'Better' in the Bible

Isn't this what we told you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone so that we can serve the Egyptians, because it is better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!'"

Why has the Lord brought us into this land only to be killed by the sword, that our wives and our children should become plunder? Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?"

Then he will bring you to the land your ancestors possessed and you also will possess it; he will do better for you and multiply you more than he did your ancestors.

He said to them, "Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Even Ephraim's leftover grapes are better quality than Abiezer's harvest!

Are you really better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he dare to quarrel with Israel? Did he dare to fight with them?

They said to him, "Shut up! Put your hand over your mouth and come with us! You can be our adviser and priest. Wouldn't it be better to be a priest for a whole Israelite tribe than for just one man's family?"

He will encourage you and provide for you when you are old, for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, has given him birth. She is better to you than seven sons!"

Finally her husband Elkanah said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep and not eat? Why are you so sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"

Then Samuel said, "Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as he does in obedience? Certainly, obedience is better than sacrifice; paying attention is better than the fat of rams.

Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to one of your colleagues who is better than you!

Let our lord instruct his servants who are here before you to look for a man who knows how to play the lyre. Then whenever the evil spirit from God comes upon you, he can play the lyre and you will feel better."

So whenever the spirit from God would come upon Saul, David would take his lyre and play it. This would bring relief to Saul and make him feel better. Then the evil spirit would leave him alone.

David thought to himself, "One of these days I'm going to be swept away by the hand of Saul! There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of searching for me through all the territory of Israel and I will escape from his hand."

But the leaders of the Philistines became angry with him and said to him, "Send the man back! Let him return to the place that you assigned him! Don't let him go down with us into the battle, for he might become our adversary in the battle. What better way to please his lord than with the heads of these men?

Absalom said to Joab, "Look, I sent a message to you saying, 'Come here so that I can send you to the king with this message: "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there."' Let me now see the face of the king. If I am at fault, let him put me to death!"

Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The advice of Hushai the Arkite sounds better than the advice of Ahithophel." Now the Lord had decided to frustrate the sound advice of Ahithophel, so that the Lord could bring disaster on Absalom.

But the soldiers replied, "You should not do this! For if we should have to make a rapid retreat, they won't be too concerned about us. Even if half of us should die, they won't be too concerned about us. But you are like ten thousand of us! So it is better if you remain in the city for support."

while he went a day's journey into the desert. He went and sat down under a shrub and asked the Lord to take his life: "I've had enough! Now, O Lord, take my life. After all, I'm no better than my ancestors."

Ahab said to Naboth, "Give me your vineyard so I can make a vegetable garden out of it, for it is adjacent to my palace. I will give you an even better vineyard in its place, or if you prefer, I will pay you silver for it."

The rivers of Damascus, the Abana and Pharpar, are better than any of the waters of Israel! Could I not wash in them and be healed?" So he turned around and went away angry.

but have instead followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel. You encouraged the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the Lord, just as the family of Ahab does in Israel. You also killed your brothers, members of your father's family, who were better than you.

The little bit that a godly man owns is better than the wealth of many evil men,

Because experiencing your loyal love is better than life itself, my lips will praise you.

Certainly spending just one day in your temple courts is better than spending a thousand elsewhere. I would rather stand at the entrance to the temple of my God than live in the tents of the wicked.

It is better to take shelter in the Lord than to trust in people.

It is better to take shelter in the Lord than to trust in princes.

For her benefit is more profitable than silver, and her gain is better than gold.

For wisdom is better than rubies, and desirable things cannot be compared to her.

My fruit is better than the purest gold, and what I produce is better than choice silver.

Better is a person of humble standing who nevertheless has a servant, than one who pretends to be somebody important yet has no food.

Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth and turmoil with it.

Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox where there is hatred.

Better to have a little with righteousness than to have abundant income without justice.

How much better it is to acquire wisdom than gold; to acquire understanding is more desirable than silver.

It is better to be lowly in spirit with the afflicted than to share the spoils with the proud.

Better to be slow to anger than to be a mighty warrior, and one who controls his temper is better than one who captures a city.

Better is a dry crust of bread where there is quietness than a house full of feasting with strife.

It is better for a person to meet a mother bear being robbed of her cubs, than to encounter a fool in his folly.

Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is perverse in his speech and is a fool.

What is desirable for a person is to show loyal love, and a poor person is better than a liar.

It is better to live on a corner of the housetop than in a house in company with a quarrelsome wife.

It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and easily-provoked woman.

for it is better for him to say to you, "Come up here," than to put you lower before a prince, whom your eyes have seen.

It is better to live on a corner of the housetop than in a house in company with a quarrelsome wife.

Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend, and do not enter your brother's house in the day of your disaster; a neighbor nearby is better than a brother far away.

A poor person who walks in his integrity is better than one who is perverse in his ways even though he is rich.

There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in their work. I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment comes from God.

I have concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they live,

So I perceived there is nothing better than for people to enjoy their work, because that is their reward; for who can show them what the future holds?

But better than both is the one who has not been born and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth.

Better is one handful with some rest than two hands full of toil and chasing the wind.

Two people are better than one, because they can reap more benefit from their labor.

A poor but wise youth is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive advice.

It is better for you not to vow than to vow and not pay it.

Even if a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years -- even if he lives a long, long time, but cannot enjoy his prosperity -- even if he were to live forever -- I would say, "A stillborn child is better off than he is!"

It is better to be content with what the eyes can see than for one's heart always to crave more. This continual longing is futile -- like chasing the wind.

A good reputation is better than precious perfume; likewise, the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth.

It is better to go to a funeral than a feast. For death is the destiny of every person, and the living should take this to heart.

Sorrow is better than laughter, because sober reflection is good for the heart.

It is better for a person to receive a rebuke from those who are wise than to listen to the song of fools.

The end of a matter is better than its beginning; likewise, patience is better than pride.

Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these days?" for it is not wise to ask that.

So I recommend the enjoyment of life, for there is nothing better on earth for a person to do except to eat, drink, and enjoy life. So joy will accompany him in his toil during the days of his life which God gives him on earth.

But whoever is among the living has hope; a live dog is better than a dead lion.

So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, but a poor man's wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.

How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine; the fragrance of your perfume is better than any spice!

The Maidens to The Beloved: Why is your beloved better than others, O most beautiful of women? Why is your beloved better than others, that you would command us in this manner?

I will set up within my temple and my walls a monument that will be better than sons and daughters. I will set up a permanent monument for them that will remain.

Do you think this temple I have claimed as my own is to be a hideout for robbers? You had better take note! I have seen for myself what you have done! says the Lord.

But they did not listen to me or pay any attention to me. They followed the stubborn inclinations of their own wicked hearts. They acted worse and worse instead of better.

Things will go better for the nation that submits to the yoke of servitude to the king of Babylon and is subject to him. I will leave that nation in its native land. Its people can continue to farm it and live in it. I, the Lord, affirm it!"'"

(Tet) Those who died by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, those who waste away, struck down from lack of food.

At the end of the ten days their appearance was better and their bodies were healthier than all the young men who had been eating the royal delicacies.

In every matter of wisdom and insight the king asked them about, he found them to be ten times better than any of the magicians and astrologers that were in his entire empire.

Then she will pursue her lovers, but she will not catch them; she will seek them, but she will not find them. Then she will say, "I will go back to my husband, because I was better off then than I am now."

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell.

If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.

The one who has ears had better listen!

The one who has ears had better listen!"

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears had better listen!

"But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea.

If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.

And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into fiery hell.

The disciples said to him, "If this is the case of a husband with a wife, it is better not to marry!"

The Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had never been born."

And he said, "Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!"

If anyone has ears to hear, he had better listen!"

She had endured a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet instead of getting better, she grew worse.

"If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone tied around his neck and to be thrown into the sea.

If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, to the unquenchable fire.

If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.

If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out! It is better to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,

For the Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had never been born."

But other seed fell on good soil and grew, and it produced a hundred times as much grain." As he said this, he called out, "The one who has ears to hear had better listen!"

But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your host approaches he will say to you, 'Friend, move up here to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you.

It is of no value for the soil or for the manure pile; it is to be thrown out. The one who has ears to hear had better listen!"

It would be better for him to have a millstone tied around his neck and be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.

What then? Are we better off? Certainly not, for we have already charged that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin,