Psalm 37:10 kjv
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
Psalm 37:10 nkjv
For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more.
Psalm 37:10 niv
A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
Psalm 37:10 esv
In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
Psalm 37:10 nlt
Soon the wicked will disappear.
Though you look for them, they will be gone.
Psalm 37 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 37:35-36 | "I have seen the wicked in great power... Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not..." | Immediate context, sudden demise of wicked |
| Ps 73:17-20 | "Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end... How suddenly are they cast down!" | Wicked's fall revealed in God's presence |
| Job 20:5-9 | "the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment." | Brief joy and ultimate demise of the wicked |
| Prov 24:19-20 | "Fret not thyself because of evil men... for there shall be no reward to the evil man..." | Don't envy wicked, their end is without hope |
| Mal 4:1 | "For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace..." | Day of judgment for the wicked |
| Matt 13:40-42 | "...the tares are gathered... and burned... so shall it be at the end of this world." | Final judgment of evildoers and destruction |
| 2 Thess 1:7-9 | "...when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven... taking vengeance..." | Christ's judgment on the disobedient |
| Rev 20:10-15 | "And the devil... was cast into the lake of fire... This is the second death." | Ultimate judgment and eternal destruction |
| Ps 1:4-6 | "The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away..." | Contrast righteous vs. wicked, wicked are unstable |
| Prov 10:29 | "The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity." | God protects righteous, destroys wicked |
| Ps 92:7 | "When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever..." | Wicked's brief flourish, leading to eternal destruction |
| Isa 26:21 | "...the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." | Earth revealing wicked's hidden deeds for judgment |
| Obad 1:3-4 | "The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee... though thou exalt thyself..." | Fall of the proud and defiant, brought down by God |
| Zeph 1:14-15 | "The great day of the LORD is near, it is near... a day of wrath, a day of trouble..." | Imminence and nature of God's day of judgment |
| Heb 10:37 | "For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry." | Christ's promised swift return and judgment |
| 2 Pet 3:8-9 | "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years..." | God's timing is perfect, patience is divine perspective |
| Hab 2:3 | "For the vision is yet for an appointed time... though it tarry, wait for it..." | Waiting for the appointed divine timing |
| Ps 37:11 | "But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." | Contrast: Promise to the righteous who inherit |
| Matt 5:5 | "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." | Jesus' echo of Psalm 37:11, fulfilling Old Testament promise |
| Ps 58:9-10 | "Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind..." | Swift divine judgment, sweeping away the wicked |
| Job 8:11-13 | "Can the flag grow without water? ...so are the paths of all that forget God." | Wicked's unstable, perishing state like plant without water |
| Jer 12:1-4 | "Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee... wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper?" | Acknowledging the problem of wicked's prosperity, leading to divine answer |
| Ps 104:35 | "Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more." | Prayer and declaration for the removal of the wicked |
Psalm 37 verses
Psalm 37 10 Meaning
Psalm 37:10 conveys a powerful message of divine justice and reassurance to the righteous. It asserts that the prosperity and presence of the wicked are fleeting and temporary. The verse declares that after only a short span of time, the wicked will utterly vanish, their established position and influence dissolving. Furthermore, it states that one can intently search for their former standing or domain, and it will be completely gone, reinforcing the certainty and finality of their disappearance from their place of power and prominence. This serves as an exhortation to the faithful not to be troubled by the present success of evil-doers.
Psalm 37 10 Context
Psalm 37 is a wisdom psalm penned by David, specifically addressing the perplexing issue of why the wicked often seem to prosper while the righteous experience affliction. It's an alphabetic acrostic, designed to instill trust and patience in the believer. The psalm’s central theme counsels against fretting or being envious of the wicked's temporary success. Instead, it urges faith, committing one's way to God, and patiently awaiting His timing and justice. In a world where justice isn't always immediate or apparent, this psalm offers divine perspective. Verse 10, therefore, serves as a direct promise and comfort, assuring that the apparent dominance of evil is strictly time-limited and its eradication utterly certain, leading into the promise for the meek in the subsequent verse.
Psalm 37 10 Word analysis
For (
כִּי,kî): A conjunction meaning "surely" or "indeed," introducing a foundational truth or a definitive reason for the counsel given in earlier verses.yet (
עֹד,‘ōḏ): Signifies continuation but with a clear end point; it means "still," or "while yet," implying a fleeting duration for the present state of affairs.a little while (
מְעַט,mə‘aṭ): Denotes a short, brief period. This phrase powerfully asserts that the wicked's prosperity is not enduring from God's eternal viewpoint, countering human impatience with divine timing.and the wicked (
וְאֵין רָשָׁע,wə’ê̄n rāšā‘):- and (
וְ,wə): A conjunction, connecting the timeframe to the subsequent event. - wicked (
רָשָׁע,rāšā‘): Refers to the morally guilty, the unrighteous, lawbreakers, or those who commit acts of injustice and defy God's order. This often encompasses the oppressors and arrogant individuals depicted as flourishing.
- and (
shall not be (
וְאֵינֶֽנּוּ,wə’ê̄nenū): The negation of existence or presence. This indicates their complete cessation from influence, power, or their visible earthly prominence. It highlights their removal and disappearance from their dominant position.yea, thou shalt diligently consider (
וְהִתְבּוֹנַנְתָּ֣,wəhitbônaanta):- yea (
וְ,wə): An emphatic conjunction, stressing the certainty and extent of the subsequent action. - diligently consider (
הִתְבּוֹנַנְתָּ֣,hitbônaanta): From the Hebrew rootbin(בּוּן), meaning "to discern," "to understand," or "to give close attention to." The reflexive-intensive stem emphasizes a careful, thorough, and intentional examination. It implies that one will specifically look for them or their former impact. This observation could be by the righteous person witnessing divine justice, or God's own careful attention.
- yea (
his place (
עַל־מְקוֹמֽוֹ,‘al-məqōmô):- upon (
עַל,‘al): A preposition indicating a specific location or concerning something. - place (
מָקוֹם,māqôm): Refers to a specific dwelling, a position of authority, their established domain, or sphere of influence.
- upon (
and it shall not be (
וְאֵינֶֽנּוּ,wə’ê̄nenū): A powerful repetition of the earlier phrase for emphasis. It reinforces that not only will the wicked cease to exert their influence, but the very "place" where they once thrived will no longer bear any trace of their dominion or presence."For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be": This phrase asserts the divine perspective on time, demonstrating that what appears long to humans is brief to God. It underscores the fragility and temporariness of evil's perceived strength, promising a swift end to their visible power and existence in their oppressive state.
"yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be": This second part amplifies the certainty and completeness of the wicked's downfall. It signifies that even a careful, investigative search for their former position, influence, or power will reveal nothing. Their eradication will be so thorough that no trace of their unjust reign will remain, serving as a future vindication for the trusting heart.
Psalm 37 10 Bonus section
The concept of the "place" of the wicked refers not only to a physical location but broadly to their entire sphere of dominion, influence, and authority – their economic might, social status, political power, and even the cultural imprint they sought to create. The statement that "it shall not be" means a comprehensive dismantling of everything they built on unrighteous foundations. This thoroughness reinforces God's justice; it's not just a superficial removal but a foundational overturning. The psalm encourages a forward-looking perspective: current injustices are temporary, and the believer's enduring hope lies in God's ultimate vindication. This contrasts sharply with the enduring "place" of the righteous who will inherit the earth and abide forever (Ps 37:29, 37:11).
Psalm 37 10 Commentary
Psalm 37:10 is a pivotal verse offering deep comfort and corrective perspective to those distressed by the temporal prosperity of the wicked. It provides a divine counter-narrative to human despair. The "little while" highlights God's sovereign timetable, which, from an eternal viewpoint, sees the swiftness of divine judgment. The emphasis is on patience, reminding believers that the seeming delay is not an absence of justice, but part of a larger, perfect plan. The complete disappearance of "the wicked" refers not merely to their physical death but fundamentally to the dismantling of their power, influence, and unrighteous structures. The final affirmation, "thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be," serves as a stark testimony to the absolute and verifiable removal of their dominion, a testimony observable by the righteous. This profound reassurance encourages a walk of faith and trust, affirming that God always sees, and His justice, though patient, is ultimately precise, complete, and inescapable. Historically, countless tyrannical empires or individuals whose power seemed invincible have vanished from their "place" without a trace of their former glory, becoming lessons in the fleeting nature of ungodly power.