Psalms 37:16
in Psalms 37Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Better is a little that the righteous hath Than the abundance of many wicked.
KJV
A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
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This verse in Psalms 37
Commentary
4 notes on this verse(Vers. 16.) It is better to be a little just, than to have many riches from the sins of the wicked. Therefore, riches are not condemned, but the riches of sinners; unless perhaps because a sinner said: All these things have been delivered to me, and I give them to whomever I wish (Luke 4:6). Furthermore, since riches inflame the torch of greed more, and each person desires greater things, they do not turn away from the paths of sin. Hence, the Savior said: Make friends for yourselves with the mammon of wickedness (Luke 16:9).
This site's exposition
Better is the little
on Psalms 37:16-20
The little of the righteous outweighs the abundance of many wicked men. Verse 17 sets broken arms against the LORD holding the righteous up, and verse 19 carries the promise into famine, where they are satisfied. The wicked fade like the glory of the fields, like smoke.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
When evil-doers are cut off the righteous sometimes inherit what they gathered. The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just, Job xxvii. This promise is here made, 1.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. This is a fine proverb. The little of one good man is contrasted with the riches of many wicked, and so the expression is rendered the more forcible. There is more happiness in the godly dinner of herbs than in the stalled ox of profane rioters.
The words behind it
6 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| טוֹב־ | tov- | [is] good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| מְ֭עַט | meat | [the] little | H4592 → | 101 times |
| לַצַּדִּ֑יק | latzadik | of the righteous | H6662 → | 206 times |
| מֵ֝הֲמ֗וֹן | mehamon | more than [the] wealth of | H1995 → | 83 times |
| רְשָׁעִ֥ים | reshaim | wicked [people] | H7563 → | 263 times |
| רַבִּֽים׃ | rabim | many | H7227 → | 454 times |
טוֹב־[is] good
tov-H2896 →538 times
מְ֭עַט[the] little
meatH4592 →101 times
לַצַּדִּ֑יקof the righteous
latzadikH6662 →206 times
מֵ֝הֲמ֗וֹןmore than [the] wealth of
mehamonH1995 →83 times
רְשָׁעִ֥יםwicked [people]
reshaimH7563 →263 times
רַבִּֽים׃many
rabimH7227 →454 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Timothy 6:6Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.
it leads to
- Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 16:8
Better a little with righteousness than great gain with injustice.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Timothy 6:8
But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.
- Philippians 4:11–13
I am not saying this out of need, for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances.
- Luke 12:31–32
But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added unto you.
- Hebrews 13:5
Through
Proverbs 16:8Better a little with righteousness than great gain with injustice.
it leads to
- Proverbs 15:16
Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil.
- 1 Timothy 6:6–9
Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.
- Proverbs 15:16
Through
Ecclesiastes 4:6Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.
it leads to
- Proverbs 15:16–17
Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil.
- Proverbs 15:16–17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Ambrose of Milan, Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 2; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.