What does Proverbs 17:25 mean?

This verse repeats a prior thought (Proverbs 17:21), but with a stronger emphasis. Verse 21 carries the idea of sorrow and worry. The term used here, translated as "grief," leans more to ideas like offense and anger. The idea that ungodly children bring pain to their families is a common refrain in the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 10:1, 5; 19:26; 29:15).

Because a father is supposed to instruct his children in the ways of the Lord (Proverbs 22:6), he is deeply grieved when a foolish son rebels against his teaching and turns away from the Lord. A mother experiences bitterness if her son spurns her tender care and love. The father of the prodigal must have felt great sorrow when his son demanded his inheritance and left for a sinful life (Luke 15:11–13). Children raised in Christian homes may yield to peer pressure and anti-Christian philosophy. Some, sadly, cast aside the teaching and influence of godly parents.

Of course, a father may provoke his children (Ephesians 6:4) through improper actions; parents bear responsibility for how they treat their children, even if the child's response is part of their free choice.