Psalms 37:16 (LSB)

Passage

Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked.

Nearby Context

Psalms 37:14 The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow To cast down the afflicted and the needy, To slay those who are upright in conduct.

Psalms 37:15 Their sword will enter their own heart, And their bows will be broken.

Psalms 37:16 Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked.

Psalms 37:17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken, But Yahweh sustains the righteous.

Psalms 37:18 Yahweh knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will be forever.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "better", "little", "righteous", "than", "abundance", and "wicked". 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 "Their sword will enter their own heart..." into verse 17's "For the arms of the wicked will...", so "better" and "little" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

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.