Psalm 37:32 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.

NIV: The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, intent on putting them to death;

NASB: The wicked spies upon the righteous And seeks to kill him.

CSB: The wicked one lies in wait for the righteous and intends to kill him;

NLT: The wicked wait in ambush for the godly, looking for an excuse to kill them.

KJV: The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

NKJV: The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to slay him.

Personal experience taught David that a sharp conflict exists between the wicked and the righteous. Broadly speaking, conflicts in David's life were between those who honored God and those who did not. David, while imperfect, was known as a man after God's own heart, but he was marked for death by the disobedient King Saul (1 Samuel 13:13–14; Acts 13:22). He observes, from such examples, that the wicked person lies in wait for an opportunity to kill the righteous person (Proverbs 24:15).

The animosity of Judas and Israel's wicked religious leaders toward Jesus also illustrates this truth. Judas, not a believer though one of Jesus' closest companions, conspired to lay a trap allowing Jesus to be captured away from the public eye (Matthew 26:14–16).

In the long-lasting conflict between good and evil, the evil world system under the rule of the Devil (John 14:30) opposes God's righteous people. Jesus told His disciples, "If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:19).

Psalm 37:32–40 describes the actions of the wicked and the judgment they face at the hands of the Lord. It also relates what the righteous person ought to do and what the Lord will do for him. The wicked have a dreadful future, whereas the future of the righteous is one of exaltation, peace, and deliverance.

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.