Proverbs 16:19 (LSB)

Passage

It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:17 The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil; He who guards his way keeps his soul.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.

Proverbs 16:19 It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Proverbs 16:20 He who considers the word will find good, And how blessed is he who trusts in Yahweh.

Proverbs 16:21 The wise in heart will be called understanding, And sweetness of lips increases learning.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "better", "humble", "lowly", "than", "divide", "spoil", and "proud". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "better", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "Pride goes before destruction And a haughty..." into verse 20's "He who considers the word will find...", so "Spirit" and "better" 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 "Spirit" and "better" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.