◄ Proverbs 13:22 ►
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is passed to the righteous.
Study Bible
A good man
The phrase "a good man" in Proverbs 13:22 refers to a person who is righteous and lives according to God's commandments. The Hebrew word for "good" is "טוֹב" (tov), which implies moral goodness, kindness, and benevolence. In the biblical context, a good man is someone who seeks to align his life with God's will, demonstrating integrity and virtue. This aligns with the broader scriptural teaching that righteousness is not merely about personal piety but also about one's actions and relationships with others.

leaves an inheritance
The concept of leaving an inheritance is deeply rooted in the Hebrew tradition, where it was customary for parents to pass on their possessions to their children. The Hebrew word for "inheritance" is "נַחֲלָה" (nachalah), which signifies not only material wealth but also spiritual and moral legacies. In the biblical context, this inheritance is not limited to financial assets but includes the values, wisdom, and faith that a good man imparts to his descendants. It underscores the importance of thinking beyond one's lifetime and investing in the future of the next generation.

to his children’s children
This phrase emphasizes the long-term impact of a good man's life. The Hebrew culture placed great importance on family and generational continuity. By mentioning "children’s children," the verse highlights the enduring influence of a righteous life that extends beyond immediate offspring to future generations. It reflects the biblical principle that the blessings of a godly life are not confined to the present but ripple through time, affecting descendants and shaping their lives.

but the sinner’s wealth
The contrast here is between the righteous and the sinner. The Hebrew word for "sinner" is "חָטָא" (chata), which means one who misses the mark or falls short of God's standards. The verse suggests that while a sinner may accumulate wealth, it lacks the enduring value and purpose that comes from righteousness. The wealth of a sinner is often gained through unjust means or used for selfish purposes, lacking the divine blessing that accompanies the possessions of the righteous.

is stored up for the righteous
This phrase conveys a profound biblical truth about divine justice and providence. The Hebrew word for "stored up" is "צָפוּן" (tzafun), which implies being hidden or reserved. The verse suggests that God, in His sovereignty, ensures that ultimately, the wealth of the sinner will benefit the righteous. This reflects the biblical theme that God is the ultimate arbiter of justice, and He orchestrates circumstances so that the righteous are rewarded, even if it means redistributing the wealth of the wicked. It serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and the assurance that living a righteous life is ultimately rewarded by Him.

Persons / Places / Events
1. A Good Man
Represents a person who lives righteously and wisely, making decisions that benefit future generations.

2. Children’s Children
Refers to the grandchildren, emphasizing the long-term impact of a good man's actions.

3. The Sinner
A person who lives contrary to God’s ways, often focused on immediate gain rather than lasting legacy.

4. The Righteous
Those who live in accordance with God’s will, often receiving blessings as a result of their faithfulness.

5. Inheritance
Not just material wealth, but also spiritual and moral legacies passed down through generations.
Teaching Points
Legacy of Righteousness
A good man’s legacy is not just financial but also spiritual and moral. Consider how your actions today will impact future generations.

Stewardship of Resources
Manage your resources wisely, understanding that they are not just for your benefit but for the benefit of those who come after you.

The Transience of Wealth
Wealth gained through sinful means is temporary and often ends up benefiting the righteous. Focus on integrity in your financial dealings.

Generational Impact
Your faithfulness can have a positive impact on your descendants. Invest in their spiritual growth and understanding of God’s Word.

Eternal Perspective
While leaving a material inheritance is important, prioritize leaving a spiritual legacy that points your family to Christ.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of leaving an inheritance to your children’s children challenge or affirm your current financial and spiritual priorities?

2. In what ways can you ensure that your legacy includes both material and spiritual blessings for future generations?

3. Reflect on a time when you have seen the wealth of the sinner being passed to the righteous. How does this reinforce the truth of Proverbs 13:22?

4. How can you apply the principles of stewardship and integrity in your daily financial decisions?

5. What steps can you take to ensure that your family understands the importance of a spiritual inheritance, and how can you actively contribute to this legacy?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
Emphasizes the importance of teaching God’s commandments to future generations, aligning with the idea of leaving a spiritual inheritance.

Ecclesiastes 2:26
Discusses how God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness to those who please Him, while the sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.

Psalm 37:25-26
Highlights the blessings and provision for the righteous and their descendants, reinforcing the theme of generational blessings.

1 Timothy 5:8
Stresses the importance of providing for one’s family, which can be seen as part of leaving an inheritance.

Matthew 6:19-21
Encourages storing up treasures in heaven rather than on earth, suggesting a focus on spiritual inheritance.
Sermons
An Inheritance that Will WearProverbs 13:22
Material WealthHomilistProverbs 13:22
The Advantage of Having Godly ParentsWilliam Jay.Proverbs 13:22
The Inheritance of a Good Man's ChildrenSir H. M. Wellwood.Proverbs 13:22
The Blessings of Obedience and Their CounterpartE. Johnson Proverbs 13:18-25
People
Solomon
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Causeth, Children's, Handed, Heritage, Inherit, Inheritance, Laid, Leaves, Leaveth, Righteous, Sinner, Sinner's, Sons, Stored, Upright, Wealth
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Proverbs 13:22

     5414   money, stewardship
     5701   heir
     5704   inheritance, material
     5738   sons
     5967   thrift

Proverbs 13:15-22

     6024   sin, effects of

Proverbs 13:21-22

     6040   sinners

Library
The Tillage of the Poor
'Much food is in the tillage of the poor.'--PROVERBS xiii. 23. Palestine was a land of small peasant proprietors, and the institution of the Jubilee was intended to prevent the acquisition of large estates by any Israelite. The consequence, as intended, was a level of modest prosperity. It was 'the tillage of the poor,' the careful, diligent husbandry of the man who had only a little patch of land to look after, that filled the storehouses of the Holy Land. Hence the proverb of our text arose. It …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Poor Rich and the Rich Poor
'There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing; there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.'--PROVERBS xiii. 7. Two singularly-contrasted characters are set in opposition here. One, that of a man who lives like a millionaire and is a pauper; another, that of a man who lives like a pauper and is rich. The latter character, that of a man who hides and hoards his wealth, was, perhaps, more common in the days when this collection of Proverbs was put together, because in all ill-governed …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Practical Methods of Studying the Old Testament
[Sidenote: The various methods of approach] The Old Testament may be studied as literature, as history, as the record of an important stage in the evolution of religion, as the revelation of God to the race, or as a practical aid to the individual in living the true life. Each angle of approach calls for different methods and yields its correspondingly rich results. Studied in accordance with the canons of modern literary investigation, a literature is disclosed of surpassing variety, beauty, and …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

The Song of the Redeemed
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou ... hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation ... T he extent, variety, and order of the creation, proclaim the glory of God. He is likewise, ^* Maximus in Minimis . The smallest of the works, that we are capable of examining, such for instance as the eye or the wing of a little insect, the creature of a day, are stamped with an inimitable impression of His wisdom and power. Thus in His written Word, there …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

The Heavenly Footman; Or, a Description of the Man that Gets to Heaven:
TOGETHER WITH THE WAY HE RUNS IN, THE MARKS HE GOES BY; ALSO, SOME DIRECTIONS HOW TO RUN SO AS TO OBTAIN. 'And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain: escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.'--Genesis 19:17. London: Printed for John Marshall, at the Bible in Gracechurch Street, 1698. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. About forty years ago a gentleman, in whose company I had commenced my …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

"And this is his Commandment," &C.
1 John iii. 23.--"And this is his commandment," &c. There are different tempers of mind among men, some more smooth and pliable, others more refractory and froward. Some may be persuaded by love, who cannot be constrained by fear. With some a request will more prevail than a command. Others again are of a harsher disposition. Love and condescension doth rather embolden them, and therefore they must be restrained with the bridle of authority. It would seem that the Lord hath some regard to this in …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Second Sunday after Easter
Text: First Peter 2, 20-25. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

How is Christ, as the Life, to be Applied by a Soul that Misseth God's Favour and Countenance.
The sixth case, that we shall speak a little to, is a deadness, occasioned by the Lord's hiding of himself, who is their life, and "the fountain of life," Ps. xxxvi. 9, and "whose loving-kindness is better than life," Ps. lxiii. 3, and "in whose favour is their life," Ps. xxx. 5. A case, which the frequent complaints of the saints manifest to be rife enough, concerning which we shall, 1. Shew some of the consequences of the Lord's hiding his face, whereby the soul's case will appear. 2. Shew the …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Opposition to Messiah Ruinous
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel T here is a species of the sublime in writing, which seems peculiar to the Scripture, and of which, properly, no subjects but those of divine revelation are capable, With us, things inconsiderable in themselves are elevated by splendid images, which give them an apparent importance beyond what they can justly claim. Thus the poet, when describing a battle among bees, by a judicious selection of epithets …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

"But if Ye have Bitter Envying and Strife in Your Hearts, Glory Not," &C.
James iii. 14.--"But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not," &c. It is a common evil of those who hear the gospel, that they are not delivered up to the mould and frame of religion that is holden out in it, but rather bring religion into a mould of their own invention. It was the special commendation of the Romans, that they obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine into which they were delivered, (Rom. vi. 17) that they who were once servants, or slaves of sin, had now …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God, and his Righteousness, and all These Things Shall be Added unto You. "
Matth. vi. 33.--"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." The perfection even of the most upright creature, speaks always some imperfection in comparison of God, who is most perfect. The heavens, the sun and moon, in respect of lower things here, how glorious do they appear, and without spot! But behold, they are not clean in God's sight! How far are the angels above us who dwell in clay! They appear to be a pure mass of light and …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
Having spoken of the general notion of blessedness, I come next to consider the subjects of this blessedness, and these our Saviour has deciphered to be the poor in spirit, the mourners, etc. But before I touch upon these, I shall attempt a little preface or paraphrase upon this sermon of the beatitudes. 1 Observe the divinity in this sermon, which goes beyond all philosophy. The philosophers use to say that one contrary expels another; but here one contrary begets another. Poverty is wont to expel …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Proverbs
Many specimens of the so-called Wisdom Literature are preserved for us in the book of Proverbs, for its contents are by no means confined to what we call proverbs. The first nine chapters constitute a continuous discourse, almost in the manner of a sermon; and of the last two chapters, ch. xxx. is largely made up of enigmas, and xxxi. is in part a description of the good housewife. All, however, are rightly subsumed under the idea of wisdom, which to the Hebrew had always moral relations. The Hebrew …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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