Psalms 37 · Verse 34

Psalms 37:34

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.
Psalms 37:34, King James Version

Psalms 37:34 in other translations

BSBWait 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.
WEBWait for the LORD, and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
ASVWait for Jehovah, and keep his way, And he will exalt thee to inherit the land: When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
YLTLook unto Jehovah, and keep His way, And He doth exalt thee to possess the land, In the wicked being cut off--thou seest!
DARBYWait for Jehovah, and keep his way, and he will exalt thee to possess the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
BBEBe waiting for the Lord, and keep his way; and you will be lifted up, and have the land for your heritage: when the evil-doers are cut off, you will see it.
WebsterWait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he will exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

What does Psalms 37:34 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
34. On the contrary, the good are not only blessed, but made to see the ruin of their foes.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 34 Wait on the Lord, and keep his way - This is the true mode of waiting on God which the Scripture recommends; keeping God's way - using all his ordinances, and living in the spirit of obedience. He who waits thus is sure to have the farther blessings of which he is in pursuit. קוה kavah, to wait, implies the extension of a right line from one point to another. The first point is the human heart; the line is its intense desire; and the last point is God, to whom this heart extends this straight line of earnest desire to be filled with the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of peace. And he shall exalt thee to inherit the land - If ye keep his way, and be faithful to him in your exile, he will exalt you, lift you up from your present abject state, to inherit the land of your fathers. See before, Psa 37:9, Psa 37:11, etc. When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it - They did see the destruction of the Babylonish king, Belshazzar, and his empire; and it was in consequence of that destruction that they were enlarged.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 37:34-40
Duty is ours, and we must mind it; but events are God's, we must refer the disposal of them to him. What a striking picture is in ver. #(35-36), of many a prosperous enemy of God! But God remarkably blights the projects of the prosperous wicked, especially persecutors. None are perfect in themselves, but believers are so in Christ Jesus. If all the saint's days continue dark and cloudy, his dying day may prove comfortable, and his sun set bright; or, if it should set under a cloud, yet his future state will be everlasting peace. The salvation of the righteous will be the Lord's doing. He will help them to do their duties, to bear their burdens; help them to bear their troubles well, and get good by them, and, in due time, will deliver them out of their troubles. Let sinners then depart from evil, and do good; repent of and forsake sin, and trust in the mercy of God through Jesus Christ. Let them take his yoke upon them, and learn of him, that they may dwell for evermore in heaven. Let us mark the closing scenes of different characters, and always depend on God's mercy.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Psalms 37:34 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.

קַוֵּ֤הka.VehwaitH6960
אֶל\־'el-toH413
יְהוָ֨ה\׀Yah.wehYahwehH3068
וּשְׁמֹ֬רu.she.Morand keepH8104
דַּרְכּ֗וֹdar.Koway hisH1870
וִֽ֭ירוֹמִמְךָVi.ro.mi.khaand he will exalt youH7311
לָרֶ֣שֶׁתla.Re.shetto possessH3423
אָ֑רֶץ'A.retz[the] landH776
בְּהִכָּרֵ֖תbe.hi.ka.Retwhen are cut offH3772
רְשָׁעִ֣יםre.sha.'Imwicked [people]H7563
תִּרְאֶֽה\׃tir.'Ehyou will seeH7200

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

Cross references for Psalms 37:34

  • Psalms 27:14

    Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

  • Proverbs 20:22

    Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.

  • Psalms 37:9

    For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

  • Matthew 24:13

    But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

  • Psalms 52:5-6

    God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah. The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him:

  • Psalms 37:7

    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.

  • Psalms 91:8

    Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

  • Proverbs 4:25-27

    Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

  • Job 23:10-12

    But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

  • Psalms 37:3

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

  • 1 Peter 5:6

    Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

  • Job 17:9

    The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Wait.{Kawah,} to wait, implies the extension of a right line from one point to another. The first point is the human heart; the line is its intense desire; and the last point is God, to whom the heart extends this straight line of earnest desire. He who, while he waits on God, keeps his way, is sure to have the further blessings of which he is in pursuit.
3,7,9; 27:14; Pr 20:22
keep.
Job 17:9; 23:10-12; Pr 4:25-27; 16:17; Mt 24:13
exalt.
92:10; 112:9; Lu 14:11; 1Pe 1:7; 5:6
when.
52:5,6; 91:8; 92:11

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

Context

  • Psalms 37:33

    The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

  • Psalms 37:34

    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.

  • Psalms 37:35

    I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.

Read all of Psalms 37

Psalms 37:34 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Espera en Jehová, y guarda su camino, y él te ensalzará para heredar la tierra: cuando serán talados los pecadores, lo verás.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Attends-toi à l’ Éternel, et garde sa voie; et il t’élèvera afin que tu possèdes le pays: quand les méchants seront retranchés, tu le verras.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Harre auf Jehova und bewahre seinen Weg, und er wird dich erhöhen, das Land zu besitzen. Wenn die Gesetzlosen ausgerottet werden, wirst du zusehen.