”House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: And a prudent wife is from the LORD.“
Proverbs 19:14
To begin, we can break this passage into two sections:
1. Gifts or inheritance from our Earthly Father.
2. Gifts or inheritance from our Heavenly Father.
When we frame the ideas presented in this way it seems to show us a perspective on life. We are tied to those who came before us and we will also be tethered to those which follow us. We should take what we have been given by our predecessors, build on it and pass it along to the next generation.
We see another layer uncovered, the word translated, “house,” is not referring to a stick or stone structure alone. It presents the idea of a support structure, a family, something built.
The word translated into, “riches,” carries the idea of high value, as in building value, or having enough, as in, “of substance.” This idea is easy to confuse with money, and truly it can be attributed to that as well. What the Author appears to be pointing out is the value we possess inside as opposed to just external collection of valuables.
When I read this passage it brings a picture of a backpack that a Trekker would use. The pack itself is valuable but the contents will sustain life and help the Trekker make a way through a harsh wilderness. If the pack is filled with nonsense, or useless items the pack is not worthless, but it is useless as it would be foolish or vain for a Trekker to waste time and energy carrying the ill equipped pack.
In this fashion, we, as a family unit and in a broader sense, as a society, should be investing in our youth, actively preparing them for a life which will be treacherous and hard. We should not only help them gather the valuable tools to make life’s journey but train them how to apply, aptly, the valuables they have.
Moving to the next section, “And a prudent Wife is from the LORD.”
If you, as a man, are wise enough to build yourself into a person that would attract a prudent woman, and the LORD sees fit to put both of you together, then you have been blessed.
For contrast, look to the previous verse. Proverbs 19:13
“A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.”
Calamity could be defined by a picture. Feature a person standing on what they think is solid ground but then the earth gives way and they are falling into a deep chasm.
This is the kind of destruction that can be brought on by foolish children.
When I read the section describing the contentions (strife or discord) of a wife as a continual dropping, it brings to mind a person being water boarded or having to endure a Chinese water torture technique.
The idea of both forms of torture is to induce fear, anxiety and exhaustion where the will, the mind, the heart and soul are being broken. This probably equates quite well to having a contentious spouse.