Albert Barnes Commentary Proverbs 17:2

"A servant that dealeth wisely shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, And shall have part in the inheritance among the brethren." — Proverbs 17:2 (ASV)

The “servant,” it must be remembered, was a slave, but (as in such cases as Genesis 15:2; 2 Samuel 16:4) might succeed to the inheritance.