Classic KJV - Proverbs 15:6

This proverb is a little mysterious. Many righteous people seem to have little wealth in their houses. But here, there are three comparisons at work: The virtuous versus the vicious, great wealth versus trouble, and the house versus the income. The righteous and the wicked are direct opposites, yet great wealth is not contrasted with poverty, but with trouble. Likewise, the house is not contrasted with a hut, but with income. This asymmetrical structure helps untangle the knotted message. We can start with the easier comparison: “trouble is in the income the wicked.”

Translation: Trouble

The word “trouble” is translated from the Hebrew word, עכר (̔ā•ḵӑr, pronounced “ah-khar”), which is used fourteen times in the Scriptures. The first time ā•ḵӑr is seen in the Bible, it describes the turmoil and anxiety that Simeon and Levi bring to their father, Jacob, through their deadly rampage in the city of Shechem. Joshua uses the same word to describe the effects of Achan’s theft in Jericho. Trouble shatters the peace and threatens terror. It’s no longer “business as usual.”

The Hebrew word ā•ḵӑr is also used in Proverbs 11:29 and 15:27. In order for us to live well, God has provided us with a blueprint in the natural law and an instruction manual in the Bible. Those who ignore the rules for success not surprisingly suffer various unexpected calamities:

Upheaval: Roughly 3,400 years ago, as documented, a soldier violated the direct order of his commander not to pillage a captured city, but instead hid some booty in the family tent. This brought trouble to the whole nation and cost his whole family their lives. The tragic story: Joshua 7:13-26.

Infection: About 2,800 years ago, an assistant minister of the true God was dissatisfied with his income, so he disobeyed his pastor and accepted a gratuity from a patron, which then brought with it the trouble of leprosy. Read all about it: 2 Kings 5:1-27.

Sudden Death: A married couple tried to scam the early church, 1,980 years ago, lying to the Holy Spirit by pretending to donate all their property to God. They had not been obliged to give anything to the church, but their pretending to give everything was a spiritual fraud that brought them fatal trouble. Read about Ananias and Sapphira: Acts 5:1-10.

Family Ruin: In 1877, Cornelius Vanderbilt was the richest man in America, and fifty years later, his family was ruined. In his insatiable drive for riches, he disdained his wife and children. He was greedy, rude and unloving, but very, very wealthy. Read about this family trouble in Fortune’s Children: The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt, or check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelius_Vanderbilt.

Inner Pain: Spiritual trouble exemplified at 1 Timothy 6:8-10.

Prison: For over a decade, Bernie Madoff seemed fabulously wealthy. He was prosperous in every way, but his income was troubled: A massive, sophisticated Ponzi scheme that cheated thousands of investors out of multi-millions, for which, on June 29, 2009, Madoff earned 150 years of in prison. See Madoff’s trail of trouble here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Madoff.

Curses and Doom: The Bible warns about the trouble coming to everyone who gets rich by taking advantage of others (James 5:1-6).

Possible Implied Warning—Financial Statement Focus

This proverb may implicitly warn about excessive focus on cash-flow. The wicked focus on the flow of wealth (income statement), while the righteous concentrate on existing assets (balance sheet). Early in the last century, a business’s financial evaluation emphasized its balance sheet, rather than its earnings statement. Since then, much more attention is given to earnings as a measure of financial health. Some analysts look exclusively at corporate earnings, while others focus on debt-to-equity ratios and stock prices. The first characterizes growth or momentum investing, and the latter, value investing. This text suggests that value investing, pioneered by Benjamin Graham in 1934, is the healthier style.

Excess Stress Brings Trouble

Stress is a massive trouble, plaguing wealth creators in modern society, piled upon broken relationships, guilt, fear, worry, and regrets. These troubles rob earners of their joy in their income. This text doesn’t say the “wicked” fail to get rich, but in getting rich, they inadvertently ruin their well-being. And anyone partnering with the wicked can expect a share of the contaminated “trouble.”

At this point, though, we still need to ask about the many righteous homes lacking great wealth. Some argue that great wealth doesn’t necessarily mean material riches, but spiritual wealth like love, joy, peace, and contentment. But the text doesn’t say, “great virtue is in the house of the righteous.” It says, “great wealth is in the house of the righteous.” What does “wealth” really mean in this context?

Translating: Wealth

The Hebrew word for “wealth,” חֺסֶן (ḥō•sěn, pronounced “kho-sen”), appears first here and then only four more times in Scripture. Usually “kho-sen” refers to material abundance or prosperity. The KJV twice translates the word as “strength.” It comes from a root meaning “stored” or “treasured.” In Proverbs 27:24, this word is used to teach us not to rely on the permanence of stored treasure. The word here may refer to spiritual wealth, but it’s never used like that elsewhere. ḥō•sěn seems to refer exclusively to material assets. So the text asserts indirectly that wealth is desirable. Otherwise, though it may always be a test or a challenge, God would not give it to the righteous.

God Moves Wealth from Place to Place

Historically, when a nation publicly esteems the Bible and at least tries to live accordingly, it is blessed with material prosperity. At Great Britain’s height under Queen Victoria, its colonies spanned the globe. “The sun never set on the British Empire”—literally. For the two centuries prior, the Bible had been Britain’s most important book. Contrast this with the defunct Soviet Union (USSR), which, though geographically vast, imploded, because it disdained biblical truth and aggressively attacked its teaching.

Sometimes, God blesses the righteous, like Abraham and Job, with great, visible wealth. At other times, he strips the wealth from the righteous, like Job and Elijah. Yet, though God removes the wealth from their own holdings, does that mean God removes the wealth from their “house,” their family—or spiritual family?

Family Wealth or Personal Income

“House” here refers not only to a physical dwelling, but also to the household, home and family. This implies that the righteous focus on family wealth, while the wicked focus on personal cash-flow.

God’s blessing of God and treasure comes upon the whole household of the righteous, not just the current income stream. Consider the power of children’s prayers within a virtuous family, and the absence of prayer in the life of the vicious. Often, the children of righteous receive the great material wealth, rather than their parents. For example, Chinese multi-billionaire Huang Guang-yu lives very frugally. His mother tells of his ancestors, who traveled to Thailand to trade sugar and beans—and to share Bible stories. The children and grandchildren of godly Christians are the financial beneficiaries.

Family wealth typically arises with the parents, most particularly the father or grandfather. A half-hearted, vicious king like Reheboam had much wealth in his house, due to the righteousness of his forefather kings David and Solomon, but his income, current cash-flow, was contaminated by trouble.

God is the True Righteous Father

“Great wealth is in the house of the righteous,” because the true father of this household owns the entire Universe. The righteous have God Almighty as their Father. When people are re-born into the family of God, they are born into incredible wealth, spanning two whole worlds. God says, “Heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool.” The material wealth that God’s children enjoy on earth is only “footstool wealth.” The “throne wealth” is yet untasted!

Using Great Wealth

God often does not give his children wealth. He supplies their needs, not their greeds. Great wealth is not meant for the personal indulgence of God’s children, but for the running of His Kingdom. 19th century China missionary Hudson Taylor stated this truth precisely: “God’s work, done God’s way, will not lack God’s supply.” All God’s Children are given great wealth, but never for their indulgence. But is it not simply childish to trust in Daddy’s money? Not really. We are told to pray to God as our “Father in heaven.” Yet praying for God to supply does not absolve God’s children from using it well.

Training Children in Wealth Management

God’s household may be viewed as an enormous estate, engaging both children and servants. The Father could give the children more wealth than they could handle, but He chooses to deny them much of what they want, or when they want it. Instead, he makes them work, learn skills, and enjoy a sense of accomplishment. During this training, they sometimes feel like mere servants. And yet, they can command much more wealth than any of the servants. The Father, head of the house of the righteous, is quick to bestow His vast riches on any of His children, once he is confident the child will use these resources to further the family, rather than the child’s personal whims.

Our Maker, Saviour, and Friend

Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth,” Matthew 5:5. He uses the word, “inherit,” not the words, “conquers”or “overwhelms.”

One qualifies for an inheritance based on family ties, not on performance. An inheritance is usually unearned. It comes or becomes available, with family ties. A reward is earned by some accomplishment, but nothing we do earns us this inheritance. It is a gift is freely given.

Submission to God, living in His family, is the true basis for receiving great wealth, true wealth.