַח־ as εὐφραινέσθω, which carries the meaning of being glad or joyful. This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning but may suggest a slightly broader sense of happiness.
The translation of וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל as ξαιρέτω also emphasizes joy, indicating a consistent interpretation of the emotional state being described in the Hebrew text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 23:25 expresses a wish for joy for your father and mother, and for the mother who gave you birth. It highlights the happiness that comes from family relationships and the joy parents feel for their children.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies that the happiness of parents is closely tied to the well-being and achievements of their children.
The mention of the mother emphasizes her unique role in giving birth and nurturing the child, which is a source of joy.
It shows that the joy of parents is a vital aspect of family life, highlighting the emotional bonds that unite family members.
We learn that fostering joy within family relationships is important and that the happiness of parents can greatly influence a child's life.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I bring joy to my parents in my daily life?
- What are some ways to express gratitude to my mother for her role in my life?
- In what situations have I seen my parents rejoice over my achievements?
- How does understanding my family's joy impact my relationships with them?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The verse is referenced by Bede, who comments on the joy of both the father and the Church as a nurturing figure, illustrating the importance of parental joy.
Let your father and mother rejoice, etc. Let God the Father rejoice over your righteousness; let the Church, your mother, also rejoice;Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 23 →
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 23:25 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThy father and thy mother shall be glad,.... That, is when thou art righteous and wise; see Proverbs 10:1; or "let thy father and thy mother be glad" (e); do everything that may make their hearts
Read John Gill on Proverbs 23 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. Thy father ... and she that bare thee (with many pains) shall rejoice.
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 23 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThy father and thy mother shall be glad; he repeateth this again, as a powerful argument to prevail with all children that are not void of natural affection, to labour to be wise and good, that so they may glad the hearts of their parents, to whom they have such high and indelible obligations. She that bare thee with so great pain and hazard, and brought thee up with such tender care, whom thou canst not better requite.
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 23 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges25. shall … shall] Rather, Let thy father … and let her &c. It is an exhortation to the son to verify by his own conduct the statement of the preceding verse. “Quod cum ita sit, da operam ut parentibus lζtitiam crees,” Maurer; εὐφραινέσθω, χαιρέτω, LXX.; gaudeat, exsultet, Vulg.
Read Cambridge on Proverbs 23 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible25. Father… rejoice… mother — Muenscher and Zockler forcibly render this thus: “Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her that bare thee rejoice;” that is, by thy attaining to righteousness
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 23 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
May your father and mother be glad, and may she who gave you birth rejoice!
Let your father and your mother be glad! Let her who bore you rejoice!
May your father and mother be glad, and may she who gave you birth rejoice!
May your father and your mother have joy; may she who bore you rejoice.
Tyndale line
Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
Let thy father and thy mother be glad, And let her that bare thee rejoice.
Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her that bare thee rejoice.
Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bore thee shall rejoice.
Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall reioyce.
Strictly literal
let thy father and thy mother have joy, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
Rejoice doth thy father and thy mother, Yea, she that bare thee is joyful.
Your father and your mother rejoice, || Indeed, she bearing you is joyful.
Let [then] thy father and thy mother rejoice, and let her that hath born thee be glad.
Let your father and your mother be glad and let her who bore you rejoice.
From the Latin
Let thy father, and thy mother be joyful, and let her rejoice that bore thee.
Simplified
Make your father and mother happy; bring joy to her who gave birth to you.
Let your father and your mother be glad, let her who gave you birth have joy.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads יִֽשְׂמַח־ אָבִ֥יךָ וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל יֽוֹלַדְתֶּֽךָ׃, and the Septuagint matches all five words, indicating agreement between the two texts in this instance.
יִֽשְׂמַח־ אָבִ֥יךָ וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל יֽוֹלַדְתֶּֽךָ׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Proverbs 23:25
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
שָׂמַח (samach) is a Hebrew verb meaning to rejoice or be glad. It can express joy in everyday life, religious contexts, or even exultation. The verb has different forms: Qal (to rejoice), Piel (to cause to rejoice), and Hiphil (to make glad). The entries indicate a range of meanings related to joy and merriment.
שָׂמַח, שָׂמִ֑חַ 154 vb. rejoice, be glad
Qal 126
in common life
rejoice religiously
subj. י׳
Pi. cause to rejoice, gladden
Hiph. = Pi.
base
H8055 שָׂמַח, שָׂמִ֑חַ rejoice, be glad
8055 samach saw-makh'
a primitive root; probably to brighten up, i.e.
(figuratively) be (causatively, make) blithe or
gleesome:--cheer up, be (make) glad, (have, make) joy(-ful),
be (make) merry, (cause to, make to) rejoice, X very.
שָׂמַח (sa.mach) — to rejoice.
1) to rejoice, be glad
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to rejoice
1a2) to rejoice (arrogantly), exult (at)
1a3) to rejoice (religiously)
1b) (Piel) to cause to rejoice, gladden, make glad
1c) (Hiphil) to cause to rejoice, gladden, make glad
V-Qal-Juss-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
אָב (av) means 'father' and encompasses various roles such as the literal father of an individual, God as the father of His people, and the head of a household or clan. It can also refer to an ancestor, originator of a profession, or a figure of respect and protection. Notably, it can imply a ruler or chief in later contexts.
אָב 1101 n.m. father
father of individual
of God as father of his people
head of household, family or clan
ancestor
originator or patron of a class, profession, or art
fig. of producer, generator
fig. of benevolence & protection
term of respect & honor
specif., ruler, chief (late)
base
H1 אָב father . father of individual
. of God as father of his people
. head of household, family or clan
. ancestor
. originator or patron of a class, profession, or art
. fig. of producer, generator
. fig. of benevolence & protection
. term of respect & honor
. specif., ruler, chief (late)
1 'ab awb
a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or
figurative and remote application):--chief,
(fore-)father(-less), X patrimony, principal. Compare names
in "Abi-".
אָב (av) — father.
1) father of an individual
2) of God as father of his people
3) head or founder of a household, group, family, or clan
4) ancestor
4a) grandfather, forefathers - of person
4b) of people
5) originator or patron of a class, profession, or art
6) of producer, generator (fig.)
7) of benevolence and protection (fig.)
8) term of respect and honour
9) ruler or chief (spec.)
Also means: av (אַב "father" H0002)
אָב (av) — (Huram)-abi.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.7.13; also called Huram-abi (KJV: "Huram my father's") at 2Ch.2.13; 4.16;
Combined with chi.ram (חִירָם "Hiram" H2438H)
אָב (av) — father of.
The father of Gibeon, also known as Abiel - a man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.9.1;
son of: Zeror (H6872C); married to Maacah (H4601N);
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp2ms
The Hebrew word אֵם (em) means 'mother' and can refer to a human mother, an animal's dam, or even a figurative sense, such as Deborah's nurturing role for her people. It also conveys the idea of a point of departure or division. This word is built from a primitive root and encompasses both literal and figurative meanings.
אֵם 221 n.f. mother
lit. (human) mother
fig. of Deborah as caring for her people
of animals, dam
= point of departure or division
base
H517 אֵם mother . lit. (human) mother
. fig. of Deborah as caring for her people
. of animals, dam
. = point of departure or division
517 'em ame
a primitive word; a mother (as the bond of the family); in a
wide sense (both literally and figuratively (like 1):--dam,
mother, X parting.
see HEBREW for 01
אֵם (em) — mother.
1) mother
1a) of humans
1b) of Deborah's relationship to the people (fig.)
1c) of animals
2) point of departure or division
Conj | N-fs | Suff — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHC/Ncfsc/Sp2ms
גִּיל (giyl) is a Hebrew verb meaning to rejoice or be glad, often associated with a sense of excitement or levity. It can also imply trembling, particularly from fear. The word is built from a root that conveys the idea of spinning around due to strong emotions, covering both joy and fear.
[גִּיל] vb. rejoice (go around or about, be excited to levity)
Qal
rejoice
tremble
base
H1523 גִּיל rejoice (go around or about, be excited to levity)
1523 giyl gheel
or (by permutation) guwl {gool}; a primitive root; properly,
to spin round (under the influence of any violent emotion),
i.e. usually rejoice, or (as cringing) fear:--be glad, joy,
be joyful, rejoice.
גִּיל (gil) — to rejoice.
1) to rejoice, exult, be glad
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to rejoice
1a2) to tremble (from fear)
Conj | V-Qal-Juss-3fs — Conjunction · verb qal jussive third person feminine singularHC/Vqj3fs
The Hebrew word יָלַד (*yalad*) means to bear, bring forth, or beget, and it encompasses various forms of childbirth and lineage declaration. It can refer to both the act of giving birth and the role of a midwife. The entries also note its use in contexts of distress and wicked behavior, as well as in reference to birthdays.
יָלַד 497 vb. bear, bring forth, beget
Qal
bear, bring forth
less often beget
of both parents
Niph. be born
Pi. cause (or help) to bring forth, viz., assist or tend as midwife
Pu. be born
Hiph.
beget (a father a child)
bear
Hoph. day of one's being born = birthday
Hithp. declared their pedigree
base
H3205 יָלַד bear, bring forth, beget .. bear, bring forth
. less often beget
. of both parents
. be born
. cause (or help) to bring forth, viz., assist or tend as midwife
. be born
. . beget (a father a child)
. bear
. day of one's being born = birthday
. declared their pedigree
3205 yalad yaw-lad'
a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget;
medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show
lineage:--bear, beget, birth((-day)), born, (make to) bring
forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be
delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch,
labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be
the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman).
יָלַד (ya.lad) — to beget.
1) to bear, bringforth, beget, gender, travail
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to bear, bring forth
1a1a) of child birth
1a1b) of distress (simile)
1a1c) of wicked (behaviour)
1a2) to beget
1b) (Niphal) to be born
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to cause or help to bring forth
1c2) to assist or tend as a midwife
1c3) midwife (participle)
1d) (Pual) to be born
1e) (Hiphil)
1e1) to beget (a child)
1e2) to bear (fig. -of wicked bringing forth iniquity)
1f) (Hophal) day of birth, birthday (infinitive)
1g) (Hithpael) to declare one's birth (pedigree)
V-Qal | Suff — Verb qal participle (active) feminine singular common · suffixHVqrfsc/Sp2ms