Inheritance

An inheritance is property passed down to heirs. Israel had laws on inheritance and disputes over birthrights, and God's people have an eternal inheritance.

Leaving an inheritance

• 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.A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.
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• Proverbs 19:14
  House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the Lord.Houses and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.
  Show context · Read Proverbs 19 →
• 2 Corinthians 12:14
  Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.See, I am ready to come to you a third time, and I will not be a burden, because I am not seeking your possessions, but you. For children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.
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Inheritance laws in Israel

• Numbers 27:8-11
  ⁸And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.Furthermore, you shall say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, you are to transfer his inheritance to his daughter. ⁹And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. ¹⁰And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father’s brethren.If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. ¹¹And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the Lord commanded Moses.And if his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the next of kin from his clan, that he may take possession of it. This is to be a statutory ordinance for the Israelites, as the LORD has commanded Moses.’”
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• Deuteronomy 21:15-17
  ¹⁵If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated:If a man has two wives, one beloved and the other unloved, and both bear him sons, but the unloved wife has the firstborn son, ¹⁶Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn:when that man assigns his inheritance to his sons he must not appoint the son of the beloved wife as the firstborn over the son of the unloved wife. ¹⁷But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.Instead, he must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of his unloved wife, by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For that son is the firstfruits of his father’s strength; the right of the firstborn belongs to him.
  Show context · Read Deuteronomy 21 →
• Numbers 36:7-9
  ⁷So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.No inheritance in Israel may be transferred from tribe to tribe, because each of the Israelites is to retain the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. ⁸And every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers.Every daughter who possesses an inheritance from any Israelite tribe must marry within a clan of the tribe of her father, so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of his fathers. ⁹Neither shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance.No inheritance may be transferred from one tribe to another, for each tribe of Israel must retain its inheritance.”
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Birthrights and disputes

• Genesis 25:31-34
  ³¹And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.“First sell me your birthright,” Jacob replied. ³²And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?“Look,” said Esau, “I am about to die, so what good is a birthright to me?” ³³And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.“Swear to me first,” Jacob said. So Esau swore to Jacob and sold him the birthright. ³⁴Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.Then Jacob gave some bread and lentil stew to Esau, who ate and drank and then got up and went away. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
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• Luke 12:13-15
  ¹³And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” ¹⁴And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?But Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed Me judge or executor between you?” ¹⁵And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
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• Luke 15:12-13
  ¹²And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. ¹³And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living.
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• 1 Kings 21:3
  And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”
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Inheritance gained hastily

• Proverbs 20:21
  An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.An inheritance gained quickly will not be blessed in the end.
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• Ecclesiastes 2:18-19
  ¹⁸Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. ¹⁹And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile.
  Show context · Read Ecclesiastes 2 →

An eternal inheritance

• 1 Peter 1:3-4
  ³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,
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• Romans 8:16-17
  ¹⁶The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.
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• Ephesians 1:11-14
  ¹¹In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will, ¹²That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory. ¹³In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.
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• Matthew 25:34
  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
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• Colossians 3:24
  Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
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See also

• Money
• Children
• Fathers
• Eternal life
• Widows and orphans

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.