Psalm 37:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

NIV: those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be destroyed.

NASB: For those blessed by Him will inherit the land, But those cursed by Him will be eliminated.

CSB: Those who are blessed by the Lord will inherit the land, but those cursed by him will be destroyed.

NLT: Those the Lord blesses will possess the land, but those he curses will die.

KJV: For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.

NKJV: For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off.

Those who are blessed by the Lord—in this context, meaning the righteous who follow Him (Psalm 37:21)—can look forward to dwelling in the Promised Land. In a prophetic sense, this applies to those who believe in God and can look forward to eternal life (John 6:40).

The Lord vowed to give a vast territory to Abraham and his descendants. In Genesis 17:8, He promised Abraham: "I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God." The hope of all faithful Jews is to live in the Promised Land with their Messiah.

When the apostle Paul was under arrest in Rome, he called for the local leaders of the Jews and told them, "It is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain" (Acts 28:20). At a later meeting he told them about the kingdom of God, meaning the Messiah's earthly kingdom, and tried to lead them to faith in Jesus (Acts 28:23).

Those who defy God, however, will be "cut off." They will not share any of the promises the Lord made in His covenant with Israel. They will never inherit the Promised Land or participate in the community of God's people.

Psalm 37:21–31 points out the blessings of the righteous. David describes not only their blessings but also their character and conduct. The Lord blesses the righteous with the promise of an inheritance, personal guidance, protection, provision, a good posterity, and His presence.

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.