Psalm 37:34 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

NIV: Hope in the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

NASB: Wait for the Lord and keep His way, And He will exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are eliminated, you will see it.

CSB: Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land. You will watch when the wicked are destroyed.

NLT: Put your hope in the Lord. Travel steadily along his path. He will honor you by giving you the land. You will see the wicked destroyed.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Wait on the Lord, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

When attacked by the wicked, the righteous can act in their own defense (Luke 22:36) or pursue proper justice (Romans 13:1–4). Those who honor God should not lash out in revenge (Romans 12:18–19) or angry haste (Ephesians 4:26).

Spiritual discipline is key to this. If a person relies on his own strength, he will fail to exercise restraint. Paul wrote that "the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:4). The way to achieve victory when the enemy attacks is to wait on the Lord to act and to keep His way (Psalm 37:34). Trust in the Lord and obedience to His commands are powerful weapons. If we trust and obey, the righteous will be exalted by the Lord and will dwell in the Promised Land.

Further, the righteous will be spectators when the Lord cuts off the wicked (Revelation 20:11–15). He will excommunicate them from membership in Israel and remove them from all the privileges associated with belonging to Israel. Someday, Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats, the righteous from the wicked. He will admit the righteous into His kingdom, but He will send the wicked into eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matthew 25:31–46).

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.