The Meaning of Proverbs 23:22 Explained

Proverbs 23:22

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

YLT: Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old.

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

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Proverbs 23:22 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 23

1  Consider carefully what is before you

What do the individual words in Proverbs 23:22 mean?

Listen to your father this [one who] begat you and not do despise when she is old your mother
שְׁמַ֣ע לְ֭אָבִיךָ זֶ֣ה יְלָדֶ֑ךָ וְאַל־ תָּ֝ב֗וּז כִּֽי־ זָקְנָ֥ה אִמֶּֽךָ

שְׁמַ֣ע  Listen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
לְ֭אָבִיךָ  to  your  father 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
זֶ֣ה  this  [one  who] 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
יְלָדֶ֑ךָ  begat  you 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
וְאַל־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
תָּ֝ב֗וּז  do  despise 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בּוּז  
Sense: to despise, hold in contempt, hold as insignificant.
זָקְנָ֥ה  she  is  old 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: זָקֵן  
Sense: to be old, become old.
אִמֶּֽךָ  your  mother 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.