Psalms 37 · Verse 7

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 37:7, King James Version

Psalms 37:7 in other translations

BSB	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.
WEB	Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him. Don’t fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who makes wicked plots happen.
ASV	Rest in Jehovah, 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.
YLT	Be silent for Jehovah, and stay thyself for Him, Do not fret because of him Who is making prosperous his way, Because of a man doing wicked devices.
DARBY	Rest in Jehovah, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him that prospereth in his way, because of the man that bringeth mischievous devices to pass.
BBE	Take your rest in the Lord, waiting quietly for him; do not be angry because of the man who does well in his evil ways, and gives effect to his bad designs.
Webster	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.

What does Psalms 37:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 37:7-8

7-8. Rest in--literally, "Be silent to the Lord." and wait--Be submissive--avoid petulance and murmurings, anger and rash doing.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 7 Rest in the Lord - דום dom, "be silent, be dumb." Do not find fault with thy Maker; he does all things well for others, he will do all things well for thee. And wait patiently for him - והתחולל לו vehithcholel lo, and set thyself to expect him; and be determined to expect, or wait for him. Such is the import of a verb in the hithpoel conjugation. A heathen gives good advice on a similar subject: - Nil ergo optabunt homines? Si consilium vis, Permittes ipsis expendere Numinibus, quid Conveniat nobis, rebusque sit utile nostris. Nam pro jucundis aptissima quaeque dabunt Di. Carior est illis homo, quam sibi. Juv. Sat. 10:346. "What then remains? Are we deprived of will? Must we not wish, for fear of wishing ill? Receive my counsel, and securely move; Intrust thy pastime to the powers above. Leave them to manage for thee, and to grant What their unerring wisdom sees thee want. In goodness, as in greatness, they excel: Ah, that we loved ourselves but half so well!" Dryden.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 37:7-20

Let us be satisfied that God will make all to work for good to us. Let us not discompose ourselves at what we see in this world. A fretful, discontented spirit is open to many temptations. For, in all respects, the little which is allotted to the righteous, is more comfortable and more profitable than the ill-gotten and abused riches of ungodly men. It comes from a hand of special love. God provides plentifully and well, not only for his working servants, but for his waiting servants. They have that which is better than wealth, peace of mind, peace with God, and then peace in God; that peace which the world cannot give, and which the world cannot have. God knows the believer's days. Not one day's work shall go unrewarded. Their time on earth is reckoned by days, which will soon be numbered; but heavenly happiness shall be for ever. This will be a real support to believers in evil times. Those that rest on the Rock of ages, have no reason to envy the wicked the support of their broken reeds.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Psalms 37:7 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.

דּ֤וֹם\׀Dombe stillH1826

לַיהוָה֮la.Yah.wehto YahwehH3068

וְהִתְח֪וֹלֵ֫לve.hit.Cho.Leland wait longinglyH2342

ל֥וֹlofor him

אַל\־'al-may notH408

תִּ֭תְחַרTit.charyou fret yourselfH2734

בְּמַצְלִ֣יחַbe.matz.Li.achin [one who] makes prosperousH6743

דַּרְכּ֑וֹdar.Koway hisH1870

בְּ֝אִ֗ישׁbe.'Ishin a personH376

עֹשֶׂ֥ה'o.Seh[who] makesH6213

מְזִמּֽוֹת\׃me.zi.MotplotsH4209

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

Cross references for Psalms 37:7

James 5:7-11
Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. …
Psalms 27:14
Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
Psalms 62:5
My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
Hebrews 10:36-37
For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Lamentations 3:25-26
The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
Proverbs 20:22
Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.
Habakkuk 2:3
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Jeremiah 12:1
Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?
Psalms 40:1
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
Isaiah 30:15
For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.
Psalms 62:1
To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David. Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.
Galatians 6:9
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Rest in. Heb. Be silent to.
62:1; Jos 10:12; Jon 1:11; *margins
wait.
27:14; 40:1; Pr 20:22; Isa 8:17; 30:15; La 3:25,26; Hab 2:3; Ga 6:9
Heb 10:36,37; Jas 5:7-11
fret.
50:8; 73:3-14; Jer 12:1
the man.
Job 21:7-34; Ec 5:8; Isa 10:13,14; Da 11:36; Re 13:3-10

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

Context

Psalms 37:6
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
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 37:8
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

Read all of Psalms 37

Psalms 37:7 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Calla á Jehová, y espera en él: no te alteres con motivo del que prospera en su camino, por el hombre que hace maldades.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Demeure tranquille, appuyé sur l’ Éternel, et attends-toi à lui. Ne t’irrite pas à cause de celui qui prospère dans son chemin, à cause de l’homme qui vient à bout de ses desseins.
German Elberfelder 1871	Vertraue still dem Jehova und harre auf ihn! Erzürne dich nicht über den, dessen Weg gelingt, über den Mann, der böse Anschläge ausführt!
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Miser factus sum et curvatus sum usque in finem; tota die contristatus ingrediebar.