Psalms 37:14

Psalms 37:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
• New International Version (NIV)The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright;
• New King James Version (NKJV)The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct.

Context of Psalms 37:14

12Wicked people think about how to hurt righteous people. They show their teeth to frighten good people. 13But my Lord laughs at those wicked people, because he knows that their day of punishment will come. Wicked people get out their swords, and they prepare to shoot their arrows. They try to make poor and helpless people fall down. They try to destroy people who do what is right. 15But their swords will go into their own hearts. Their bows will break in pieces. 16It is better to do what is right and only have a few things, than to be wicked and have many things.

Psalms 37:14 word by word

חֶ֤רֶב׀ פָּֽתְח֣וּ רְשָׁעִים֮ וְדָרְכ֪וּ קַ֫שְׁתָּ֥ם לְ֭הַפִּיל עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְי֑וֹן לִ֝טְב֗וֹחַ יִשְׁרֵי־דָֽרֶךְ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
• have drawn outפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
• the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• and have bentדָּרַךְdârak · to treadH1869
• their bowקֶ֫שֶׁתqesheth · bowH7198
• to cast downנָפַלnâphal · to fall: killH5307
• the poorעָנִי‛ânîy · afflictedH6041
• and needyאֶבְיוֹן'ebyôn · needyH34
• to slayטָבַחţâbach · to slaughterH2873
• such as be of uprightיָשָׁרyâshâr · uprightH3477
• conversationדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870

Cross-references for Psalms 37:14

• Psalms 64:2When evil men think of ways to hurt me, hide me in a safe place. Those people work together as a group to do wicked things.
• Acts 12:2He sent his soldiers to cut off James's head. James was John's brother.
• 1 Samuel 24:11My father, look at what I have in my hand! It is a small piece of your coat. I cut this off the corner of your coat, but I did not kill you. So you must know that I do not want to do anything bad against you. I have not turned against you. I am not guilty of anything, but you are chasing after me so that you can kill me.
• Proverbs 29:10Murderers hate honest people. They try to kill any good person.
• Habakkuk 1:13But you are too holy to accept anything that is evil. You cannot agree with people who do wrong things. So why do you let these wicked people live? Why do you say nothing? They are killing people who are more righteous than themselves.
• Matthew 23:30You say, “Our ancestors killed God's prophets long ago. If we had lived at that time, we would not have helped our ancestors to do that.”
• Acts 7:52Your ancestors did bad things to every prophet that God sent to them. They even killed the prophets who told them about the Righteous Man that God would send. Now you have given that Man to his enemies. You have made them kill him.
• 1 John 3:12We should not be like Cain. He belonged to Satan and he even killed his brother, Abel. Why did he do that? Cain did bad things and he killed Abel because Abel did things that were right.

Commentaries on Psalms 37:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14The wicked have drawn out the sword - There is an irreconcilable enmity in the souls of sinners against the godly; and there is much evidence that the idolatrous Babylonians whetted their tongue like a sword, and shot out their arrows, even bitter words, to malign the poor captives, and to insult them in every possible way.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14The wicked have drawn out the sword - That is, they have prepared themselves with a full purpose to destroy the righteous. And have bent their bow - literally, “have trodden the bow,” in allusion to the method by which the bow was bent: to wit, by placing the foot on it, and drawing the string back. To cast down the poor and needy - To cause them to fall. And to slay such as be of upright conversation - Margin, as in Hebrew: “the upright of way.” That is…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-20Verses 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-15The wicked prepare weapons, but those weapons will turn against them (compare Psalm 7:12–13).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1514-15. sword, and ... bow--for any instruments of violence. slay--literally, "slaughter" (1Sa 25:11). poor and needy--God's people (Psa 10:17; 12:5). The punishment of the wicked as drawn on themselves--often mentioned (compare Psa 7:15, 16; 35:8).Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 37:14

• Poor
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Cease
• Commit
• Consume
• Cut
• Forsake
• Mark
• Poetry
• Trust
• Wisdom
• Wise

Commentaries on Psalms 37

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• The Treasury of David
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings