Proverbs 20 · Verse 21

Proverbs 20:21

An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.
Proverbs 20:21, King James Version

Proverbs 20:21 in other translations

BSBAn inheritance gained quickly will not be blessed in the end.
WEBAn inheritance quickly gained at the beginning won’t be blessed in the end.
ASVAn inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; But the end thereof shall not be blessed.
YLTAn inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.
DARBYAn inheritance obtained hastily at the beginning will not be blessed in the end.
BBEA heritage may be got quickly at first, but the end of it will not be a blessing.
WebsterAn inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end of it shall not be blessed.

What does Proverbs 20:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
21. 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).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 An 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!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
An estate suddenly raised, is often as suddenly ruined.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Proverbs 20:21 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

נַ֭חֲלָהNa.cha.lahan inheritanceH5159
מְבֹהֶ֣לֶתme.vu.che.lethastily gainedH926
בָּרִאשֹׁנָ֑הba.ri.sho.Nahat <the> firstH7223
וְ֝אַחֲרִיתָ֗הּve.'a.cha.ri.Tahand end itsH319
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
תְבֹרָֽךְ\׃te.vo.Rakhit will be blessedH1288

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Proverbs 20:21

  • 1 Timothy 6:9

    But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

  • Proverbs 13:22

    A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

  • Proverbs 28:8

    He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.

  • Proverbs 23:4

    Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.

  • Proverbs 28:22

    He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.

  • Proverbs 28:20

    A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.

  • Habakkuk 2:6

    Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay!

  • Job 27:16-17

    Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.

  • Malachi 2:2

    If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

  • Zechariah 5:4

    I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
gotten.
23:4; 28:20,22; 1Ti 6:9
but.
13:22; 28:8; Job 27:16,17; Hab 2:6; Zec 5:4; Mal 2:2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Proverbs 20:20

    Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

  • Proverbs 20:21

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

  • Proverbs 20:22

    Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.

Read all of Proverbs 20

Proverbs 20:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		La herencia adquirida de priesa al principio, aun su postrimería no será bendita.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		L’héritage acquis avec hâte au commencement, ne sera pas béni à la fin.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Ein Erbe, das hastig erlangt wird im Anfang, dessen Ende wird nicht gesegnet sein.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		hæreditas ad quam festinatur in principio, in novissimo benedictione carebit.