Psalms 37
Old Testament · King James Version
Psalm 37 is an alphabetic wisdom psalm that teaches how to live when wrongdoers appear to flourish. It repeatedly turns the reader from envy, anger, and retaliation toward trust, doing good, patient waiting, generosity, and confidence that God sees the difference between violent injustice and faithful life. Its promises about land, provision, guidance, and deliverance belong to wisdom and covenant poetry and must not be turned into mechanical guarantees of wealth, property, health, or immediate safety. The ending places salvation and refuge in the LORD rather than in private vengeance or superiority over enemies.
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
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.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
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.
Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.
The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
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.
The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
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.
The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
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.
I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
Context
The superscription attributes Psalm 37 to David, but no specific historical crisis is named. The poem is broadly alphabetic/acrostic and reads like extended wisdom instruction rather than a narrative prayer. Verses 1–6 reject fretting and envy and call for trust, delight, commitment, and confidence in divine justice; 7–11 command stillness and patient hope while contrasting the short future of evildoers with the inheritance of the meek; 12–20 portray violent hostility and its limits before God; 21–26 contrast exploitation with generosity and describe the LORD sustaining the steps of the righteous; 27–34 call for doing good, keeping justice, speaking wisdom, and waiting for the LORD; 35–40 close with the apparent power and final disappearance of the wicked and with salvation, help, and refuge in the LORD. Wisdom generalizations are treated as morally serious patterns, not as guarantees that every faithful person will avoid poverty, injury, displacement, or prolonged suffering.
Themes & application
- Trust instead of envy
- Patient justice instead of retaliation
- The meek and the inheritance of the land
- Generosity and responsible provision
- Wisdom, justice, and faithful speech
- Salvation and refuge in the LORD
Psalm 37 is an alphabetic wisdom psalm that teaches how to live when wrongdoers appear to flourish. It repeatedly turns the reader from envy, anger, and retaliation toward trust, doing good, patient waiting, generosity, and confidence that God sees the difference between violent injustice and faithful life. Its promises about land, provision, guidance, and deliverance belong to wisdom and covenant poetry and must not be turned into mechanical guarantees of wealth, property, health, or immediate safety. The ending places salvation and refuge in the LORD rather than in private vengeance or superiority over enemies.
Key verses
Do not burn with envy because of evildoers or copy those who practice injustice; the command redirects corrosive comparison without denying real anger at abuse or wrongdoing.
Application: Do not burn with envy because of evildoers or copy those who practice injustice; the command redirects corrosive comparison without denying real anger at abuse or wrongdoing.
Commonly misread: Do not use “do not fret” to silence justified concern, grief, anger at abuse, whistleblowing, protest, or lawful pursuit of justice.
Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give the desires of your heart; the verse reshapes desire around relationship with God rather than promising every wish, purchase, romance, or ambition.
Application: Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give the desires of your heart; the verse reshapes desire around relationship with God rather than promising every wish, purchase, romance, or ambition.
Commonly misread: Delight in the LORD is not a blank check for wealth, romance, status, healing, fertility, or any specific desired outcome.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently; stillness is disciplined trust, not a command to remain in abuse, danger, untreated illness, or preventable harm.
Application: Be still before the LORD and wait patiently; stillness is disciplined trust, not a command to remain in abuse, danger, untreated illness, or preventable harm.
Commonly misread: Waiting quietly never requires staying in abuse, danger, untreated illness, or an emergency that calls for action.
The meek will inherit the land and delight in abundant peace; meekness is strength without domination, and the promise is not permission to seize property or remain defenseless in abuse.
Application: The meek will inherit the land and delight in abundant peace; meekness is strength without domination, and the promise is not permission to seize property or remain defenseless in abuse.
Commonly misread: Meekness is not submission to abuse, and “inherit the land” is not a property deed or command to seize territory.
The steps of a good person are established by the LORD, who delights in that way; guidance does not make every decision infallible or eliminate the need for evidence and counsel.
Application: The steps of a good person are established by the LORD, who delights in that way; guidance does not make every decision infallible or eliminate the need for evidence and counsel.
Commonly misread: Guidance from God does not make every instinct, plan, leader, or private impression infallible.
The psalmist says he has not seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread; this is wisdom testimony, not a universal denial that faithful families can face poverty or hunger.
Application: The psalmist says he has not seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread; this is wisdom testimony, not a universal denial that faithful families can face poverty or hunger.
Commonly misread: Verse 25 is personal wisdom testimony, not proof that faithful families never suffer hunger, poverty, eviction, or displacement.
Wait for the LORD, keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; waiting is active faithfulness and not a command to delay escape, treatment, reporting, or urgent action.
Application: Wait for the LORD, keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; waiting is active faithfulness and not a command to delay escape, treatment, reporting, or urgent action.
Commonly misread: Waiting for the LORD must never delay emergency care, escape from danger, reporting abuse, or necessary treatment.
The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD, their strength in trouble; divine salvation does not remove the legitimacy of emergency services, medicine, legal protection, or practical assistance.
Application: The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD, their strength in trouble; divine salvation does not remove the legitimacy of emergency services, medicine, legal protection, or practical assistance.
Commonly misread: Divine salvation does not replace emergency services, medicine, legal defense, practical aid, or protective action.
The LORD helps, delivers, and saves those who take refuge in him; the ending grounds hope in God without promising immediate rescue on a timetable or excusing unsafe passivity.
Application: The LORD helps, delivers, and saves those who take refuge in him; the ending grounds hope in God without promising immediate rescue on a timetable or excusing unsafe passivity.
Commonly misread: Refuge in God does not promise immediate rescue on demand or require passivity when safe action is available.
Common misreadings of Psalms 37
Misreading: Do not use “do not fret” to silence justified concern, grief, anger at abuse, whistleblowing, protest, or lawful pursuit of justice.
In context: Do not burn with envy because of evildoers or copy those who practice injustice; the command redirects corrosive comparison without denying real anger at abuse or wrongdoing.
Misreading: Delight in the LORD is not a blank check for wealth, romance, status, healing, fertility, or any specific desired outcome.
In context: Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give the desires of your heart; the verse reshapes desire around relationship with God rather than promising every wish, purchase, romance, or ambition.
Misreading: Waiting quietly never requires staying in abuse, danger, untreated illness, or an emergency that calls for action.
In context: Be still before the LORD and wait patiently; stillness is disciplined trust, not a command to remain in abuse, danger, untreated illness, or preventable harm.
Misreading: Do not convert covenantal land language into modern territorial entitlement, property guarantees, nationalism, or displacement of others.
In context: Evildoers will not possess the future, while those who wait for the LORD receive the land; covenantal land language should not be turned into modern territorial entitlement or real-estate guarantees.
Misreading: Meekness is not submission to abuse, and “inherit the land” is not a property deed or command to seize territory.
In context: The meek will inherit the land and delight in abundant peace; meekness is strength without domination, and the promise is not permission to seize property or remain defenseless in abuse.
Misreading: Verse 25 is personal wisdom testimony, not proof that faithful families never suffer hunger, poverty, eviction, or displacement.
In context: The psalmist says he has not seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread; this is wisdom testimony, not a universal denial that faithful families can face poverty or hunger.
Misreading: Repeated land inheritance language does not provide a direct modern deed, border settlement, or license for displacement.
In context: The righteous inherit the land and dwell in it; the repeated land promise belongs to the psalm’s covenant wisdom and does not confer private title to disputed modern territory.
Misreading: Waiting for the LORD must never delay emergency care, escape from danger, reporting abuse, or necessary treatment.
In context: Wait for the LORD, keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; waiting is active faithfulness and not a command to delay escape, treatment, reporting, or urgent action.
Misreading: Final judgment belongs to God; the verse does not authorize collective punishment, vigilantism, holy war, or violence against out-groups.
In context: Transgressors are destroyed together and the future of the wicked is cut off; final moral consequence belongs to God and does not authorize collective punishment or violence against present groups.
Misreading: Refuge in God does not promise immediate rescue on demand or require passivity when safe action is available.
In context: The LORD helps, delivers, and saves those who take refuge in him; the ending grounds hope in God without promising immediate rescue on a timetable or excusing unsafe passivity.
Cross-references
- Psalm 1:1–3 — Psalm 1 also contrasts durable righteous life with the instability of wickedness.
- Psalm 27:14 — Waiting courageously for the LORD complements Psalm 37’s repeated call to patience.
- Psalm 34:19 — Many afflictions can coexist with divine deliverance, guarding Psalm 37 against simplistic prosperity readings.
Frequently asked questions about Psalms 37
What is the main message of Psalm 37?
Does “inherit the land” give modern territorial rights?
Does Psalm 37 promise believers will never be poor or hungry?
Sources & editorial notes
- Translation
- Commentary anchored in the public-domain Psalm 37 text used by the site.
- Authorship
- The superscription names David; no specific historical crisis is supplied, so none is invented.
- Editorial process
- Chapter-specific synthesis checked against the acrostic wisdom structure, verse sequence, internal links, and pastoral safeguards.
References
- Psalm 37 — Commentary anchored in the public-domain Psalm 37 text used by the site.
- Psalm 1:1–3 — Psalm 1 also contrasts durable righteous life with the instability of wickedness.
- Psalm 27:14 — Waiting courageously for the LORD complements Psalm 37’s repeated call to patience.
Author: The Lord Will Editorial Team · Reviewed by: Ugo Candido · Updated: 2026-08-11