What does Psalm 37:2 mean?
The prior verse instructed Christians not to be anxious—literally "heated up"—by the actions of evildoers. Their actions will eventually lead to disaster (Mark 8:36). In that sense, the wicked will not always be around. Soon they will fade away like the grass and wither like vegetation.In the Middle East, where David lived, grass and vegetation thrives in the rainy season, but it disappears when rain no longer falls, and a hot sun scorches the earth. Isaiah 40:6–7 reminds us, "All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades." The apostle James points out in James 4:14 that all life is temporal. He compares it to "a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." When the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness, they learned how brief life is. They saw a whole generation die there because they refused to believe God who commanded them to enter the Promised Land. Life is too brief to waste time being anxious over evildoers (Matthew 6:25–34).
Psalm 37:1–11 encourages David's audience to maintain a proper relationship with God by refusing to wallow in anxiety over their circumstances. Instead, they ought to trust in the Lord, find their joy in the Lord, and commit their future to the Lord. The tone of this passage resembles Proverbs chapter two, which explains the benefits of following godly wisdom. Matthew 5:5 holds a promise that parallels verses 9 and 11 of this psalm.
In this psalm, David contrasts the way God protects and saves His people, contrasted with the ruin which awaits the wicked. Much of this seems to be based on David's own experiences (Psalm 37:25, 35). As with many other passages in Psalms and Proverbs, this passage encourages godly wisdom. Those who reject God and His ways can expect uncertainty on earth and disaster in eternity.
