Better is he who is lightly esteemed, and has a servant, than he who honors himself, and lacks bread.
Parallel translations
- KJV He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.
- BSB Better to be lightly esteemed yet have a servant, than to be self-important but lack food.
- NKJV Better is the one who is slighted but has a servant, Than he who honors himself but lacks bread.
- NASB Better is one who is lightly esteemed and has a servant, Than one who honors himself and lacks bread.
- NLT Better to be an ordinary person with a servant than to be self-important but have no food.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
It is better to be lowly yet have a servant than to pretend importance while lacking food. Honest modest means beat proud pretense.
Overview
This 'better than' proverb commends humble, sufficient circumstances over the vanity of those who put on airs but cannot even feed themselves. It exposes the folly of valuing reputation over reality. The lesson aligns with Scripture's repeated commendation of humility and contentment over empty self-promotion.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Luke 14:11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Prov 13:7There are some who pretend to be rich, yet have nothing. There are some who pretend to be poor, yet have great wealth.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 12:9 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.