Where does the phrase 'inherit the wind' come from?

Answer 1

'Inherit the wind' comes from the Bible book of Proverbs, chapter 11 verse 29:

• "He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool [shall be] servant to the wise of heart." -King James Version 1611

• "Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind. The fool will be a servant to the wise." -New Living Translation 2007

• "Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise." -New International Version 1984

• "The man who brings trouble on his family will have nothing at the end. Foolish men will always be servants to the wise." -Today's English Version 1976

• * "The fool who provokes his family to anger and resentment will finally have nothing worthwhile left. He shall be the servant of a wiser man." -Living Bible1971

BACKGROUND TO THE BOOK OF PROVERBS

The Bible book of Proverbs was written by King Solomon (See Prov 1:1; 10:1; 25:1) and is a collection of 'wise sayings' i.e. maxims and aphorisms, and 'words of wisdom.'

Some of them may have been Solomon's own proverbs but some he clearly acknowledges as not being his own. (Prov 30:1; 31:1) Solomon also indicated elsewhere (Eccl 11:9,10) that he compiled the proverbs from other sources. Even the format of the book, with a number of proverbs being repeated, would indicate that he may have used other smaller collections of proverbs as his source material. He may also have included many traditional word-of-mouth proverbs that were part of the cultural heritage of the people of his time.

However, doubtless some (or many, or most?) of the proverbs may have been Solomon's own inspired words of wisdom. After all, the expression 'the wisdom of Solomon' (See 1 Kings 4:29-34) is part of the heritage of the English language even now.

PROVERBS 11:29

If Proverbs 11:29 is part of the section of the book which begins with the header "The Proverbs of Solomon", (chapter 10 verse 1) then the words of this verse may be Solomon's own.

CONCLUSION

The maxim: 'Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind' is a saying found in Solomon's book of Proverbs. This particular verse may be Solomon's own words or the phrase may have had an earlier written source, or could have been a well known saying among the people. Even so, Solomon was doubtless inspired/moved to record and preserve these words of wisdom in his book of Proverbs, a book that that has been appreciated and passed on from generation to generation.

Answer 2

The phrase "inherit the wind" comes from The Bible, specifically from the book of Proverbs 11:29. It is often interpreted to mean facing the consequences of one's actions or choices. The phrase gained further popularity as the title of a play and subsequent movie about the Scopes Monkey Trial.