Psalms 37:20

Psalms 37:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
• New International Version (NIV)But the wicked will perish: Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field, they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the Lord, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away.

Context of Psalms 37:20

18If anyone lives a completely good life, the Lord takes care of them. His gifts to them will last for ever. 19When times of trouble come, they will still be safe. In a time of famine, they will have enough to eat. But wicked people will die. They are the Lord's enemies. They will disappear like smoke from a fire that burns them up. 21If you lend money to a wicked person, he will not give it back to you. But righteous people are kind to others and they give things freely. 22Yes, people that the Lord blesses will live safely in the land. But people that he has cursed will disappear.

Psalms 37:20 word by word

כִּ֤י רְשָׁעִ֨ים׀ יֹאבֵ֗דוּ וְאֹיְבֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה כִּיקַ֣ר כָּרִ֑ים כָּל֖וּ בֶעָשָׁ֣ן כָּֽלוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But the wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
• shall perishאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
• and the enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• as the fatיָקָרyâqâr · preciousH3368
• of lambsכַּרkar · pastureH3733
• they shall consumeכָּלָהkâlâh · to end: expendH3615
• into smokeעָשָׁן‛âshân · smokeH6227

Cross-references for Psalms 37:20

• Psalms 68:2God, blow them away, as wind blows smoke away. Destroy those wicked people, as wax melts near a fire!
• Psalms 92:9Yes, Lord, look at your enemies! Your enemies will all die! Those people who do evil things will all disappear!
• Judges 5:31I pray that all your enemies will die as Sisera died, Lord! But I pray that those who love you will shine brightly. May they be strong like the sun at dawn.’ After that, there was peace in Israel for 40 years.
• Luke 13:3No! But I tell you this. All of you have done many bad things. So you must change how you live and you must turn to God. If you do not, you will also die as they did.
• 2 Peter 2:12But these false teachers speak against things that they do not understand. They are like wild animals. Their minds cannot think properly. They only do what their nature causes them to do. Wild animals are born so that people can catch them and kill them. In the same way, God will destroy the false teachers.
• Deuteronomy 33:14May the sun give them a good harvest of food, with the best crops every month.
• Psalms 102:3My life is quickly disappearing, like smoke from a fire. My bones hurt very much, as if they were burning in an oven.
• Genesis 19:28He looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah and the whole valley. He saw thick dark smoke that was rising from the land. It was the smoke from a big fire.
• Leviticus 3:3The person must burn some pieces of the animal as a gift to the Lord. It is a friendship offering.
• Deuteronomy 29:20The Lord will never forgive that person. He will be very angry with him. The Lord will punish him in all the terrible ways that are written in this book. The Lord will destroy him completely so that his family name comes to an end.
• Hebrews 12:29Remember that our God is like a fire. He destroys everything that is not good.

Commentaries on Psalms 37:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20The enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs - This verse has given the critics some trouble. Several of the Versions read thus: "But the enemies of the Lord, as soon as they are exalted to honor, shall vanish; like smoke they vanish." If we follow the Hebreto, it intimates that they shall consume as the fat of lambs. That is, as the fat is wholly consumed in sacrifices by the fire on the altar, so shall they consume away in the fire of God's…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20But the wicked shall perish - The general sentiment here is the same as in Psalm 1:1-6, that the righteous shall be prospered and saved, and that the wicked shall perish. See the notes at Psalm 1:4-5. The word “perish” here would be applicable to any form of destruction - death here, or death hereafter - for it is equivalent to the idea that they shall be “destroyed.” Whether the psalmist means here to refer to the fact that they will be cut off from the…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. 20Smoke represents the temporary nature of life (Psalm 68:2; 102:3).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. While the wicked, however mighty, are destroyed, and that utterly, as smoke which vanishes and leaves no trace.Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 37:20

• Fat
• 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