CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Psalms 37
Chapter 37 of 150
Chapter Overview
What happens in Psalms 37
A wisdom psalm of David, written as an acrostic. It addresses the age-old question: Why do the wicked prosper? David's answer is to trust God, do good, and wait patiently — the wicked will be cut off.
Scripture
Psalms 37
Do Not Worry About the Wicked
Study note
David tells us not to be upset when evil people succeed. They will fade like grass. Instead, trust in the Lord, delight in him, commit your way to him, and wait patiently. The meek will inherit the earth.
1 Don't let it eat at you when you see people doing wrong. Don't be jealous of those who live dishonestly. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
2 They will dry up and disappear as fast as grass, fading away like green plants under a hot sun. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
3 Put your trust in the Lord and fill your life with doing good. Settle into the land and let his faithfulness feed you. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord; and he shall give you the desires of your heart. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Hand your entire path over to the Lord. Lean on him completely, and he will make it happen. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 He will cause the goodness of your life to shine out like the sunrise, and your honest name to blaze like the noonday sun. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Stay still in front of the Lord and wait for him to act. Don't let it get under your skin when other people prosper or when their evil plans seem to work out. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8 Release your anger. Walk away from rage. Don't let frustration push you into doing something wrong. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9 People who do evil will be removed, but those who patiently wait for the Lord will end up inheriting the earth. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
10 Give it just a little more time and the wicked will be gone. Look for them all you want — they will have vanished. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11 But humble people will receive the earth and enjoy deep, overflowing peace. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
The Wicked Will Fall
Study note
The wicked plot against the righteous, but God laughs because he sees their day coming. Their own swords will pierce their hearts. A little that the righteous have is better than the wealth of many wicked.
12 The wicked person schemes against the one who does right and grinds his teeth at him. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13 But the Lord laughs, because he can already see that the day of reckoning is on its way. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
14 The wicked pull out their swords and string their bows. They try to bring down people who are poor and helpless. They try to kill people who live honest lives. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
15 But their own swords will stab them in the heart, and their bows will snap in two. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 The little bit that a good person owns is worth far more than all the piles of wealth that wicked people collect. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
17 The power of the wicked is going to be shattered, but the Lord holds up those who do right. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
18 The Lord pays close attention to the days of people who live blamelessly, and what he gives them will last forever. The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
19 When disaster strikes, they will not be humiliated. When food runs out, they will still have plenty. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20 But the wicked are going to disappear. The enemies of the Lord are like wildflowers that look beautiful for a moment and then vanish into thin air like smoke. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
21 Wicked people borrow and never pay it back, but people who live right are generous and always give. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
22 Those the Lord blesses will be given the land, but those he puts under his curse will be cut off. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
God Guides the Righteous
Study note
The steps of a good person are guided by the Lord. Though they stumble, they will not fall completely. David testifies that in his long life he has never seen the righteous abandoned.
23 When a person's life pleases the Lord, he makes their steps firm. He is delighted with the direction they are heading. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
24 Even if they trip and fall, they won't end up face down on the ground, because the Lord is there holding their hand. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
25 I was young once, and now I am old. In all that time I have never seen a good person left all alone. I have never seen their children begging for food. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
26 Day after day they are generous, always ready to lend. And their children turn out to be a real blessing. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
27 Walk away from evil. Fill your life with doing good. Then you will be settled in the land forever. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
28 The Lord has a deep love for justice and will never walk away from those who are faithful to him. They are protected for all time. But the descendants of the wicked will be wiped away. For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 Those who live right will be given the land and will call it home forever. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
30 When a righteous person speaks, wisdom comes out. Their tongue shares what is fair and. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
31 God's instructions live inside their heart. Their feet never slide off the path. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
The Future of the Righteous
Study note
The wicked watch the righteous and try to destroy them, but God will not abandon them. Wait on the Lord and keep his way. The salvation of the righteous comes from God — he is their stronghold in times of trouble.
32 The wicked person stalks the one who does right, looking for a chance to kill him. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
33 But the Lord will not hand him over to the enemy or let him be found guilty when his case goes to trial. The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
34 Keep waiting for the Lord and follow the path he shows you. He will raise you up and give you the land. When the wicked disappear, you will watch it happen. Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
35 I once saw a wicked, brutal person spreading out like a big healthy tree rooted in rich soil. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
36 But when I walked by again, he was nowhere to be found. I searched for him, but he had completely disappeared. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 Keep your eyes on the blameless person. Watch the one who is honest, because the person who lives in peace has a future. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
38 But all sinners will be swept away. Any future the wicked thought they had will be cut short. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 The rescue of the righteous comes straight from the Lord. He is their safe place to run to when trouble hits. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and sets them free. He rescues them from the wicked and brings them to safety, because they ran to him for shelter. And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
Key Themes
Themes in Psalms 37
Do not fret over the wickedTrust God and do goodDelight in the Lord and receive your heart's desiresThe meek will inherit the land
Prophetic Connections
How this chapter points to Christ
Psalms Psalm 37:11 Matthew 5:5
Jesus echoed this verse in the Beatitudes: 'Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.'
Apply This Today
Living Psalms 37
It is hard to watch dishonest people succeed while you play by the rules. David's advice is countercultural but powerful: stop worrying about the wicked and focus on delighting in God. When God becomes your greatest desire, He aligns everything else in your life. The meek truly do inherit the best.
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