New King James Version
Proverbs 20:21
21An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning Will not be blessed at the end.
Proverbs 20:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.
- New International Version (NIV)An inheritance claimed too soon will not be blessed at the end.
- English Standard Version (ESV)An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.
- New Living Translation (NLT)An inheritance obtained too early in life is not a blessing in the end.
Context of Proverbs 20:21
19He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips. 20Whoever curses his father or his mother, His lamp will be put out in deep darkness. An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning Will not be blessed at the end. 22Do not say, “I will recompense evil”; Wait for the Lord, and He will save you. 23Diverse weights are an abomination to the Lord, And dishonest scales are not good.
Read all of Proverbs 20Proverbs 20:21 word by word
נַ֭חֲלָה מְבֹהֶ֣לֶת בָּרִאשֹׁנָ֑ה וְ֝אַחֲרִיתָ֗הּ לֹ֣א תְבֹרָֽךְ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 20:21
- Proverbs 23:4Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease!
- Proverbs 28:20A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
- 1 Timothy 6:9But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
- Proverbs 13:22A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.
- Proverbs 28:8One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion Gathers it for him who will pity the poor.
- Job 27:16Though he heaps up silver like dust, And piles up clothing like clay—
- Habakkuk 2:6“Will not all these take up a proverb against him, And a taunting riddle against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases What is not his—how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges’?
- Zechariah 5:4“I will send out the curse,” says the Lord of hosts; “It shall enter the house of the thief And the house of the one who swears falsely by My name. It shall remain in the midst of his house And consume it, with its timber and stones.”
- Malachi 2:2If you will not hear, And if you will not take it to heart, To give glory to My name,” Says the Lord of hosts, “I will send a curse upon you, And I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, Because you do not take it to heart.
Commentaries on Proverbs 20:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21An inheritance - gotten hastily - Gotten by speculation; by lucky hits; not in the fair progressive way of traffic, in which money has its natural increase. All such inheritances are short-lived; God's blessing is not in them, because they are not the produce of industry; and they lead to idleness, pride, fraud and knavery. A speculation in trade is a pubiic nuisance and curse. How many honest men have been ruined by such!Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Or, An inheritance gotten hastily (greedily sought after by unjust means) at the beginning, the end thereof shall not be blessed. Another reading gives, “an inheritance loathed, (compare Zechariah 11:8), or with a curse upon it.” The King James Version agrees with the versions.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21Verse 21 An estate suddenly raised, is often as suddenly ruined.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21If you receive an inheritance early in life, you might spend it all before you die, leaving nothing for later.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. gotten hastily--contrary to God's providence (Pr 28:20), implying its unjust or easy attainment; hence the man is punished, or spends freely what he got easily (compare Pr 20:17).Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 20:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 20
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries