Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked.
Parallel translations
- WEB Better is a little that the righteous has, than the abundance of many wicked.
- KJV A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
- NKJV A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked.
- NASB ¶Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked.
- NLT It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich.
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
A little belonging to the righteous is better than the abundance of many wicked. Godly contentment outweighs ungodly wealth.
Overview
David teaches that quality of life with God exceeds mere quantity of possessions without Him; the righteous person's 'little' surpasses the wicked's plenty. True riches lie in righteousness and God's favor, not in accumulation. This wisdom anticipates Jesus' teaching that gaining the world while losing one's soul is no profit (Mark 8:36), and Paul's note that godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Prov 16:8Better a little with righteousness than great gain with injustice.
- Prov 15:16–17Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil.
- 1 Tim 6:6Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.
- Prov 13:25A righteous man eats to his heart’s content, but the stomach of the wicked is empty.
- Eccl 4:6Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.
- Prov 3:33The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous.
- Eccl 2:26To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
- Prov 30:9Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.
- Matt 6:11Give us this day our daily bread.
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 37:16 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
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