Psalm 37:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

NIV: But the wicked will perish: Though the LORD's enemies are like the flowers of the field, they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

NASB: But the wicked will perish; And the enemies of the Lord will be like the glory of the pastures, They vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

CSB: But the wicked will perish; the Lord's enemies, like the glory of the pastures, will fade away -- they will fade away like smoke.

NLT: But the wicked will die. The Lord’s enemies are like flowers in a field — they will disappear like smoke.

KJV: But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

NKJV: But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the Lord, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away.

God not only cares for those who love Him (Psalm 37:3–6), He will also punish their wicked enemies. This verse makes it clear that depraved and evil people are not only the enemies of the Lord's people, but they are also the enemies of the Lord Himself. Nothing touches the Lord's people that does not also touch Him. A direct reference to this connection can be found in the New Testament. When, on the road to Damascus, the Lord confronted Saul of Tarsus, the bloodthirsty persecutor of believers, he asked, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" (Acts 9:4).

This statement also notes that the enemies of God will suffer death and judgment for their sin. They will vanish away like the beautiful flowers of the field (1 Peter 1:24) and like smoke (Revelation 14:11). Israel's rainy season causes the flowers of the field to spring up and blossom, but soon the strong heat of day causes them to wilt. Therefore, the flowers are short-lived. The Lord's people were familiar with smoke that arose from the altar on which lambs were sacrificed. It arose from the altar and quickly vanished.

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.