Proverbs 20:21

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Translations sourced from the public-domain WEB, KJV, and ASV. See all sources.

“An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning, won’t be blessed in the end.”

— WEB

“An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.”

— KJV

“An inheritance [may be] gotten hastily at the beginning; But the end thereof shall not be blessed.”

— ASV

Bible Verses About Inheritance

Cross-references

Related verses via the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

1 Timothy 6:9 "But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin …"
Proverbs 13:22 "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored for the righteous."
Proverbs 28:8 "He who increases his wealth by excessive interest gathers it for one who has pity on the poor."
Proverbs 28:22 "A stingy man hurries after riches, and doesn’t know that poverty waits for him."
Habakkuk 2:6 "Won’t all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases that which is not h…"
Job 27:16-17 "Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare clothing as the clay;"
Proverbs 28:20 "A faithful man is rich with blessings; but one who is eager to be rich will not go unpunished."
Proverbs 23:4 "Don’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint."

Commentary

Note, 1. It is possible that an estate may be suddenly raised. There are those that will be rich, by right or wrong, who make no conscience of what they say or do if they can but get money by it, who, when it is in their power, will cheat their own father, and who sordidly spare and hoard up what they get, grudging themselves and their families food convenient and thinking all lost but what they buy land with or put out to interest. By such ways as these a man may grow rich, may grow very rich, in a little time, at his first setting out. 2. An estate that is suddenly raised is often as suddenly ruined. It was raised hastily, but, not being raised honestly, it proves soon ripe and soon rotten: The end thereof shall not be blessed of God, and, if he do not bless it, it can neither be comfortable nor of any continuance; so that he who got it at the end will be a fool. He had better have taken time and built firmly.

— Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary (public domain)

gotten hastily--contrary to God's providence (Pro 28:20), implying its unjust or easy attainment; hence the man is punished, or spends freely what he got easily (compare Pro 20:17).

— Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary (public domain)

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