Psalms 37:38-40

Context

37:38 Sinful rebels are totally destroyed;¹

evil men have no future.²

37:39 But the Lord delivers the godly;³

he protects them in times of trouble.⁴

37:40 The Lord helps them and rescues them;

he rescues them from evil men and delivers them,⁵

for they seek his protection.

[37:38] ¹tn Or “destroyed together.” In this case the psalmist pictures judgment sweeping them away as a group.

[37:38] ²tn Heb “the end of evil men is cut off.” As in v. 37, some interpret אַחֲרִית (’akharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see Ps 109:13). The perfect verbal forms in v. 38 probably express general truths. Another option is that they are used emphatically to state with certitude that the demise of the wicked is as good as done.

[37:39] ³tn Heb “and the deliverance of the godly [ones] [is] from the Lord.”

[37:39] ⁴tn Heb “[he is] their place of refuge in a time of trouble.”

[37:40] ⁵tn The prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive carry on the generalizing tone of the preceding verse.