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DEEP KJV WORD STUDY

Better

Begin with the exact English word as it appears in the King James Bible. Follow its whole-Bible usage, book distribution, related indexed forms, Webster 1828, every occurrence, and the occurrence-specific Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek mappings behind it.

117exact KJV occurrences 82Old Testament 35New Testament 32books containing the word 17mapped Strong's IDs 113occurrence-specific Strong's links
FIRST OCCURRENCE

Genesis 29:19

And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.

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LAST OCCURRENCE

2 Peter 2:21

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.

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KJV DISTRIBUTION

Where better appears.

This is exact English-word usage from the canonical KJV token index, not a Strong's estimate.

ORIGINAL-LANGUAGE MAP

Which Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek words stand behind this KJV word?

These relationships come from exact verse + token-position mappings. We do not assume that one English spelling always equals one Strong's number. A single English token can also carry more than one source tag, so the Strong's-link total can exceed the number of English occurrences.

HebrewH2896
טוֹב

ṭôwb · tobe

72 times translated as this KJV form558 total Strong's occurrences

a n-m n-f

good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)

Strong's KJV usage: beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, × fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, × most, pleasant, pleaseth, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well(-favoured).

Strong's first: Genesis 29:19Strong's last: Jonah 4:8

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GreekG2570
καλός

kalós · kal-os'

5 times translated as this KJV form99 total Strong's occurrences

properly, beautiful, but chiefly (figuratively) good (literally or morally), i.e. valuable or virtuous (for appearance or use, and thus distinguished from G18, which is properly intrinsic)

Strong's KJV usage: :--X better, fair, good(-ly), honest, meet, well, worthy.

Strong's first: Matthew 18:8Strong's last: 1 Corinthians 9:15

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HebrewH3190
יָטַב

yâṭab · yaw-tab'

4 times translated as this KJV form110 total Strong's occurrences

v

to be (causative) make well, literally (sound, beautiful) or figuratively (happy, successful, right)

Strong's KJV usage: be accepted, amend, use aright, benefit, be (make) better, seem best, make cheerful, be comely, be content, diligent(-ly), dress, earnestly, find favour, give, be glad, do (be, make) good(-ness), be (make) merry, please ( well), shew more (kindness), skilfully, × very small, surely, make sweet, thoroughly, tire, trim, very, be (can, deal, entreat, go, have) well (said, seen).

Strong's first: 1 Kings 1:47Strong's last: Nahum 3:8

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GreekG1308
διαφέρω

diaphérō · dee-af-er'-o

3 times translated as this KJV form18 total Strong's occurrences

to bear through, i.e. (literally) transport; usually to bear apart, i.e. (objectively) to toss about (figuratively, report); subjectively, to "differ", or (by implication) surpass

Strong's KJV usage: :--be better, carry, differ from, drive up and down, be (more) excellent, make matter, publish, be of more value.

Strong's first: Matthew 6:26Strong's last: Luke 12:24

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GreekG3081
λυσιτελεῖ

lysiteleî · loo-sit-el-i'

1 times translated as this KJV form1 total Strong's occurrences

impersonally, it answers the purpose, i.e. is advantageous

Strong's KJV usage: :--it is better.

Other KJV renderings

Strong's first: Luke 17:2Strong's last: Luke 17:2

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GreekG4052
περισσεύω

perisseúō · per-is-syoo'-o

1 times translated as this KJV form41 total Strong's occurrences

to superabound (in quantity or quality), be in excess, be superfluous; also (transitively) to cause to superabound or excel

Strong's KJV usage: :--(make, more) abound, (have, have more) abundance (be more) abundant, be the better, enough and to spare, exceed, excel, increase, be left, redound, remain (over and above).

Strong's first: 1 Corinthians 8:8Strong's last: 1 Corinthians 8:8

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GreekG4284
προέχομαι

proéchomai · pro-ekh-om-ahee

1 times translated as this KJV form1 total Strong's occurrences

to hold oneself before others, i.e. (figuratively) to excel

Strong's KJV usage: :--be better.

Strong's first: Romans 3:9Strong's last: Romans 3:9

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GreekG4851
συμφέρω

symphérō · soom-fer'-o

1 times translated as this KJV form22 total Strong's occurrences

to bear together (contribute), i.e. (literally) to collect, or (figuratively) to conduce; especially (neuter participle as a noun) advantage

Strong's KJV usage: :--be better for, bring together, be expedient (for), be good, (be) profit(-able for).

Strong's first: Matthew 18:6Strong's last: Matthew 18:6

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HebrewH3027
יָד

yâd · yawd

1 times translated as this KJV form1,573 total Strong's occurrences

n-f

a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from 3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote [as follows]

Strong's KJV usage: ( be) able, × about, armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, × bounty, broad, (broken-) handed, × by, charge, coast, consecrate, creditor, custody, debt, dominion, × enough, fellowship, force, × from, hand(-staves, -y work), × he, himself, × in, labour, large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, × mine, ministry, near, × of, × order, ordinance, × our, parts, pain, power, × presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, swear, terror, × thee, × by them, × themselves, × thine own, × thou, through, × throwing, thumb, times, × to, × under, × us, × wait on, (way-) side, where, wide, × with (him, me, you), work, yield, × yourselves.

Strong's first: Daniel 1:20Strong's last: Daniel 1:20

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Strong's data is a concordance/lexical reference layer. Scripture context controls interpretation. Lexical source data is shown separately from future TWBC editorial teaching.

EVERY OCCURRENCE

Read the word in context.

1 occurrence match the current filters. Each row keeps its exact KJV token position so Original Word and TSK remain occurrence-specific.

Clear
Lamentations 4:9
H2896

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.

WEBSTER’S 1828

English meaning and historical usage.

Dictionary data is kept visibly separate from Scripture and from lexical Strong's data.

better

BET'TER, a comparative of bet. See Best.]

1. Having good qualities in a greater degree than another; applied to physical, acquired or moral qualities; as a better soil, a better man, a better physician, a better house, a better air, a better harvest.

2. More advantageous.

Were it not better for us to return to Egypt:Exodus 14:12.

3. More acceptable.

To obey is better than sacrifice. 1 Samuel 15:22.

4. More safe.

It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man. Psalms 118:8.

5. Improved in health; less affected with disease; as, the patient is better

6. To be better off, to be in a better condition. Beddoes, Hygeia. This is a very common phrase; but ought not off, to be of? It is not elegant.

7. To have the better is to have the advantage or superiority, followed by of before him or that over which the advantage is enjoyed; as, the English had the better of the Spaniards.

8. To get or gain the better is to obtain the advantage, superiority or victory; as, to get the better of an enemy.

9. For the better is for the advantage or improvement.

BET'TER, adverb In a more excellent manner; with more skill and wisdom, virtue, advantage or success; as, to perform work better; to plan a scheme better; land better cultivated; laws better executed; government better administered.

1. More correctly, or fully; as, to understand a subject better than another.

2. With superior excellence; as, to write or speak better than another.

3. With more affection; in a higher degree; as, to love one better than another.

It is not easy to specify and exemplify the various applications of better In general, it implies what is more excellent, advantageous, useful, or virtuous, than something else.

BET'TER, verb transitive

1. To improve; to meliorate; to increase the good qualities of; as, manure betters land; discipline may better the morals.

2. To surpass; to exceed.

The works of nature do always aim at that which cannot be bettered.

Qu.is not the sense, made better:

3. To advance; to support; to give advantage to; as, to better a party; to better a cause.

BET'TER, noun A superior; one who has a claim to precedence on account of his rank, age, or office; as, give place to your betters. It is generally or always used in the plural.

Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). A conservative base-form lookup may be used when the exact inflected KJV form is not a Webster headword.

SOURCE & METHOD

Know what each layer is—and what it is not.

KJV English usageExact token counts, verse counts, first/last occurrence, and book distribution come from the canonical TWBC PCE KJV index.
Webster 1828Historical English dictionary material is reproduced as dictionary data, not as inspired Scripture or TWBC commentary.
Original Word / Strong'sHebrew, Aramaic, and Greek links attach by exact verse + KJV token position. No global “English word always equals Strong's ID” rule is used.

Curated TWBC teaching will remain a separate editorial layer. Raw source data is never silently rewritten to force a doctrinal conclusion.