The Meaning of Psalms 37:16 Explained

Psalms 37:16

KJV: A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

YLT: Better is the little of the righteous, Than the store of many wicked.

Darby: The little that the righteous hath is better than the abundance of many wicked;

ASV: Better is a little that the righteous hath Than the abundance of many wicked.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

A little  that a righteous man  hath [is] better  than the riches  of many  wicked. 

What does Psalms 37:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 37:1-17 - A Sure Cure For Fretting
This is an acrostic psalm, grappling with the problem of the inequality of human life and the apparent failure of God to reward His servants and punish His enemies as they deserve. Life and immortality, where we know that the balance will be readjusted, had not then been brought to light, and therefore the solution was far harder before the advent of our Lord than for us.
But though the psalmist's solution is therefore not complete, his teaching of the blessedness of absolute trust in God's providence is very delightful. Fret not thyself; that is, do not give way to passionate resentment or bitter disappointment. Live in God; find your delight in contemplating His nature and His works; roll on Him the decision of your life-choices; trust in Him to supply all your need and work in your behalf. Be silent and rest!
How dramatically this picture of the happy, restful child of God is contrasted with the wicked and his certain doom-like barren pastures scorched by heat, or thin smoke-columns vanishing in the air! "Wait and trust! [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 37

1  David persuades to patience and confidence in God,
12  by the different estate of the godly and the wicked

What do the individual words in Psalms 37:16 mean?

[Is] better a little that a righteous man has than the riches of wicked many
טוֹב־ מְ֭עַט לַצַּדִּ֑יק מֵ֝הֲמ֗וֹן רְשָׁעִ֥ים רַבִּֽים

טוֹב־  [Is]  better 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
מְ֭עַט  a  little 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
לַצַּדִּ֑יק  that  a  righteous  man  has 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
מֵ֝הֲמ֗וֹן  than  the  riches 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הָמֹון 
Sense: (Qal) murmur, roar, crowd, abundance, tumult, sound.
רְשָׁעִ֥ים  of  wicked 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
רַבִּֽים  many 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.