Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly.
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.
- BSB A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.
- 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.
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 2:26For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
- Job 27:16–17Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare clothing as the clay;
- Prov 28:8He who increases his wealth by excessive interest gathers it for one who has pity on the poor.
- Ps 37:25I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread.
- Ps 112:2His offspring will be mighty in the land. The generation of the upright will be blessed.
- Gen 17:7–8I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your offspring after you.
- Ps 25:12–13What man is he who fears Yahweh? He shall instruct him in the way that he shall choose.
- Ezra 9:12Now therefore don’t give your daughters to their sons. Don’t take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity forever; that you may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’
- Ps 128:6Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel.
- Ps 102:28The children of your servants will continue. Their offspring will be established before you.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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.