Commentary - Proverbs 17:6

Bird's-eye view

Proverbs 17:6 is a compact and beautiful summary of God's design for multi-generational faithfulness. In two perfectly balanced clauses, Solomon describes the flow of covenantal blessing. The first clause shows the blessing flowing down from the children to the grandparents, and the second shows the honor flowing up from the sons to their fathers. This proverb is a portrait of a healthy patriarchal society, where legacy is cherished, age is honored, and identity is received, not invented. It stands as a stark rebuke to the modern conceits of individualism, the generation gap, and the dishonoring of our elders. This is a picture of how things ought to be in a godly culture: the old are crowned with the fruit of their lives, and the young find their glory in the integrity of their heritage.

The verse is not a sentimental platitude about how cute grandchildren are. It is a robust theological statement about the nature of blessing, honor, and covenant succession. The "crown" is a mark of victory and culmination; the "beauty" or "glory" is a reflection of a worthy source. Together, they paint a picture of a family that is functioning as a unit, across generations, to display the goodness of God's created order. It is a snapshot of the fifth commandment lived out, with blessings flowing in all directions.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

This proverb sits within a book that is profoundly concerned with family life. Proverbs is addressed from a father to a son, and it repeatedly contrasts the wise son who brings joy to his parents with the foolish son who brings them grief and shame (Prov 10:1; 15:20; 17:25). The book assumes that the family is the primary institution for transmitting wisdom and righteousness. Proverbs 17:6 is a positive expression of this same theme. It shows the ideal outcome of the instruction that fills the rest of the book. When a father successfully imparts wisdom to his son, and that son in turn has children, the result is this beautiful symmetry of honor. It is the fruit of a life lived according to the fear of the Lord, a fear that is taught and modeled from one generation to the next.

Key Issues

The Crown and the Glory

In our disposable culture, we have a distorted view of both the old and the young. The old are warehoused in retirement homes, seen as a burden, their lives effectively over. The young are taught that their great task is to "find themselves," which usually means rejecting the world of their parents and creating an identity from scratch. This proverb demolishes both of those lies. It teaches that the culmination of a righteous life is a glorious crown of grandchildren, and the foundation of a young man's life is the honor of a godly father. It presents a world where the generations are not in conflict but are woven together in a tapestry of mutual honor and blessing. This is not just a nice idea; it is the very structure of a healthy, God-honoring society.

Verse by Verse Commentary

6 Grandchildren are the crown of old men...

The first clause establishes the glory of old age. In the biblical world, a long life was a sign of God's blessing, and a multitude of descendants was the tangible proof of that blessing. The word for crown here is atarah, which refers to a wreath of honor, a victor's crown. An old man surrounded by his children's children is a man who has successfully run his race. He has fulfilled his God-given mandate to be fruitful and multiply, not just biologically, but spiritually. He has passed on the covenant faith to his children, who have in turn passed it on to theirs. These grandchildren are his living legacy, the visible evidence that his life's work was not in vain. They are the jewels in his crown. This is the opposite of a sad, lonely, unproductive end. It is a coronation. It is the patriarch receiving his honor in the gate, surrounded by the fruit of his faithfulness.

And the beauty of sons is their fathers.

This second clause is the foundation for the first, and it is profoundly counter-cultural. The word for beauty is tipharah, which can also be translated as glory, splendor, or honor. Where does a young man get his glory? The world says he gets it from his career, his wealth, his athletic prowess, or his rebellion against the establishment. The Bible says he gets it from his father. This assumes, of course, a father who is worthy of the honor. When a father is a man of God, a man of his word, a man of integrity and strength, his son is honored to be identified with him. The son's glory is not something he manufactures for himself; it is something he receives as a heritage. He carries his father's name, and when that name is honorable, the son himself is glorified. This is the essence of biblical patriarchy: the father is the head, the source of identity and blessing for his household. A son who despises his father is a son who cuts himself off from his own glory. This principle finds its ultimate fulfillment in our relationship to God. We, as adopted sons, find our true glory and beauty not in ourselves, but in our perfect Father in Heaven, and in our identification with His true Son, Jesus Christ.

Application

This proverb is not just a description of the ideal; it is a summons to build it. It has sharp, practical application for every stage of life.

For those who are grandparents or are approaching that season, your work is not done. You are not meant to be put on a shelf. You are to be patriarchs and matriarchs, the living memory and source of wisdom for your family. Your task is to finish the race well, to pour your life and your faith into your children and your grandchildren. Live in such a way that you are a crown of glory for them, and so that they might become a crown of glory for you.

For fathers, the message is stark. You are creating a legacy, whether you intend to or not. You will either be the glory of your sons or their shame. Your integrity, your faithfulness to your wife, your work ethic, and most importantly, your fear of the Lord, are the inheritance you are building for them. Give your sons a name they can be proud of, and a model of manhood worth emulating. Your life is the foundation upon which their glory will be built.

For sons, the application is to obey the fifth commandment. Honor your father and your mother. In an age that idolizes rebellion, choose the biblical path of honor. Recognize that you did not spring into existence out of nowhere. Your identity is a gift, received from your heritage. To dishonor your father is to saw off the branch you are sitting on. Seek to be a son who brings his father honor, and you will find that his honor is reflected back onto you as your own glory.

Ultimately, all human families are broken by sin. Fathers fail, and sons rebel. Grandchildren are not always a crown, but sometimes a cross. This is why our hope is not in achieving the perfect family through our own efforts, but in being grafted into the perfect family of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is the perfect Son who always honored His Father, and through His death and resurrection, He makes it possible for us to become sons of God. He is the one who restores the ruins and makes multi-generational faithfulness possible, all for His crown and His glory.