Proverbs (Part 161) - Pro 11:29

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29. Pro 11:29 – “He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.” A. He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: i. Definitions a. Trouble v. – I. 1. trans. To disturb, agitate, ruffle (water, air, etc.); esp. to stir up (water) so as to make it thick or muddy; to make (wine) thick by stirring up the lees; to make turbid, dim, or cloudy. 2. trans. To disturb, derange; to interfere with, interrupt; to hinder, mar. II. 3. To put into a state of (mental) agitation or disquiet; to disturb, distress, grieve, perplex. 4. trans. To do harm or hurt to; to injure; to molest, oppress. b. House n. – 1. A building for human habitation; esp. a building that is the ordinary dwelling-place of a family. 5. The persons living in one dwelling; the inmates of a house collectively; a household, family. c. Inherit v. – 1. trans. To make heir, put in possession, cause to inherit (lit. and fig.). Obs. (Cf. disinherit.) 2. trans. To take or receive (property, esp. real property, or a right, privilege, rank, or title) as the heir of the former possessor (usually an ancestor), at his decease; to get, or come into possession of, by legal descent or succession. 3. transf. To come into possession of, as one's right or divinely assigned portion; to receive, obtain, have, or hold as one's portion. (Chiefly in biblical and derived uses: see inheritance 4, heir 2.) d. Wind n. – III. Figurative and allusive uses. 15. Applied to something empty, vain, trifling, or unsubstantial. e. In other words, a man that disturbs, distresses, disrupts, grieves, harms, hurts, injures, or oppresses his own family should receive nothing for his inheritance. ii. It is normal and good for parents to leave an inheritance to their children (Pro 19:14; 2Co 12:14) and even grandchildren (Pro 13:22). iii. However, an inheritance is a blessing, not a right, for children. a. To “inherit the wind” the to end up with nothing (Ecc 5:15-16; Hos 8:7). (i) A man who troubles his own house does not deserve, and should not be given, an inheritance. (ii) He deserves to inherit nothing. b. Examples of troubling one’s house. (i) Disrespecting parents (Mar 7:10; Rom 1:30). (ii) Causing strife among family members (Pro 22:10). (iii) Being a fool and making stupid decisions (Pro 17:25; Pro 10:1; Pro 19:13; Pro 17:21). (iv) Marrying outside of the faith (Gen 26:34-35 & Gen 27:46 & Gen 28:8 c/w Gen 24:3). (v) Living a sinful life (fornication, adultery, drunkenness, drug use, blasphemy, etc.) (Pro 5:8-10; Pro 6:26; Deut 21:18-21; Pro 23:21; Lev 24:10-16). (vi) Being cruel, violent, deceitful, or otherwise wicked and bringing reproach on the family name (Gen 34:30). (vii) Willfully breaking God’s commandments and bringing God’s judgment upon the family (Jos 7:24-25). (viii) Being covetous (Hab 2:9-10). (ix) Being greedy (Pro 15:27). (x) Going into excessive debt, especially to the point to endangering one’s own family (Mat 18:23-25) and needing financial help from extended family. (xi) Being a fool with money (Pro 21:20). 1. If a child has demonstrated that he cannot manage money well and is not a good steward of it, then a parent would be a fool to leave him an inheritance (Luk 16:10-12). 2. Doing so would be a cause of further grief for a parent, knowing that their hard-earned money will be squandered and wasted by their foolish child (Ecc 2:18-21). (xii) Being a bum and not working, or not working enough (2Th 3:10). 1. If a man is lazy, his inheritance should be given to his sibling or someone else that has worked hard and acquired much (Mat 25:26-29 c/w Luk 19:24-26). 2. The wealth that would have gone to the sinner should be laid up for the just (Pro 13:22). c. A man who does any of these things should get no inheritance. (i) Parents should not feel guilty about cutting such a son or daughter out of their will. (ii) In fact, parents should feel guilty about leaving such a child in their will, because to do so it to reward, enable, and perpetuate bad behavior. B. and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart. i. Definitions a. Fool n. – I. 1. a. One deficient in judgement or sense, one who acts or behaves stupidly, a silly person, a simpleton. (In Biblical use applied to vicious or impious persons.) The word has in mod.Eng. a much stronger sense than it had at an earlier period; it has now an implication of insulting contempt which does not in the same degree belong to any of its synonyms, or to the derivative foolish. b. Servant n. – 1. A personal or domestic attendant; one whose duty is to wait upon his master or mistress, or do certain work in his or her household. 2. a. In wider sense: One who is under the obligation to render certain services to, and to obey the orders of, a person or a body of persons, esp. in return for wages or salary. c. Wise adj. – 1. a. Having or exercising sound judgement or discernment; capable of judging truly concerning what is right or fitting, and disposed to act accordingly; having the ability to perceive and adopt the best means for accomplishing an end; characterized by good sense and prudence. Opp. to foolish. d. Heart n. – ** As the seat of feeling, understanding, and thought. 5. a. = mind, in the widest sense, including the functions of feeling, volition, and intellect. 6. a. The seat of one's inmost thoughts and secret feelings; one's inmost being; the depths of the soul; the soul, the spirit. e. In other words, a man who is deficient in judgment or sense and acts and behaves stupidly or wickedly (especially towards his own family) deserves to be working for, and obeying the orders of, his wise brother who exercises sound judgment and good sense and does what is right, rather than being a co-heir with him of his family’s estate. ii. The word “and” connects the second half of the verse to the first half. a. “The fool” in context is the “he that troubleth his own house.” b. “The wise of heart” in context is a sibling, servant, or other person who is given the inheritance that the fool would have received were he not a fool. c. Instead of being the heir of the estate, the fool who troubled his own house will end up being a servant to the heir of the estate who may have formerly been a servant (Pro 17:2). d. A son who foolishly sells his birthright, whether literally or figuratively, should end up being servant to his brother who was wise and faithful (Gen 25:29-34 c/w Gen 25:23).