Proverbs 15:16 (DRB)

Passage

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasures without content.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 15:14 The heart of the wise seeketh instruction: and the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.

Proverbs 15:15 All the days of the poor are evil: a secure mind is like a continual feast.

Proverbs 15:16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasures without content.

Proverbs 15:17 It is better to be invited to herbs with love, than to a fatted calf with hatred.

Proverbs 15:18 A passionate man stirreth up strifes: he that is patient appeaseth those that are stirred up.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "better", "little", "fear", "lord", "than", "great", "treasures", and "without". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "better" and "little", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "All the days of the poor are..." into verse 17's "It is better to be invited to...", so "better" and "little" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "better" and "little" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.