Psalm 37 contrasts the righteous and the wicked, encouraging the righteous to trust in God. It can be outlined in three sections: 1) An exhortation not to envy the wicked, whose time is short, but to trust and delight in God; 2) Contrasts between the futile wicked and the steadfast righteous who will inherit the earth; 3) Counsel for the righteous to depart from evil, do good, and wait on God, who loves and protects the righteous and brings the wicked to justice.

1. Psalm-37

2. PSALM 37 – AN OVERVIEW
• This Psalm is a teaching (didactic) Psalm, written
by David late in his life (v. 25)
• Its theme focuses on those who will “inherit the
earth” (vs. 9, 11, 22, 29, 34)
• Its description of what it means to “inherit the
earth” (vs. 11, 22, 29, 3) helps us understand the
blessing that Jesus pronounced on the meek in
Matthew 5:5 (cf. Matthew 6:33)
• Inheriting the earth means perpetually enjoying an abundance of peace in this life.
• The little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of the wicked (v. 16;
Ecclesiastes 5:19—6:2)

3. • Psalm 37 may be outlined as follows:
I. Exhortation for the Righteous (37:1-8)
II. Contrasts between the Wicked and the Righteous (37:9-26)
a. The futility of the wicked (37:9-17)
b. The steadfastness of the righteous. (37:18-26)
III. Counsel for the righteous (37:27-40)

4. EXHORTATION FOR THE RIGHTEOUS (PSALM 37:1-8)
• Do not envy evildoers (37:1-2)
• Their time is short (cf. Proverbs
24:19-20)
• Put your faith in the Lord (37:3-
8)
• If we “Trust in the Lord and do
good,” we will “feed on His
faithfulness” (37:3; Isaiah 1:19)
• If we “delight” in the Lord, He will
give us the desires of our heart
(37:4; 1 John 5:14-15)
• If we commit our way to the Lord,
He will “bring it to pass” (37:5-6).
• If we “rest in the Lord,” we will not
fret (37:7-8)
1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your
heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine
like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their
ways,
when they carry out their wicked
schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

5. • The Futility of the Wicked (37:9-17)
• In contrast to the meek, the wicked will soon be
cut off (37:9-11; 55:23; Proverbs 10:27)
• In opposition to the Lord (37:12-17; 7:13-16)
• The Steadfastness of the Righteous (37:18-
26)
• Continually blessed in contrast to the wicked
(37:18-22)
• His steps are ordered by the Lord, and the Lord
upholds him (37:23-26; Micah 7:8)
Contrasts between the Wicked and the
Righteous (37:9-26)

6. COUNSEL FOR THE RIGHTEOUS (PSALM 37:27-40)
• Depart from evil and do good (37:27-33)
• The Lord loves and preserves the righteous (37:27-
29).
• The righteous have God’s law in their hearts and
on their tongues (37:30-31).
• The Lord will protect the righteous from the wicked
(37:32-33).
• Wait on the Lord to see His justice (37:34-40)
• Note what has happened to the wicked (37:35-36)
• Note what will happen to the righteous (37:37-40)