Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament
Psalms 37
Psalm 37: fret not because of evildoers, for the meek shall inherit the earth
General context
The psalm tells its hearer not to fret because of evildoers or envy the workers of iniquity, since they will soon be cut down like grass; to trust in the Lord and do good, delight in him, commit his way to the Lord, rest, wait patiently, cease from anger, and not fret at the man who prospers by wicked devices. Evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait on the Lord and the meek will inherit the earth. The wicked plots against the just, but the Lord laughs, seeing his day coming; the wicked draw sword and bow against the poor and upright, but their sword enters their own heart. A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked; the arms of the wicked are broken and they consume away into smoke. The wicked borrows and does not repay, while the righteous shows mercy and gives. A good man's steps are ordered by the Lord, and though he fall he is not utterly cast down. The speaker says he has been young and now is old and has not seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread. The Lord does not forsake his saints, but the seed of the wicked is cut off; the law of God is in the righteous man's heart; the wicked watches to slay him, but the Lord will not leave him in his hand. Wait on the Lord and he will exalt you to inherit the land. The speaker saw the wicked in great power like a green bay tree, yet he passed away and could not be found. The end of the perfect man is peace, transgressors are destroyed together, and the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord, who delivers them from the wicked because they trust in him.
Cited passages: Psalms 37:1, Psalms 37:2, Psalms 37:3, Psalms 37:4, Psalms 37:5, Psalms 37:7, Psalms 37:8, Psalms 37:9, Psalms 37:11, Psalms 37:12, Psalms 37:13, Psalms 37:15, Psalms 37:16, Psalms 37:20, Psalms 37:21, Psalms 37:24, Psalms 37:25, Psalms 37:28, Psalms 37:31, Psalms 37:33, Psalms 37:34, Psalms 37:35, Psalms 37:36, Psalms 37:37, Psalms 37:39, Psalms 37:40
Psalms 37 (KJV)
1Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
3Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7Rest 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.
8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
10For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
14The 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.
15Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.
18The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
19They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20But 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.
21The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
22For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
23The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
24Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
25I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
26He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
27Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
28For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
30The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
31The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
32The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
33The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
34Wait 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.
35I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
36Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
37Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
38But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
39But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
40And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.
Historical context
The text as printed carries no heading, so no author, occasion or instrument is stated in this source. The psalm is addressed to a single hearer, "thyself", who is never identified, and it never addresses God; every line is spoken to the hearer or about the Lord, the righteous and the wicked. The speaker refers to himself only in verse 25 and verses 35-36, where he cites his own age and what he has and has not seen; that is his testimony and no name is attached. The wicked are types, evildoers, workers of iniquity, "the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass", and no enemy or event is narrated. The promise alternates between "the land" and "the earth" without saying which land. Famine, borrowing and lending are the everyday matters named. There is no Selah.
Cited passages: Psalms 37:1, Psalms 37:25, Psalms 37:35, Psalms 37:7, Psalms 37:3, Psalms 37:9, Psalms 37:29, Psalms 37:19, Psalms 37:21, Psalms 37:34
Literary context
The psalm is built from short sayings, most of them two lines, that set the wicked against the righteous. "Fret not" is said three times (verses 1, 7, 8). Inheriting the earth or the land is the refrain of promise (9, 11, 22, 29, 34) and being "cut off" the refrain of judgment (9, 22, 28, 34, 38). Its argument is about time: "soon", "yet a little while", "his day is coming", "the end of that man", "for ever", and its counsel is to wait. The wicked are given images of brevity, grass, the green herb, the fat of lambs, smoke, the green bay tree that passes away and cannot be found. Their weapons turn on them: sword into their own heart, bows broken. The speaker's two eyewitness statements (25, 35-36) are the only first-person lines and are offered as evidence. The Lord laughs once (13). The ending gathers salvation, strength, help, deliverance and saving into two verses and closes on "because they trust in him", answering the opening command, "Trust in the Lord, and do good".
Cited passages: Psalms 37:1, Psalms 37:7, Psalms 37:8, Psalms 37:11, Psalms 37:22, Psalms 37:10, Psalms 37:2, Psalms 37:20, Psalms 37:36, Psalms 37:15, Psalms 37:13, Psalms 37:40, Psalms 37:3
Key moments
- Fret not (Psalms 37:1). The hearer is told not to fret because of evildoers or envy the workers of iniquity.
- Desires of the heart (Psalms 37:4). Delighting in the Lord brings the desires of the heart.
- The meek inherit the earth (Psalms 37:11). The meek will inherit the earth and delight in abundance of peace.
- Sword into their own heart (Psalms 37:15). The weapons drawn against the poor turn on the wicked themselves.
- Young and now old (Psalms 37:25). The speaker says he has never seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread.
- The green bay tree (Psalms 37:35). He saw the wicked spreading in power, and then he was gone.
- Salvation of the Lord (Psalms 37:39). The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord, their strength in trouble.
For reflection
The speaker offers his own long life as evidence that he has never seen the righteous forsaken; what weight does the psalm ask a reader to give one man's observation set against the prospering wicked it also describes?
