Proverbs 16:8 (YLT)

Passage

Better <FI>is<Fi> a little with righteousness, Than abundance of increase without justice.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:6 In kindness and truth pardoned is iniquity, And in the fear of Jehovah Turn thou aside from evil.

Proverbs 16:7 When a man's ways please Jehovah, even his enemies, He causeth to be at peace with him.

Proverbs 16:8 Better <FI>is<Fi> a little with righteousness, Than abundance of increase without justice.

Proverbs 16:9 The heart of man deviseth his way, And Jehovah establisheth his step.

Proverbs 16:10 An oath <FI>is<Fi> on the lips of a king, In judgment his mouth trespasseth not.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "better", "little", "righteousness", "than", "abundance", "increase", "without", and "justice". 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 7's "When a man's ways please Jehovah even..." into verse 9's "The heart of man deviseth his way...", 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.