Inherit the Wind

[Inherit the Wind]

I am reading 'Inherit the Wind' right now in English class, and i was wondering what inherit the wind actually means. There is a quote in the play, 'he that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind,' is there a solid explanation of this quote? If so, is there a phrase that would be synonymous?

[MrPedantic]

Hello ItW

I've seen various interpretations of this phrase, which is a quote from the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament.

To my mind, the two most likely are:

1. If you cause discord around you, you will bring a whirlwind of troubles on yourself.

2. If you cause discord around you, you will gain nothing of any value.

The imagery can be resolved as follows:

a) troubleth = cause any kind of disturbance or discord
b) his own house = either literally "his own home", "his own family", or "his own surroundings".
c) inherit = receive in consequence
d) the wind = either "troubles" (cf. "whirlwind") or "things of no value".

It's similar in some respects to the Biblical sentiment "you reap what you sow".

MrP