Psalm 37:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

NIV: For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

NASB: For evildoers will be eliminated, But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.

CSB: For evildoers will be destroyed, but those who put their hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

NLT: For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.

KJV: For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

NKJV: For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth.

According to this verse evildoers will not continue to live in the Promised Land. They will be excommunicated from Israel and from the covenant promises God gave to His people. As a general statement, this is part of the Bible's warning about generational sin and how a righteous culture tends to lead to more prosperity and stability (Psalm 25:13; Proverbs 2:21; Isaiah 57:13). Early in the psalm, David made a related comment about the eventual fate of those who reject God (Psalm 37:1–2).

There is also a prophetic element to these statements. The Bible teaches that someday Jesus will return to earth and establish His kingdom. The redeemed of the Lord among the tribes of Israel will return to their homeland and settle there (Isaiah 43:4–7; 44:1–5, 21–28; Zechariah 13:6—14:21). But being a member of Israel is an insufficient credential for membership in the Lord's future kingdom. Jesus told Nicodemus, a highly religious ruler of the Jews, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

According to this verse, those who trust in the Lord and wait on Him will be part of this blessed future (Isaiah 12:2; Ephesians 1:13). They will inherit Messiah's kingdom. When Jesus places His sheep on His right, He will say to them, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 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.

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.