46 occurrences

'Rather' in the Bible

and said, “My lords, turn aside to your servant’s house, wash your feet, and spend the night. Then you can get up early and go on your way.”“No,” they said. “We would rather spend the night in the square.”

Verse ConceptsFoot washingGuestsMorningServanthood, In SocietySalutationsHospitalityFeet WashingTravellersCity SquaresClean FeetThose Who Rose EarlyCare Of FeetStaying Temporarily

Suppose my father touches me. Then I will be revealed to him as a deceiver and bring a curse rather than a blessing on myself.”

Verse ConceptsThose Who Are Liars

Moses said to Pharaoh, “You make the choice rather than me. When should I ask on behalf of you, your officials, and your people, that the frogs be taken away from you and your houses, and remain only in the Nile?”

Verse ConceptsWhen?

The Gibeonites were not Israelites but rather a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but Saul had tried to kill them in his zeal for the Israelites and Judah. So David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them.

Verse ConceptsTribes Of IsraelZeal

Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite from the family of Ram became angry. He was angry at Job because he had justified himself rather than God.

Verse ConceptsJustification, Necessity OfSelf Righteousness, And The GospelPeople In RighteousnessNamed People Angry With Others

Better a day in Your courtsthan a thousand anywhere else.I would rather be at the door of the house of my Godthan to live in the tents of wicked people.

Verse ConceptsDoorkeepersDoorsProperty, HousesTentsEvil AssociationsOne DayPresented At The DoorwayWe Live With GodDaysgaysBeing GayHaving A Good Daywickedness

Again I saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, or the battle to the strong, or bread to the wise, or riches to the discerning, or favor to the skillful; rather, time and chance happen to all of them.

Verse ConceptsBattlesCompetitionsBeing FairBrawnChanceLimitations Of StrengthSpeedFast RunnersGathering FoodEducationSunGod's TimingBattleGods TimingRaceGod's Timing And Planheroes

If they fast, I will not hear their cry of despair. If they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. Rather, I will finish them off by sword, famine, and plague.”

Verse ConceptsFasting, Of HypocritesdiseasesPlaguesPestilencePointless Fasting

Therefore, this is what the Lord says:If you return, I will restore you;you will stand in My presence.And if you speak noble words,rather than worthless ones,you will be My spokesman.It is they who must return to you;you must not return to them.

Verse ConceptsReinstatementRevival, PersonalReturning To GodTurning RoundGood WordsRestoring SinnersSpeaking As From God

but rather, ‘As the Lord lives who brought the Israelites from the land of the north and from all the other lands where He had banished them.’ For I will return them to their land that I gave to their ancestors.

Verse ConceptsPunishment, Legal Aspects OfRestoring NationsReturn From The NorthGod Bringing Israel Out Of EgyptRebirth Of Israel

Rather, each will die for his own wrongdoing. Anyone who eats sour grapes—his own teeth will be set on edge.

Verse ConceptsResponsibility, To GodPersonal Responsibility

You must not build a house or sow seed or plant a vineyard. Those things are not for you. Rather, you must live in tents your whole life, so you may live a long time on the soil where you stay as a temporary resident.’

Verse ConceptsTentsPlanting VineyardsNot SowingHow To Live Long

Rather, Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Chaldeans to put us to death or to deport us to Babylon!”

You will know that I am Yahweh, house of Israel, when I have dealt with you because of My name rather than according to your evil ways and corrupt acts.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

Verse ConceptsReinstatementFor The Sake Of His Name

Tell them: As I live”—the declaration of the Lord God—“I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of your evil ways! Why will you die, house of Israel?

Verse ConceptsConversion, God's demands forGod, Will OfPleasing GodPleasureNot Pleasing GodRepent Lest You DieDeathPunishment of the The Wickedpressure

As I live”—the declaration of the Lord God—“because My flock has become prey and food for every wild animal since they lack a shepherd, for My shepherds do not search for My flock, and because the shepherds feed themselves rather than My flock,

Verse ConceptsSelfishnessAnimals Eating PeopleFeeding AnimalsNot Seeking PeopleNo One Available

Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent His angel and rescued His servants who trusted in Him. They violated the king’s command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

Verse ConceptsGiving, Of OneselfCivil authoritiesdefianceMiracles, Responses ToSafetyTrust, Importance OfWorship, Acceptable AttitudesAngels Looking After PeopleBelieving In GodGod Saves The NeedyHow Not To WorshipOthers Believing In GodAngels Providing ProtectionBless The Lord!

They do not cry to Me from their hearts;rather, they wail on their beds.They slash themselves for grain and new wine;they turn away from Me.

Verse ConceptsBedsShortage Of WineLack Of MeaningGashing BodiesNot PrayingPeople Mourning Catastrophe

Won’t the Day of the Lordbe darkness rather than light,even gloom without any brightness in it?

Verse ConceptsThe SunThe Fact Of That DayAstronomical SignsCosmic Disturbances

So Amos answered Amaziah, “I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs.

Verse ConceptsProphets, Lives OfSycamoresTreesFarmersSons Of The ProphetsNot The OneThose Who Kept StockBelittlingSchoolFarming

No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.

Verse ConceptsBeing AshamedDisclosuresWeights And Measures, DryCandles

And if your eye causes your downfall, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, rather than to have two eyes and be thrown into hellfire!

Verse ConceptsBlindness, SymbolicPlucking OutCausing Others To StumbleEntering LifeFire Of HellEyes HarmedTwo Of Body PartsAvoid Being HinderedHellEyes

Do you think that I came here to give peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!

Verse ConceptsPublic OpinionSchismsDivisions Of OpinionThinking ArightNo PeaceFamily UnityFamily Conflictdivision

I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Verse ConceptsHumilityPromotionIndividuals going homeHumbling Oneself

You’re not considering that it is to your advantage that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish.”

Verse ConceptsLord's SupperSubstitutionThe Effect Of Christ's DeathNot Understanding Other ThingsUseful ThingsVicarious SubstitutionDyingorganization

But the centurion paid attention to the captain and the owner of the ship rather than to what Paul said.

Verse ConceptsAdvice, Rejecting Good Adviceadvisers

Therefore, to have legal disputes against one another is already a moral failure for you. Why not rather put up with injustice? Why not rather be cheated?

Verse ConceptsdefeatRevenge, And RetaliationTypes Of ChristRobbing PeopleWronging Other PeopleInjusticeMoralityMoral Decay

yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, in order to teach others also, than 10,000 words in another language.

Verse ConceptsFive ThingsThinking ArightTeaching In The ChurchEach Local ChurchLanguageThe TonguespeakingMaturityorder

We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who take pride in the outward appearance rather than in the heart.

Verse ConceptsCommendationOutward AppearanceHypocrites, Description OfAppearancesCommending OneselfOther References To The HeartAppearances of

I am not saying this as a command. Rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love.

Verse ConceptsGenuinenessLove, Nature OfSincerity, In Christian LivingComparisonsSincereityLove Exists Between PeopleMen's OrdersTests

But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and bankrupt elemental forces? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again?

Verse ConceptsGod, All knowingElementsConfusionUseless ThingsUniquenessElements Of The UniverseGod Knowing His PeopleSubject To EvilWorry And StressIdentityWeaknessKnowing GodIdentity In Christ

or to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies. These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan, which operates by faith.

Verse ConceptsFoolish QuestionsFools, Characteristics OfFalse ReligionFablesFalse Doctrines, AvoidanceMythsContinual SinHow Faith ComesTeaching The Way Of Godattentionstories

Bible Theasaurus

Instead (589 instances)
Quite (92 instances)
Rather (291 instances)
Sooner (22 instances)

Reverse Interlinear

Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
אל 
'al 
never , nay , neither , no , none , nor , not , nothing , rather than , whither , nothing worth
Usage: 727

בּחר 
Bachar 
Usage: 169

μᾶλλον 
Mallon 
more , rather , the more , better ,
Usage: 66

μενοῦνγε 
menounge 
Usage: 3

περισσοτέρως 
Perissoteros 
Usage: 13

πλήν 
Plen 
Usage: 11

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.