A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.
Parallel translations
- WEB A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored for the righteous.
- KJV A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
- NKJV A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.
- NASB A good person leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren, And the wealth of a sinner is stored up for the righteous.
- NLT Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
A good man leaves a lasting inheritance, while the sinner's wealth ends up with the righteous. God ultimately redistributes according to His justice.
Overview
This proverb commends generational stewardship and observes that, in God's providence, ill-gotten or hoarded wealth often passes finally to the righteous. It encourages provision for one's family and confidence in God's just ordering of things. The truest inheritance, however, is the imperishable one kept in heaven for God's children (1 Peter 1:4).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Eccl 2:26To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
- Job 27:16–17Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up a wardrobe like clay,
- Prov 28:8He who increases his wealth by interest and usury lays it up for one who is kind to the poor.
- Ps 37:25I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread.
- Ps 112:2His descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
- Gen 17:7–8I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
- Ps 25:12–13Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the path chosen for him.
- Ezra 9:12Now, therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, leaving it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’
- Ps 128:6that you may see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!
- Ps 102:28The children of Your servants will dwell securely, and their descendants will be established before You.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 13:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.