🌴 Proverbs 13:22 | It Is Good
PLUS: How Hebrew helps us see this verse in full.

together with
Happy Wednesday, everyone!
Today is such a fun day in the week because we get to spend time looking at the beauty of biblical writing.
Today is good, pun intended.
In today’s email…
👍 How good are you….really?
👱♂️ The man named Sam
📚️ A few resources to go even deeper in study
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MEMORIZE 🧠
A ____ ___ leaves __ ___________ to his ________ ________,
but the sinner's _____ __ laid up for ___ ________.
Proverbs 13:22
(Use our free web app to help you memorize in your favorite translation. Instructions to set it up are at the bottom of this email.)
CONTEXT 📕
Proverbs 13:22 is a powerful sentence.
And it becomes even richer when we look at one of its key Hebrew words:
“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.”
The Hebrew word for “good” in this verse is ṭôb (pronounced tobe).
Ṭôb means more than being nice or the kind of person who holds doors open for people who are still crossing the parking lot.
It’s the word used when God looked over His creation in Genesis 1 and said, “It is good.”
It’s the word for a life that works well in God’s world. Not flashy. Not impressive. But wise, steady and fruitful.
In Proverbs 13:22, it’s not the impressive man who leaves an inheritance. Not the rich man. Not the successful entrepreneur. It’s the ṭôb man, the substantively good man.
The one who walks in wisdom and builds a life that outlasts him.
Here’s what’s great about this richness — in Hebrew thought, “inheritance” encompasses land and territorial possessions, family legacy, spiritual heritage, and even divine blessing.
And note this fascinating detail of structure: in Hebrew, the phrase for “blessings” ends verse 21 and begins verse 22 🤯 a subtle wordplay tying the righteous (tsaddiq) and the good (ṭôb) together across this seam in the chapter.
So:
Ṭôb isn’t about being flashy or self-serving.
Nachalah isn’t just cash or property.
This verse sits at the pivot of contrasts between foolish and wise, injustice and blessing and declares: True legacy is holistic, generational, and spiritual as well as material.
TOGETHER WITH THE POUR OVER
One thing we know will stand the test of time is the word of God.
Isaiah 40:8 says, "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever."
That’s one of the reasons why we love The Pour Over.
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APPLY AND RESPOND 🏃♂️
Let me tell you a story I once heard of a man named Sam.
Sam wasn’t flashy.
He lived in the same modest house for over 40 years. Never had a new car. Worked a quiet job at the post office and brought his lunch in a brown paper bag every day.
To most people, Sam didn’t look impressive. But Sam lived ṭôb.
He tithed first. He gave quietly. He saved slowly. He paid off his house. He didn’t chase trends; he made wise decisions, one faithful moment at a time.
When Sam passed away, something surprising happened.
Not only did he leave behind a sizable inheritance for his children and grandchildren, but He also left behind journals full of prayers he had written for them.
Notes in the margins of his Bible. Stories of generosity that no one knew about until after his death.
He lived a good life, and impact followed.
That’s Proverbs 13:22.
Who in your life models ṭôb for you? What did/does their life look like?
And more importantly, what would it look like for you to live ṭôb this week?
RESOURCES 📚️
Here are a few resources to help you dig deeper into the verse and its themes:
📚️ Proverbs: A 12-Week Study, Knowing the Bible by Crossway (link)
📚️ Proverbs by Derek Kidner (link)
📚️ The Book of Proverbs by Alabaster (link)
📹️ Poetic Metaphor by The BibleProject (link)
🎵 In the Whisper by Christy Knockels (Spotify | Apple Music | Full Malachi Daily Playlist)
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ANSWER KEY ✅
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children,
but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.
Proverbs 13:22
Best,
The Malachi Daily team 🙏
Today’s Contributors
Payton is a husband, father, and pastor in Vero Beach, FL. He leads a small church and helps Christians master storytelling through his newsletter, Christian Story Lab.
Kieran is a husband and father living in NJ. In addition to Malachi Daily, he writes a personal newsletter about the intersection of faith, fatherhood and entrepreneurship.
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