New Living Translation
Psalms 37:16
16It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich.
Psalms 37:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
- New International Version (NIV)Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;
- English Standard Version (ESV)Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.
- New King James Version (NKJV)A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked.
Context of Psalms 37:16
14The wicked draw their swords and string their bows to kill the poor and the oppressed, to slaughter those who do right. 15But their swords will stab their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich. 17For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the Lord takes care of the godly. 18Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
Read all of Psalms 37Psalms 37:16 word by word
טוֹב־מְ֭עַט לַצַּדִּ֑יק מֵ֝הֲמ֗וֹן רְשָׁעִ֥ים רַבִּֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 37:16
- Proverbs 3:33The Lord curses the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the upright.
- Proverbs 13:25The godly eat to their hearts’ content, but the belly of the wicked goes hungry.
- Proverbs 15:16Better to have little, with fear for the Lord, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil.
- Proverbs 16:8Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest.
- Proverbs 30:9For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.
- Ecclesiastes 2:26God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. But if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him. This, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.
- Ecclesiastes 4:6And yet, “Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind.”
- Matthew 6:11Give us today the food we need,
- 1 Timothy 6:6Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.
Commentaries on Psalms 37:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16A little that a righteous man hath - This is a solid maxim. Whatever a good man has, has God's blessing in it; even the blessings of the wicked are cursed.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16A little that a righteous man hath - literally, “Good is a little to the righteous, more than,” etc. Our translation, however, has expressed the sense with sufficient accuracy. There are two things implied here: (a) that it happens not unfrequently that the righteous have little of the wealth of this world; and (b) that this little is to them of more real value, accompanied, as it is, with higher blessings, than the more abundant wealth which the wicked…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-20Verses 7-20 Let us be satisfied that God will make all to work for good to us. Let us not discompose ourselves at what we see in this world. A fretful, discontented spirit is open to many temptations. For, in all respects, the little which is allotted to the righteous, is more comfortable and more profitable than the ill-gotten and abused riches of ungodly men. It comes from a hand of special love. God provides plentifully and well, not only for his…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16It is better to be wise with little money than to be rich and evil (Proverbs 15:16; 16:8, 19; 17:1; 28:6).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. riches--literally, "noise and tumult," as incidental to much wealth (compare Psa 39:6). Thus the contrast with the "little" of one man is more vivid.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 37:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 37
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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