September 30, 2026

Business by the Book

Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children:..

There are two basic ways to interpret this verse, within those two basic interpretations there are two further avenues of interpretation.

First, this verse can be interpreted to mean money is left to a good person’s children and grandchildren. This is the straightforward common sense interpretation. Secondly, this verse could be interpreted to mean a heritage that supersedes money. An honest, hard-working, and loving parent may scrape by in life and leave no money, but they may leave an inheritance by passing on a just work ethic coupled with love of family that means more to a child or grandchild than money. Money can soon be spent, but the ethic of hard work, personal responsibility, love, and honesty will allow the child or grandchild to carve out their own living. If these attributes that are handed down from one generation to another seem unimportant, just look at the lives of those who have not had a parent or grandparent pass those qualities down to them.

The next two interpretations of this verse deal strictly with money or wealth. One is that a person leaves financial gifts directly to their children and grandchildren. The other is that the inheritance is passed on to immediate children, they in turn with capital, and being trained in the maintenance of same, leave a healthy inheritance for their children which are the grandchildren of the one leaving such inheritance.

The question that remains then is, what is a person to do concerning leaving an inheritance. That depends on the person’s situation. If a measure of wealth has been acquired or inherited in life and remains after death, by all means pass it on. But use good judgment considering the best avenue to maintain that wealth for subsequent generations. If no inheritance of wealth is possible, live life in such a way as to leave an honorable inheritance of character that continues on for generations in the family bloodline.

Early in the last century a survey was performed of the children of pastors and preachers versus those who reject any and all form of Christianity. I cannot recall where I read about this survey, but to the best of my memory it concluded that men in ministerial vocations left little, if any, financial inheritance to their children. But the lives of their children reflected their father’s character in gaining and obtaining highly successful and honorable positions in life. Judges, politicians, college professors and deans, bankers, and industrialists of all sorts were the type of positions the children of ministers earned. The inheritance of quality of character paid great dividends in their children and grandchildren’s lives. The others were not so. Certainly a good man leaves an inheritance for their children and grandchildren whether it be money, wealth, or a good example on which to build a life.

Dr. William Howe