God’s Word Translation
Proverbs 11:29
29Whoever brings trouble upon his family inherits ⌞only⌟ wind, and that stubborn fool becomes a slave to the wise in heart.
Proverbs 11:29 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.
- New International Version (NIV)Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.
- New King James Version (NKJV)He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind, And the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.
Context of Proverbs 11:29
27Whoever eagerly seeks good searches for good will, but whoever looks for evil finds it. 28Whoever trusts his riches will fall, but righteous people will flourish like a green leaf. Whoever brings trouble upon his family inherits ⌞only⌟ wind, and that stubborn fool becomes a slave to the wise in heart. 30The fruit of a righteous person is a tree of life, and a winner of souls is wise. 31If the righteous person is rewarded on earth, how much more the wicked person and the sinner!
Read all of Proverbs 11Proverbs 11:29 word by word
עוֹכֵ֣ר בֵּ֭יתוֹ יִנְחַל־ר֑וּחַ וְעֶ֥בֶד אֱ֝וִ֗יל לַחֲכַם־לֵֽב׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- He that troublethעָכַר‛âkar · to troubleH5916
- his own houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- shall inheritנָחַלnâchal · to inheritH5157
- the windרוּחַrûach · spirit: breathH7307
- and the foolאֱוִיל'ĕvîyl · fool(ish)H191
- servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- to the wiseחָכָםchâkâm · wiseH2450
- of heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
Cross-references for Proverbs 11:29
- Genesis 34:30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have caused me a lot of trouble! You’ve made the people living in the area, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, hate me. There are only a few of us. If they join forces against me and attack me, my family and I will be wiped out.”
- Joshua 7:24Joshua and all Israel took Achan (son of Zerah), the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his cattle, his donkeys, his sheep, and his tent—everything he had—and brought them to the valley of Achor [Disaster].
- 1 Samuel 25:3This man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was sensible and beautiful, but he was harsh and mean. He was a descendant of Caleb.
- Habakkuk 2:9“ ‘How horrible it will be for the one who uses violence to get things for his own household in order to set his nest up high and save himself from disaster.’
- Ecclesiastes 5:16This also is a painful tragedy: They leave exactly as they came. What advantage do they gain from working so hard for the wind?
- Hosea 8:7“The people of Israel plant the wind, but they harvest a storm. A field of grain that doesn’t ripen will never produce any grain. Even if it did produce grain, foreigners would eat it all.
Commentaries on Proverbs 11:29
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 29Shalt inherit the wind - He who dissipates his property by riotous living, shall be as unsatisfied as he who attempts to feed upon air.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 29He that troubleth - The temper, nigardly and worrying, which leads a man to make those about him miserable, and proves but bad economy in the end.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 29Verse 29 He that brings trouble upon himself and his family, by carelessness, or by wickedness, shall be unable to keep and enjoy what he gets, as a man is unable to hold the wind, or to satisfy himself with it.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 24-3124-31. The scope of the whole is a comment on Pr 11:23. Thus liberality, by God's blessing, secures increase, while penuriousness, instead of expected gain, procures poverty.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 11:29
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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