Psalm 37:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

NIV: But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

NASB: Their sword will enter their own heart, And their bows will be broken.

CSB: Their swords will enter their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

NLT: But their swords will stab their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

KJV: Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

NKJV: Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken.

Completing a contrast begun in the prior verse (Psalm 37:14), David states that the wicked who take up arms against the righteous will die by their own weapons. Sometimes, this happens in the most literal sense. In other times, it happens through corrupt laws, traditions, or customs which eventually are used against those who institute them.

A classic biblical example of this comes to us from the book of Esther. Haman, who plotted to kill Mordecai and the rest of the Jews, even built 75-foot tall gallows to hang Mordecai. But the Lord turned the tables on Haman. Queen Esther reported Haman's evil plot to the king, and upon hearing of Haman's plot, ordered Haman's execution. Esther 7:10 reports: "So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai."

Peter drew a sword to defend Jesus, when soldiers came to the garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus, but Jesus told Peter to put his sword back in its place. He said, "For all who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:52). The Lord does not sit idly by while the wicked persecute the righteous. He declares, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay" (Romans 12:19).

Psalm 37:12–20 continues David's discussion of the differences between the wicked and the righteous. Although the wicked seem to prosper and violently oppose the righteous, the righteous can trust the Lord to care for them. For those who honor God, whatever little they have is better than the abundance of wicked people. Believers have the Lord and will inherit good, eternal things. The wicked have nothing to look forward to in eternity other than condemnation.

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.

Psalm 37 lies in the first division of Psalms and addresses mankind. Its tone resembles that of the book of Proverbs. The psalm dispenses wisdom about the security of the righteous man and the insecurity and fate of the wicked man. Psalms 36 and 39 also describe the insecurity and fate of the wicked. The covenant God made with Israel in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 27—30 is the basis for David's assurance that the righteous are secure. The issue of the prosperity of the wicked is also featured in Psalms 49 and 73. David most likely wrote Psalm 37 in his old age.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.