Psalm 37
Do not fret
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Psalm 37 answers a question that troubles every honest person: why do people who do wrong seem to flourish? Do not fret, says David — their end is coming. He gives five commands: trust, delight, commit, be still, and wait. The righteous may stumble, but the LORD upholds their hand. The meek will inherit the land. The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble.
Where it is in the Bible: Psalm 37
Before You Read
Who wrote it. David (37:1).
What it is. A wisdom psalm — forty verses of patient instruction to those watching the wicked prosper.
What it's about. Do not fret. Trust. Delight. Commit. Wait. The wicked do not last. The righteous will inherit the land.
When the church sings it. On Sundays in Ordinary Time and Epiphany.
Map of the Psalm
| Section | Verses | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Do Not Fret | 37:1–11 | Trust, delight, commit, wait — the meek inherit the land |
| 2. The Wicked and the Righteous | 37:12–29 | The wicked plots; the LORD laughs; the righteous are upheld |
| 3. The Righteous Will Inherit | 37:30–40 | The end of the upright is peace; the LORD is their stronghold |
Section by Section
Section 1 of 3Do Not Fret
"Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong" (37:1).
The psalm opens with a command, not an explanation. Wait for the why.
"For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants" (37:2).
The explanation arrives immediately. Evildoers are not permanent.
"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness" (37:3). "Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart" (37:4).
Four commands: trust, do good, dwell, delight. The promise hangs on the last one.
"Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it" (37:5).
"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men prosper in their ways, when they carry out wicked schemes" (37:7).
Stillness is not passivity. It is the posture of someone who has committed the outcome to God.
"Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret—it can only bring harm" (37:8).
Fretting does not fix the wicked. It only hurts the one who frets.
"But the meek will inherit the land and delight in abundant prosperity" (37:11).
Jesus will quote this. The meek — not the powerful — receive the promise.
Section 2 of 3The Wicked and the Righteous
"The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for He knows their day is coming" (37:12–13).
The wicked rage. God laughs — not in cruelty, but in full knowledge of the outcome.
"The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those who walk uprightly. But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken" (37:14–15).
"Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked" (37:16).
"For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous" (37:17).
"I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread" (37:25).
David speaks from long experience. He has watched both the wicked and the righteous across a lifetime.
"For the LORD loves justice and will not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off" (37:28).
Section 3 of 3The Righteous Will Inherit
"Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will raise you up to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it." (37:34).
"I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree" (37:35).
"yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found" (37:36).
David has seen this in real life. The fearsome wicked man — gone.
"Consider the blameless and observe the upright, for posterity awaits the man of peace" (37:37).
"The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble" (37:39).
"The LORD helps and delivers them; He rescues and saves them from the wicked, because they take refuge in Him" (37:40).
The psalm ends where it began: not with the wicked, but with God. The refuge is the point.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "Do not fret over those who do evil" (37:1) | Said multiple times — fretting is the very temptation this psalm addresses. |
| "Delight yourself in the LORD" (37:4) | The desires of the heart are shaped by what the heart delights in. |
| "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him" (37:7) | Stillness and patience are active postures, not resignation. |
| "The meek will inherit the land" (37:11) | Jesus quotes this in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:5). |
| "I once was young and now am old" (37:25) | David writes from decades of watching the wicked and the righteous, not from theory. |
| "The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD" (37:39) | The final verdict: help comes from God, not from human striving. |
Back Then
Psalm 37 is an acrostic in Hebrew — each section begins with the next letter of the alphabet, a structure used as a memory device and a sign of careful crafting.
David wrote under the old covenant, where "the land" meant the promised land of Israel. The inheritance was literal. By the time of the New Testament, Jesus extends the promise to "the earth" itself (Matthew 5:5) — the whole new creation.
"The offspring of the wicked will be cut off" (37:28) — the psalm is speaking of dynasty and legacy, not only the individual. Wickedness does not build something that endures.
Literal Reader Alert
"He will give you the desires of your heart" (37:4) — Is this a promise that God gives whatever we want? The command is "delight yourself in the LORD" first. When your greatest delight is God, what you desire is reshaped. The promise is not a blank check; it is a transformation.
"Never have I seen the righteous abandoned" (37:25) — What about Job? What about martyrs? David is speaking from his own long experience about the general pattern, not claiming an absolute without exception. The psalm itself holds together the reality of suffering (the righteous face real threats) with the ultimate faithfulness of God.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| David | Patient | Long experience watching both wicked and righteous (37:25) |
| David | Confident | The LORD laughs at the wicked, knowing their end (37:13) |
| David | Settled | Salvation comes from the LORD — not from striving (37:39) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
What does this psalm speak into? Tap one.
I watch the wicked prosper and it makes me angry
Refrain from anger — fretting only brings harm. The LORD knows their day.
I don't know how to wait
Be still before the LORD. Commit your way. He will do it.
I feel like the righteous always lose
The meek will inherit the land. The wicked pass away and are no more.
I need something to hold onto
The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD. He is their stronghold.
You Might Have Heard
"The good guys don't always win."
What's true: In this life, the wicked often do prosper. David sees this and names it.
What the passage is mainly about: The psalm does not deny that the wicked appear to win. It insists they do not last — and that fretting about it does more damage to the righteous than the wicked do. The command is to trust, delight, commit, and wait. The meek do not seize the land; they receive it.
Where Jesus is: Jesus quotes this psalm directly in the Beatitudes: "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). He is the righteous one who was cut off — and who rose, and who will give the meek their inheritance.
Good News
"The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble" (37:39).
You do not have to fret. You do not have to force the outcome. Trust. Delight. Commit. Wait. The LORD is your stronghold.
Psalm 37: do not fret over those who do evil — the wicked do not last. Trust, delight, commit, wait. The meek will inherit the land. The LORD is the stronghold of the righteous.
Big Idea
Psalm 37: do not fret over those who do evil. Trust in the LORD, delight in Him, commit your way, and wait. The wicked do not last. The meek inherit the land. The LORD is the salvation and stronghold of the righteous.
If this passage brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. It appoints Psalm 37 on the Seventh Sunday after Epiphany in Year A and on other Sundays in Ordinary Time.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble.
How did that feel?
Using this at church
Read in church on
- Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany Year CPsalm, Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40
- Lectionary 27 Year CPsalm, Psalm 37:1-9
For a newsletter or sermon notes
Psalm 37, explained in plain words. Do not fret over those who do evil. Trust, delight, commit, and wait. The wicked do not last, and the LORD is the salvation of the righteous. About 10 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/psalm-37/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church