the Week of Proper 23 / Ordinary 28
Click here to join the effort!
Read the Bible
New King James Version
Proverbs 12:9
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- BridgewayEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
Better to be an ordinary person with a servant than to be self-important but have no food.
Better is he that is lightly esteemed, and has a slave, Than he that honors himself, and lacks bread.
A person who is not important but has a servant is better off than someone who acts important but has no food.
Better is a person of humble standing who nevertheless has a servant, than one who pretends to be somebody important yet has no food.
[He that is] despised, and hath a servant, [is] better than he that honoreth himself, and is destitute of bread.
Better is he who is lightly esteemed, and has a servant, Than he who honors himself, and lacks bread.
Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant, Than he who [boastfully] honors himself [pretending to be what he is not] and lacks bread.
Better to be lowly and have a servant than to play the great man and lack bread.
Betere is a pore man, and sufficient to him silf, than a gloriouse man, and nedi of breed.
Better is he that is lightly esteemed, and hath a servant, than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.
Better to be lightly esteemed yet have a servant, than to be self-important but lack food.
It's better to be ordinary and have only one servant than to think you are somebody and starve to death.
Better is he that is lightly esteemed, and hath a servant, Than he that honoreth himself, and lacketh bread.
He who is of low position and has a servant, is better than one who has a high opinion of himself and is in need of bread.
Better to be despised and have a servant than to boast of one's status but have nothing to eat.
Better is he that is lightly esteemed, and hath a servant, than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.
It is better to appear unimportant and have a servant than to pretend to be important and have no food.
Better is he that is lightly esteemed, and hath a servant, than he that playeth the man of rank, and lacketh bread.
Hee that is despised and hath a seruant, is better then he that honoureth himselfe, and lacketh bread.
A man who has only a little honor and has a servant is better than one who honors himself and does not have bread.
Better to be despised and have a servant, than to be self-important and lack food.
He that is despised, & is his owne seruant, is better then he that boasteth himselfe and lacketh bread.
Better is a poor man who serves himself than one who is proud and yet lacks bread.
It is better to be an ordinary person working for a living than to play the part of someone great but go hungry.
Better slighted, and have a servant, than to honour oneself, and come short of bread.
Better is the poor man that provideth for himself, than he that is glorious and wanteth bread.
Better is a man of humble standing who works for himself than one who plays the great man but lacks bread.
He that is dispised and is yet his owne man, is better then the glorious that lacketh bread.
Better is a man in dishonour serving himself, than one honouring himself and wanting bread.
Better to be disregarded, yet have a servant,than to act important but have no food.
Better is he who is lightly esteemed, and has a servant, Than he who honors himself, and lacks bread.
He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.
It is better to be lowly and a servant to someone than self-glorifying and lacking food.
He who is despised, and has a servant, is better than one honoring himself and lacking bread.
Better [is] the lightly esteemed who hath a servant, Than the self-honoured who lacketh bread.
A simple man which laboureth and worketh, is better the one that is gorgious and wanteth bred.
Better to be ordinary and work for a living than act important and starve in the process.
Better is one who is lightly esteemed and has a servant, Than one who honors himself and lacks bread.
Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant Than he who honors himself and lacks bread.
Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servantThan he who honors himself and lacks bread.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
He that is: etc. Or, rather, as in the old translation "He that is despised, and is his own servant, is better than he that boasteth himself and wanteth bread;" with which the versions generally agree. That is, it is better to be in lowness and obscurity, and to support oneself by manual labour, than to want the necessaries of life, through a foolish vanity, or the pride of birth, which refuses to labour.
despised: Proverbs 13:7, Luke 14:11
Cross-References
Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I [fn] may live because of you."
So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful.
Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South. [fn]
And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,
Now Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he dwelt in the South.
When they went from one nation to another, From one kingdom to another people,
Gill's Notes on the Bible
[He that is] despised, and hath a servant,.... Meaning not the same person as before, but one in mean circumstances of life; and because he has not that substance as others have, at least does not make that show and figure in the world as some; and mean in his own eyes, as Jarchi; and does not affect grandeur, and to look greater than he is; has just sufficiency to keep a servant to wait upon him; or, as some render it, is "a servant to himself" p; to this purpose the Septuagint; and so Jarchi and Gersom interpret it, who does his own work at home and abroad, in the house and in the field, and so gets himself a competent living. He
[is] better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread; that boasts of his pedigree, and brags of his wealth; dresses out in fine clothes, keeps a fine equipage, makes a great figure abroad, and has scarce bread to eat at home, and would have none if his debts were paid; the former is much the better man on all accounts, and more to be commended; see Proverbs 13:7. And so, as Cocceius observes, the least shepherd (under Christ) that has ever so few sheep, one or two under his care, whom he brings to righteousness, and by whom he is loved, is preferable to the pope of Rome, who is adored by all; and yet neither has nor gives the bread of souls; and without the offerings of others has not anything to eat.
p עבד לו "servus sibiipsi", Montanus; "suiipius", Vatablus; "sibimet", Schultens.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Two interpretations are equally tenable;
(1) as in the King James Version, He whom men despise, or who is “lowly” in his own eyes (compare 1 Samuel 18:23), if he has a slave, i. e., if he is one step above absolute poverty, and has some one to supply his wants, is better off than the man who boasts of rank or descent and has nothing to eat. Respectable mediocrity is better than boastful poverty.
(2) he who, though despised, is a servant to himself, i. e., supplies his own wants, is better than the arrogant and helpless.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Proverbs 12:9. He that is despised, and hath a servant — I believe the Vulgate gives the true sense of this verse: Melior est pauper, et sufficiens sibi; quam gloriosus, et indigens pane.
"Better is the poor man who provides for himself, than the proud who is destitute of bread." The versions in general agree in this sense. This needs no comment. There are some who, through pride of birth, &c., would rather starve, than put their hands to menial labour. Though they may be lords, how much to be preferred is the simple peasant, who supports himself and family by the drudgery of life!
