Caravaggio, Saint Jerome Writing (c. 1605), Galleria Borghese. Public domain.
114 verses in the King James Version. Word study for “better” →
And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.
Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer?
Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.
And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,
And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?
And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD ? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.
And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.
And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.
But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.
And moreover the king’s servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed.
And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit , Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD , take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or , if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.
Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father’s house, which were better than thyself:
If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.
A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.
For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.
Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.
Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.
How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!
Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.
Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.
It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.
It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.
For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.
It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.
Open rebuke is better than secret love.
Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.
Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.
There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
If a man beget an hundred children , and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?
A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.
Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.
For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.
How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!
Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.
And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the LORD .
And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.
Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?
Therefore now, O LORD , take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.
Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
What then? are we better than they ? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.
But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.
Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did ; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
But now they desire a better country , that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it , to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
