Proverbs 29:3
He who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse highlights that valuing wisdom isn't just about personal gain; it directly brings joy to your father. Conversely, the companion of prostitutes doesn't just waste his own money, but the Hebrew word suggests he's actively "feeding" them, showing how such choices lead to utter ruin.
This proverb sits within a larger section of Proverbs that contrasts wise living with foolish living, often framing it through the lens of a father's instruction and a son's response. It highlights the direct, personal consequences of choices, showing how embracing wisdom brings joy and honor to one's family, while the destructive path of reckless behavior, like squandering resources with prostitutes, leads to ruin and likely the sorrow of loved ones.
What kind of person brings genuine joy to their parents? It’s not about grand gestures, but a deeper, more profound quality.
The verse starts by connecting a love for wisdom directly to making a father glad. This isn't just about pleasing him superficially; it's about the deep satisfaction a parent feels when their child embraces what is good, true, and right. A wise child, one who seeks understanding and lives uprightly, reflects well on their upbringing and brings honor to their family. It's a testament to good character that causes a father's heart to swell with pride and relief.
The verse contrasts wisdom with a specific destructive path. What does this intimate association cost, beyond just money?
The second half of the verse presents a stark warning: associating with prostitutes leads to squandering one's wealth. The original languages suggest this isn't just a passive loss, but an active 'wasting' or 'destroying' of resources. This lifestyle is inherently wasteful, consuming money, time, and reputation without lasting benefit. It's a path that not only leads to financial ruin but also, as implied, to deep sorrow for loved ones, especially a father who sees his child throwing away their future.
Understand the original words
ḥoḵmâ · Hebrew Noun
The quality of having divine insight, moral discernment, and the ability to apply God’s truth to life; it is the gift of God and the fruit of fearing Him.
zônâ · Hebrew Noun
Those involved in sexual immorality outside of marriage, frequently used in Proverbs as a metaphor for spiritual unfaithfulness or destructive worldly associations.
This parable beautifully illustrates the 'companion of prostitutes' who 'squanders his wealth' and the joy of a father when wisdom (repentance and return) is found.
Proverbs 6:26This passage directly warns against the extreme cost of adultery, echoing Proverbs 29:3's theme of ruin through sexual immorality.
Proverbs 7:1-27This chapter vividly portrays the seductive lure of a 'loose woman' and the foolishness of a young man who lacks wisdom and falls prey to her schemes, leading to ruin.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20This New Testament passage speaks to the profound value of the body and the spiritual cost of sexual immorality, framing 'squandering wealth' as a consequence of not honoring God with one's whole being.
pooleProverbs 29:3: "Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance."
Loveth wisdom; and therefore hateth and escheweth all folly and wickedness. Keepeth company with harlots; whereby he plainly discovers himself to want wisdom; of which see Proverbs 7:7 , &c. Spendeth his substance; whereby he not only ruineth himself, but also grieveth his father, as is implied from the opposite clause.
clarkeProverbs 29:3: "Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance."
But he that keepeth company - רעה roeh, he that feedeth harlots, יאבד yeabed, shall utterly destroy his substance. Has there ever been a single case to the contrary?
The verse highlights that valuing wisdom isn't just about personal gain; it directly brings joy to your father. Conversely, the companion of prostitutes doesn't just waste his own money, but the Hebrew word suggests he's actively "feeding" them, showing how such choices lead to utter ruin.
This proverb sits within a larger section of Proverbs that contrasts wise living with foolish living, often framing it through the lens of a father's instruction and a son's response. It highlights the direct, personal consequences of choices, showing how embracing wisdom brings joy and honor to one's family, while the destructive path of reckless behavior, like squandering resources with prostitutes, leads to ruin and likely the sorrow of loved ones.
This proverb sits within a larger section of Proverbs that contrasts wise living with foolish living, often framing it through the lens of a father's instruction and a son's response. It highlights the direct, personal consequences of choices, showing how embracing wisdom brings joy and honor to one's family, while the destructive path of reckless behavior, like squandering resources with prostitutes, leads to ruin and likely the sorrow of loved ones.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Proverbs 29:3 is available in the Sola app.
"He who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth." — The verse highlights that valuing wisdom isn't just about personal gain; it directly brings joy to your father. Conversely, the companion of prostitutes doesn't just waste his own money, but the He…
