Psalms 37 · Verse 3

Psalms 37:3

Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Psalms 37:3, King James Version

Psalms 37:3 in other translations

BSBTrust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
WEBTrust in the LORD, and do good. Dwell in the land, and enjoy safe pasture.
ASVTrust in Jehovah, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on his faithfulness.
YLTTrust in Jehovah, and do good, Dwell in the land, and enjoy faithfulness,
DARBYConfide in Jehovah, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on faithfulness;
BBEHave faith in the Lord, and do good; be at rest in the land, and go after righteousness.
WebsterTrust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

What does Psalms 37:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. Trust--sure of safety. shalt thou dwell--or, "dwell thou"; repose quietly. verily ... fed--or, "feed on truth," God's promise (Psa 36:5; compare Ho 12:1).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 Dwell in the land - Do not flee to foreign climes to escape from that providence which, for thy own good, denies thee affluence in thy own country. And verily thou shalt be fed - God will provide for thee the necessaries of life: its conveniences might damp thy intellect in its inventions, and lead thee into idleness; and its superfluities would induce thee to pamper thy passions till the concerns of thy soul would be absorbed in those of the flesh and, after having lived an animal life, thou mightest die without God, and perish everlastingly. The original, ורעה אמונה ureeh emunah, might be translated, "and feed by faith." The Septuagint has και ποιμανθησῃ επι τῳ πλουτῳ αυτης, and thou shalt feed upon its riches. The Vulgate Ethiopic, and Arabic, are the same. The Syriac, seek faith. The Chaldee, be strong in the faith. The Anglo-Saxon, and feeded thou shalt be in its welfare. Old Psalter, and thu sal be fed in ryches of it. But it is probable that אמונה emunah here signifies security. And thou shalt be fed in security. Dr. Delaney supposed that the Psalm might have been written by David in the behalf of Mephibosheth, who, being falsely aecused by his servant Ziba, had formed the resolution to leave a land where he had met with such bad treatment. David, being convinced of his innocence, entreats him to dwell in the land, with the assurance of plenty and protection. It is more likely that it is addressed to the captives in Babylon; and contains the promise that they shall return to their own land, and again enjoy peace and plenty.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 37:1-6

David persuades to patience and confidence in God, by the state of the godly and of the wicked. Verses 1-6 When we look abroad we see the world full of evil-doers, that flourish and live in ease. So it was seen of old, therefore let us not marvel at the matter. We are tempted to fret at this, to think them the only happy people, and so we are prone to do like them: but this we are warned against. Outward prosperity…

Read the full comment on Psalms 37:1-6 →

Psalms 37:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

בְּטַ֣חbe.TachtrustH982
בַּֽ֭יהוָהba.Yah.wehin YahwehH3068
וַעֲשֵׂה\־va.'a.seh-and doH6213
ט֑וֹבTovgoodH2896
שְׁכָן\־she.khon-dwellH7931
אֶ֝֗רֶץ'E.retz[the] landH776
וּרְעֵ֥הu.re.'Ehand grazeH7462
אֱמוּנָֽה\׃'e.mu.NahfaithfulnessH530

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 37:3

  • Jeremiah 17:7-8

    Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

  • Matthew 6:31-33

    Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

  • Psalms 62:8

    Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

  • 1 Corinthians 15:57-58

    But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

  • Psalms 34:9-10

    O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

  • Luke 22:35

    And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.

  • Psalms 4:5

    Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.

  • Hebrews 6:10-12

    For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

  • Deuteronomy 30:20

    That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

  • Isaiah 1:16-19

    Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

  • Psalms 26:1

    A Psalm of David. Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide.

  • Psalms 33:19

    To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Trust.
4:5; 26:1; Isa 1:16-19; 50:10; Jer 17:7,8; 1Co 15:57,58
Heb 6:10-12
so shalt.
Ge 26:2; 1Sa 26:19; Heb 11:13-16
verily. Heb. in truth, or stableness. be fed.
33:19; 34:9,10; Mt 6:31-33; Lu 22:35

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 37:2

    For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

  • Psalms 37:3

    Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

  • Psalms 37:4

    Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Read all of Psalms 37

Psalms 37:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Espera en Jehová, y haz bien; vivirás en la tierra, y en verdad serás alimentado.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Confie-toi en l’ Éternel et pratique le bien; habite le pays, et repais-toi de fidélité,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Vertraue auf Jehova und tue Gutes; wohne im Lande und weide dich an Treue;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		quoniam sagittæ tuæ infixæ sunt mihi, et confirmasti super me manum tuam.