What does it mean to hearken to your father and not despise your mother?

To hearken to your father means to listen carefully to his words, take them to heart, and obey his guidance, knowing he cares for your good. Not despising your mother, especially when she is old, means you do not brush off her advice as useless or out of touch. Instead, you respect her experience, honor her place in your life, and treat her with patience and kindness. This verse calls you to remember the love, effort, and pain your parents put into raising you and to respond with humble respect.

What does buy the truth and sell it not mean in this passage?

“Buy the truth and sell it not” pictures truth and wisdom like something you would pay a high price to get and never trade away. It means you should use every right means to know what is true about God, life, and salvation, and treat that truth as more precious than money, comfort, reputation, or even safety. To “sell” truth would be to give it up for some gain, to let it go because it costs you. This verse urges you to hold on to truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding, whatever it may cost.

Why does the father of the righteous greatly rejoice?

The father of the righteous rejoices because he sees his child walking in what is right before God and people. The child is not only behaving well outwardly, but has a heart shaped by what is right and wise. This brings deep comfort to a parent, far more than seeing a child become rich or successful in the world. A wise and righteous child is a sign that the parent’s teaching was not wasted, and it eases their fears about the child’s future, both in this life and in the life to come.

How do wisdom and instruction relate to family joy here?

In this passage, wisdom and instruction are closely tied to family joy. When a child listens to wise teaching, seeks truth, and lets instruction shape their life, it shows up in righteous living. That kind of life brings gladness to father and mother. Their hearts are cheered not simply because their child is smart, but because wisdom is seen in godly choices, self-control, and faithfulness. The home becomes more peaceful, the parents feel honored, and their long years of teaching feel rewarded when they see wisdom at work in their child.

How should believers today apply the call to honor aging parents?

Believers today can apply this by listening to their parents’ counsel with patience, even when they feel they already know better. As parents grow older, honoring them means caring for their needs, speaking respectfully, and not treating their words as out-of-date or silly. It also means living in a way that reflects the good things they taught, especially about God and right living. You can ask for their advice, thank them for their sacrifices, and aim to make their later years more peaceful through your obedience and wise choices.

Why are truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding grouped together?

These words are grouped together to show a full picture of a well-ordered inner life. Truth is what is real and faithful, especially about God and salvation. Wisdom is the skill of living in light of that truth. Instruction is the teaching and correction that guide you into that wise way. Understanding is seeing things clearly and rightly. Taken together, they form a path that keeps a person from lies, foolish choices, and ruin. The passage urges you to seek all of these, hold on to them, and refuse to trade them away.

What does this passage teach about God’s design for family relationships?

This passage shows that God’s design for family includes loving authority from parents and humble listening from children. Parents are meant to pass on wisdom, truth, and guidance. Children are called to value that teaching, not just when they are young, but even when their parents are old. God has tied the joy of parents to the righteousness and wisdom of their children. In this way, homes become places where truth is treasured, wise living is learned, and both generations share in joy when God’s ways are followed.

How can I live in a way that makes my father and mother glad?

You can gladden your parents’ hearts by seeking what is true about God, turning from sin, and choosing wisdom instead of foolishness. This means taking their godly advice seriously, even when it is hard, and asking God to help you live in a way that pleases Him. Simple things like honesty, self-control, kindness, and faithfulness bring peace to a home. Caring for your parents’ needs, speaking respectfully, and standing firm in truth, even when it costs you, all show that their labor in raising you was not in vain.

Prov.23.22

Proverbs 23:22

KJV

Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

Saying 17

Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.

Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.