Psalm 37 is David's answer to a question every believer asks: why do wicked people seem to do so well? It opens, "Fret not thyself because of evildoers" (Psalm 37:1), and gives a series of calm instructions: "Trust in the LORD, and do good" (Psalm 37:3), "Delight thyself also in the LORD" (Psalm 37:4), "Commit thy way unto the LORD" (Psalm 37:5) and "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him" (Psalm 37:7). The wicked will soon fade like grass, while "the meek shall inherit the earth" (Psalm 37:11). David writes as an old man who has watched it happen: "I have been young, and now am old" (Psalm 37:25).
Psalm 37 is a psalm of David and one of the wisdom psalms, closer in style to Proverbs than to a song. In Hebrew it is an acrostic: each new stanza, usually two verses long, begins with the next letter of the alphabet, so it was easy to memorize. It is not a prayer to God but advice to us, from an older believer to anyone tempted to envy, anger or despair at the success of the wicked. Jesus quoted it in the Beatitudes: Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). This page gives all 40 verses of Psalm 37 in the King James Version in 12 readings, with a short meaning for each. For more on this theme, see Bible verses about waiting on God and Bible verses about jealousy.
Fret not, trust, delight, commit, rest (Psalm 37:1-9)
1. Psalms 37:1-2
"Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb."
The psalm begins where many of us are: watching people who do wrong and seem to get away with it. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. To fret is to burn, to get heated up inside. David's first reason is perspective: they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. In Israel, green grass could turn brown in days under the summer sun. Success built on evil looks strong, but it does not last. See Bible verses about envy and jealousy.
2. Psalms 37:3-4
"Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
Instead of fretting, David gives two commands. Trust in the LORD, and do good. Faith and faithfulness go together; we keep doing what is right while we wait. The promise is daily provision: verily thou shalt be fed. Then comes the famous line: Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. This is not a formula for getting whatever we want. When the LORD Himself becomes our delight, our desires are reshaped around Him, and He gives what a heart like that truly wants. See Bible verses about the desires of your heart.
3. Psalms 37:5-6
"Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday."
Commit thy way unto the LORD. The Hebrew word for commit means to roll, as you would roll a heavy stone onto someone stronger. We hand over our path, plans and reputation. Trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. What He brings to pass is named in the next verse: he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. When a believer is slandered or treated unfairly, God will in His time make the truth as plain as the midday sun. We do not have to defend ourselves at every turn.
4. Psalms 37:7-9
"Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth."
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him. The word rest means to be still or silent before Him. The repeated warning returns: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way. Then David names where fretting leads: Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. Envy that is not handed to God turns into anger, and anger can push us to do the very evil we resent. The end of the matter: those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. See Bible verses about anger.
The meek shall inherit the earth (Psalm 37:10-24)
5. Psalms 37:10-13
"For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming."
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be. You will look for his place, David says, and it will be empty. Then comes the verse Jesus quoted in Matthew 5:5: But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The meek are not weak; they are those who leave their cause in God's hands. Even when The wicked plotteth against the just, God is not anxious: The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming. God sees the end of the story from the start. See the Beatitudes.
6. Psalms 37:14-17
"The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous."
The wicked use force: The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy. Upright conversation in the King James Version means upright conduct. But violence turns back on itself: Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. Then a verse worth memorizing: A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. Contentment with a little, held with God, is richer than great wealth held without Him. The reason: the LORD upholdeth the righteous. See Bible verses about contentment.
7. Psalms 37:18-20
"The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. 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."
The LORD knoweth the days of the upright. He knows how many days we have and what each one holds. Their inheritance is lasting: their inheritance shall be for ever. Hard seasons will still come, but They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. This is a promise of God's care in hard times, not a promise that hard times will never come. By contrast, the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs, burned on the altar until nothing is left but smoke.
8. Psalms 37:21-24
"The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand."
Psalm 37 is practical about money: The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. Generosity is a mark of trusting God. Then one of the best-known lines of the psalm: The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. God directs the path of those who walk with Him. And when they stumble, Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. Falling is real, but it is not final for those God holds. See Bible verses about guidance.
I have been young, and now am old (Psalm 37:25-40)
9. Psalms 37:25-26
"I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed."
Here David speaks from experience: I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. This is a testimony, not a promise that no believer will ever be poor; Scripture honestly records righteous people in want (Hebrews 11:37). David's point is that over a long life he has seen God care for His people and their children. The righteous person is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. Generosity does not empty a family; God keeps faith with the generous. See Bible verses about God providing.
10. Psalms 37:27-31
"Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide."
Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. The reason we can do good without fear is God's own character: For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints. Judgment here means justice. God loves what is right and does not abandon His people. David then describes the inner life of the righteous: The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and the source is deeper still, The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. What fills the heart steadies the feet. Compare Psalm 1 KJV.
11. Psalms 37:32-36
"The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. 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. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found."
The wicked still watch and scheme: The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. But God will not leave His servant in their hand. The answer, again, is to wait: Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land. Then David shares what he saw: I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. A bay tree is a lush evergreen. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not. The tree that looked permanent was gone, and no one could even find where it had stood.
12. Psalms 37:37-40
"Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him."
The psalm ends with a call to look at how lives turn out: Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. Perfect in the KJV means whole or blameless, not sinless. The final verses put everything in God's hands: But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the last word explains why: God will deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him. Psalm 37 begins with fret not and ends with trust. See Bible verses about trusting God.
A short prayer
Lord, when I see evil prosper and good people suffer, keep me from fretting and envy. Teach me to trust in You and do good, to delight myself in You, and to commit my way into Your hands. Give me grace to rest in You and wait patiently, and to put away anger before it leads me into sin. Order my steps, and when I fall, hold me with Your hand. Thank You that the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD, and that You are my strength in the time of trouble. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
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Frequently asked questions
What is the main message of Psalm 37?
Psalm 37 tells believers not to fret or be envious when wicked people prosper, because their success will not last. Instead, we are to trust in the LORD and do good, delight in Him, commit our way to Him and wait patiently. God knows the days of the upright, orders their steps and upholds them. In the end the meek shall inherit the earth and the wicked will be cut off.
What does delight thyself in the LORD mean in Psalm 37:4?
To delight in the LORD means to find your greatest joy in God Himself, not only in what He gives. The promise that He shall give thee the desires of thine heart is not a blank check. As God becomes our delight, He shapes our desires around Himself, and He then gives what such a heart wants most. Verse 5 adds the next step: commit your way to Him and trust Him to bring it to pass.
Who wrote Psalm 37 and why?
The heading of Psalm 37 calls it A Psalm of David. Verse 25 shows he wrote it late in life: I have been young, and now am old. It is a wisdom psalm, written as advice rather than prayer, for believers troubled by the success of evildoers. In Hebrew it is an acrostic that follows the alphabet, which made it easy to memorize and pass on.
Does Psalm 37:25 mean Christians will never be poor?
No. Psalm 37:25 is David's personal testimony of what he saw over a long life, not a promise that no believer will ever be in need. The Bible honestly records faithful people who suffered poverty, including Paul (Philippians 4:12) and the believers of Hebrews 11:37. The verse teaches that God does not forsake His people, and that He cares for them and their children in ways they can trust.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Waiting on God · Desires of your heart · Jealousy · Anger · Trusting God · Psalm 1 KJV · Psalm 46 KJV · The Beatitudes
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