Psalm 37 32

Psalm 37:32 kjv

The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

Psalm 37:32 nkjv

The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to slay him.

Psalm 37:32 niv

The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, intent on putting them to death;

Psalm 37:32 esv

The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.

Psalm 37:32 nlt

The wicked wait in ambush for the godly,
looking for an excuse to kill them.

Psalm 37 verses

Psalm 37 32 Meaning

Psalm 37:32 reveals the malicious intent of the wicked towards the righteous. It portrays the wicked as actively plotting harm, specifically observing and planning to end the life of those who live uprightly before God. This verse highlights the profound antagonism between the ungodly and the followers of the Lord, emphasizing the severe threat the righteous often face for their fidelity.

Psalm 37 32 Context

Psalm 37 is a wisdom psalm attributed to David, advising the righteous on how to respond to the apparent prosperity of the wicked. It encourages believers not to "fret" or be envious of evildoers, as their success is fleeting, while the righteous, who trust in the Lord, will inherit the earth and abide securely. The psalm contrasts the character and ultimate destiny of the wicked and the righteous, painting a clear picture of God's justice. Verse 32 specifically details the actively hostile nature of the wicked against the righteous, which serves to highlight the magnitude of the trust and patience that the psalmist is advocating throughout the chapter. Historically, Israel often faced aggression from surrounding pagan nations and even internal corruption, reinforcing the real threat posed by those who did not fear God. The psalmist likely draws from personal experiences of being pursued by enemies, even King Saul, emphasizing the reality of persecution.

Psalm 37 32 Word analysis

• The wicked (Hebrew: רָשָׁע, rasha'): This term refers not merely to one who commits bad deeds, but to an individual whose moral disposition is unrighteous, alienated from God, and rebellious against His ways. It denotes a person whose nature is characterized by lawlessness and antagonism towards divine order. They are morally corrupt, lacking spiritual discernment and true justice, often actively engaged in oppression.

• watches for (Hebrew: וְצוֹפֶה, ve-tzopheh from צוֹפֶה tzopheh): The verb implies an intense, sustained observation or lying in wait. It suggests a deliberate and calculating surveillance, akin to a predator stalking its prey. It is not a casual glance but a focused and persistent vigilance, indicating malice and strategic intent to exploit a moment of weakness or opportunity.

• the righteous (Hebrew: צַדִּיק, tzaddiq): This term describes one who is just, upright, innocent, and conforms to God's standard of moral and ethical conduct. It signifies not perfect sinlessness, but a right relationship with God, characterized by faith, obedience, and integrity. This is the very quality that attracts the hostility of the wicked, who stand in opposition to divine righteousness.

• and seeks (Hebrew: וּמְבַקֵּשׁ, u-mevaqqesh from בָּקַשׁ baqash): This verb means to search, look for, demand, or desire earnestly. When paired with "watches for," it underscores the active, determined pursuit and the intention behind the observation. It indicates a focused effort and an intense longing to achieve a particular destructive outcome.

• to put him to death (Hebrew: לַהֲמִיתוֹ, la'hamito from מוּת muth, meaning "to die," in the Hiphil causative stem, "to cause to die," i.e., "to kill"): This phrase explicitly states the ultimate goal of the wicked: to murder the righteous person. It reveals the extremity of their hatred and their readiness to commit the most severe of all human crimes, demonstrating the depths of their depravity and opposition to life itself, which God values supremely.

• "The wicked watches for the righteous": This phrase captures the vigilant malice of the ungodly. It highlights an ongoing, premeditated act of surveillance and plotting rather than a spontaneous outburst of anger. The focus is on the object of their hostility – the righteous – emphasizing that their blamelessness itself is the trigger for such hatred. This antagonism underscores a fundamental spiritual conflict, an opposition between light and darkness.

• "and seeks to put him to death": This emphasizes the grave danger the righteous face and the severity of the wicked's malicious intent. The goal is not merely harassment or inconvenience, but the total annihilation of the righteous. This deliberate intent to take life reveals a profound anti-life spirit, echoing the earliest forms of evil like Cain's murder of Abel. This intention reflects a spiritual battle where the enemy of souls uses the wicked to attempt to silence or destroy those who represent God's truth and righteousness on earth.

Psalm 37 32 Bonus section

The active "watching" and "seeking to kill" by the wicked, as described in this verse, points to a fundamental truth of spiritual conflict: righteousness, by its very nature, convicts the wicked (Jn 3:19-20). The very presence and consistent walk of the righteous can expose the wickedness of others, prompting intense animosity, even murderous intent. This often moves beyond personal grievances to a broader opposition against the values and truth represented by God's people. This persistent opposition serves as a test of faith and an opportunity for the righteous to demonstrate endurance and reliance on God, knowing that the conflict ultimately belongs to the Lord. The specific Hebrew verbs used denote a determined and insidious plotting, signifying a spiritual enemy operating behind human instruments to sow death and destruction against those who bear God's image and obey His word.

Psalm 37 32 Commentary

Psalm 37:32 starkly presents the relentless animosity of the wicked towards the righteous. It's a snapshot of spiritual warfare, where the forces aligned against God actively plot the downfall of those who align with Him. The verb "watches for" indicates a cunning and strategic malevolence, not just impulsive rage, implying sustained observation to find an opportune moment. Their ultimate goal, "to put him to death," underscores the extreme hatred and destructive intent rooted in their opposition to divine order and goodness. This verse implicitly sets up the divine counter-action described in the subsequent verse (Ps 37:33), where the Lord ensures the wicked's designs ultimately fail and protects His own. It serves as a reminder that hostility towards godliness is inherent in wickedness, yet believers are encouraged to rest in the Lord's sovereignty and His unwavering defense of the just. This provides reassurance for those facing such spiritual or physical attacks, understanding that their battle is against deeply ingrained evil, but their ultimate protector is God.