Psalms 37:40

Translation
King James Version
And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
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KJV (with Strong's)
And the LORD H3068 shall help H5826 them, and deliver H6403 H8762 them: he shall deliver H6403 H8762 them from the wicked H7563, and save H3467 H8686 them, because they trust H2620 H8804 in him.
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Complete Jewish Bible
ADONAI helps them and rescues them, rescues them from the wicked and saves them; because they take refuge in him.
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Berean Standard Bible
The LORD helps and delivers them; He rescues and saves them from the wicked, because they take refuge in Him.
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American Standard Version
And Jehovah helpeth them, and rescueth them: He rescueth them from the wicked, and saveth them, Because they have taken refuge in him.
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World English Bible Messianic
The LORD helps them, and rescues them. He rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, Because they have taken refuge in him.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
For the Lord shall helpe them, and deliuer them: he shall deliuer them from the wicked, and shall saue them, because they trust in him.
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Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah doth help them and deliver them, He delivereth them from the wicked, And saveth them, Because they trusted in Him!
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See also
Isaiah 31:51 Chronicles 5:20Daniel 6:23Daniel 3:17Daniel 3:28Isaiah 46:41 John 5:18
In the KJVVerse 14,491 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Psalms 37:40, as the concluding declaration of a wisdom psalm, serves as a powerful theological capstone, encapsulating the psalm's core message of divine justice and unwavering faithfulness. It unequivocally declares God's active commitment to His righteous ones, promising His direct and certain intervention to help, deliver, and save them from the schemes and ultimate fate of the wicked. This ultimate vindication and comprehensive protection are presented as a direct consequence of their steadfast and profound trust in Him, affirming the Lord's immutable character as a faithful refuge and deliverer for His people.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Psalms 37 is an acrostic wisdom psalm, widely attributed to David, meticulously crafted to instruct and encourage the righteous who are often perplexed by the apparent prosperity and success of the wicked. Throughout its verses, the psalmist offers a series of profound exhortations, repeatedly urging the faithful to "fret not" (e.g., Psalms 37:1), to "trust in the Lord" (e.g., Psalms 37:3), and to "delight in the Lord" (e.g., Psalms 37:4). The psalm systematically contrasts the fleeting, ultimately destructive success of the ungodly with the enduring inheritance, security, and peace promised to the upright. Verse 40 functions as a climactic summary and triumphant conclusion, providing the ultimate assurance that God will indeed act on behalf of those who have followed the psalm's counsel, bringing its central argument regarding divine justice and faithfulness to a powerful and certain close.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: Composed in ancient Israel, likely during a period when the covenant community wrestled deeply with the problem of evil and the perceived delay of divine justice, Psalms 37 reflects a common human experience: the righteous often suffer while the wicked seem to thrive and escape immediate consequence. In a society where prosperity was frequently interpreted as a sign of divine favor and suffering as a mark of judgment, this psalm directly confronts and corrects that simplistic view, urging a long-term, eschatological perspective rooted firmly in God's unchanging character. The "wicked" (רָשָׁע, râshâ‘) in this context refers not merely to individuals who commit isolated sins, but to those who are fundamentally hostile to God and His covenant ways, often exploiting the vulnerable, disregarding justice, and actively opposing the righteous within the community. The psalm serves as a vital reassurance to believers that despite appearances, God remains sovereign and will ultimately uphold His covenant promises to protect, vindicate, and deliver His faithful ones.
  • Key Themes: Psalms 37:40 powerfully encapsulates several overarching themes central to Psalms 37 and indeed, much of biblical wisdom literature. Firstly, it underscores Divine Sovereignty and Justice, affirming that God is not a passive observer but is actively involved in human affairs, ensuring that ultimate justice prevails, even if its manifestation is not immediately apparent. Secondly, it highlights the stark Contrast Between the Righteous and the Wicked, emphasizing their fundamentally differing destinies—the wicked will perish, while the righteous will be preserved and inherit the land. This theme is central to the entire psalm, from its opening verses which warn against envying evildoers (e.g., Psalms 37:1-2) to its repeated promises of inheritance for the meek and those who wait on the Lord (e.g., Psalms 37:9-11). Finally, and most crucially, it establishes the Centrality of Trust (Faith) as the foundational condition for receiving God's help and deliverance. This trust is not a passive hope but an active reliance, a confident leaning upon God's character and promises, as seen throughout the psalm's exhortations to "commit your way to the Lord" and "rest in the Lord" (e.g., Psalms 37:5-7).

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • LORD (Hebrew, Yᵉhôvâh', H3068): This is the covenant name of God, YHWH, often translated as "the LORD." It signifies the self-existent, eternal, and unchanging God who is faithful to His covenant promises. Its presence here emphasizes that the help, deliverance, and salvation promised are not from a generic deity but from the personal, sovereign God of Israel, whose character guarantees His actions.
  • deliver (Hebrew, pâlaṭ', H6403): This verb means "to slip out, to escape," and causatively, "to deliver." It conveys the idea of God actively snatching someone out of danger, a perilous situation, or the grasp of an enemy. The repetition of this word in the verse intensifies the certainty of God's powerful and decisive rescue, highlighting His ability to extricate His people from the most dire circumstances.
  • trust (Hebrew, châçâh', H2620): This primitive root signifies "to flee for protection," "to confide in," or "to make refuge." It implies a deep, confident reliance and security, a leaning upon God as utterly dependable. It is not merely intellectual assent but a profound, settled conviction in God's character, power, and promises, even when circumstances are challenging or contrary to expectation. It describes an active posture of the heart that finds ultimate refuge and stability in God alone.

Verse Breakdown

  • "And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them:" This opening clause immediately establishes God's proactive, benevolent, and certain engagement with His people. "Help" (עָזַר, ʻâzar) indicates divine assistance and support in times of need, while "deliver" (פָּלַט, pâlaṭ) emphasizes a powerful rescue from peril or oppression. The use of the future tense ("shall help," "shall deliver") underscores the certainty and inevitability of God's action, a promise that transcends immediate, temporary circumstances.
  • "he shall deliver them from the wicked," This second phrase specifies the nature and source of the deliverance, directly addressing the psalm's central concern: protection from the oppressive, malicious, and ultimately destructive actions of the ungodly. The repetition of "deliver" (פָּלַט, pâlaṭ) intensifies the promise, emphasizing God's powerful and decisive rescue from a specific, formidable threat—the schemes, power, and ultimate fate of those who oppose God and His people.
  • "and save them, because they trust in him." The final clause culminates the promise with "save" (יָשַׁע, yâsha‘), a comprehensive term for salvation that includes liberation, preservation, and ultimate well-being. Crucially, this salvation is presented as conditional: "because they trust in him." This "trust" (חָסָה, châçâh) is the foundational requirement, demonstrating that God's intervention is not arbitrary but a response to the faithful posture of His people's hearts—a deep, abiding confidence and refuge in His character and promises.

Literary Devices

Psalms 37:40 employs several potent literary devices to amplify its message and underscore the certainty of God's action. The most prominent is Repetition, specifically of the verb "deliver" (פָּלַט, pâlaṭ), which appears twice. This repetition serves to emphasize the certainty, power, and comprehensive nature of God's rescuing action, reinforcing the divine commitment to active intervention. There is also a strong sense of Synonymous Parallelism between "help," "deliver," and "save," where each term reinforces and expands upon the others, creating a cumulative effect that highlights the multifaceted and comprehensive nature of divine care. The verse concludes with a clear Conditional Clause ("because they trust in him"), which highlights the reciprocal relationship between human faith and divine action, making the promise of deliverance contingent upon the posture of trust. This structure provides both profound comfort and a clear call to faithful living.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Psalms 37:40 stands as a profound declaration of God's unwavering faithfulness and His active commitment to His covenant people. Theologically, it affirms God's character as a just and sovereign Lord who is neither indifferent to the plight of the righteous nor to the temporary prosperity of the wicked. It teaches that while divine justice may not always be immediately apparent in the short term, it is ultimately assured and will be perfectly executed. The verse underscores the vital importance of trust (faith) as the proper human response to God's character, positing it as the key that unlocks His protective and salvific power. This trust is not a passive hope but an active reliance that enables believers to endure adversity, confident that God will ultimately vindicate them and bring them to a place of security and peace, fulfilling His promises with absolute certainty.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Psalms 37:40 offers profound encouragement and a clear directive for believers navigating a world often marked by injustice, suffering, and the apparent success of the unrighteous. It calls us away from anxiety, envy, and despair, redirecting our gaze to the steadfast character of God. In moments of distress, when the wicked seem to prosper, when trials press in, or when the path ahead is unclear, this verse reminds us that our ultimate security, deliverance, and salvation do not rest on our own strength, the fairness of circumstances, or the fallibility of human systems, but solely on our unwavering trust in the Lord. Cultivating this deep reliance means actively choosing to rest in His promises, commit our ways to Him, and delight in His presence, even when the path is unclear or the wait is long. It invites us to a life of confident dependence, knowing that God, in His perfect timing and wisdom, will intervene to help, deliver, and save those who make Him their refuge. This trust transforms our perspective, enabling us to live with peace, patience, and perseverance, assured of God's ultimate victory and our secure place in His unfailing care.

Questions for Reflection

  • What specific situations or circumstances in your life currently challenge your trust in God's help and deliverance?
  • How does the promise of God delivering "from the wicked" encourage you when you feel oppressed, unfairly treated, or vulnerable to evil?
  • In what practical ways can you cultivate a deeper, more active "trust" in the Lord, as described in this verse, in your daily life?

FAQ

Does this verse promise that believers will never suffer or face hardship?

Answer: No, Psalms 37:40 does not promise an absence of suffering or hardship for believers in this life. Rather, it promises God's help, deliverance, and salvation within or through those challenging circumstances. The psalm itself acknowledges the reality of the wicked's temporary prosperity and the righteous's trials and afflictions. The promise is about ultimate vindication, preservation, and God's active intervention to rescue His people from the power and ultimate destruction associated with the wicked, not necessarily from every difficulty or discomfort. It assures us that God is our refuge and strength in times of trouble, and that our trust in Him ensures His presence and ultimate victory, even if the path includes affliction (Psalms 34:19). The deliverance may be spiritual, emotional, or physical, and it is always in accordance with God's sovereign plan and perfect timing.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Psalms 37:40 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "help," "deliverance," and "salvation" promised to those who trust in the Lord are perfectly embodied and secured through His life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection. Jesus is the ultimate "righteous one" who perfectly trusted the Father, even unto death on the cross (e.g., Philippians 2:8). Through His atoning sacrifice, He delivered humanity from the ultimate "wicked"—the dominion of sin, the power of death, and the tyranny of Satan (e.g., Colossians 1:13-14). Believers, by placing their trust in Him, are not merely delivered from earthly adversaries but receive eternal salvation and are granted a new life in Him, becoming children of God (e.g., John 1:12). Moreover, as we "trust in him," we are called to follow His example, resting in the Father's sovereign care amidst trials, knowing that He has overcome the world (e.g., John 16:33). Thus, the promise of Psalms 37:40 is not just a general assurance but a specific anticipation of the comprehensive salvation and unwavering divine help found uniquely in Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and continually intercedes for those who trust in Him (e.g., Hebrews 7:25).

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Commentary on Psalms 37 verses 34–40

I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points

The psalmist's conclusion of this sermon (for that is the nature of this poem) is of the same purport with the whole, and inculcates the same things.

I. The duty here pressed upon us is still the same (Psa 37:34): Wait on the Lord and keep his way. Duty is ours, and we must mind it and make conscience of it, keep God's way and never turn out of it nor loiter in it, keep close, keep going; but events are God's and we must refer ourselves to him for the disposal of them; we must wait on the Lord, attend the motions of his providence, carefully observe them, and conscientiously accommodate ourselves to them. If we make conscience of keeping God's way, we may with cheerfulness wait on him and commit to him our way; and we shall find him a good Master both to his working servants and to his waiting servants.

II. The reasons to enforce this duty are much the same too, taken from the certain destruction of the wicked and the certain salvation of the righteous. This good man, being tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked, that he might fortify himself against the temptation, goes into the sanctuary of God and leads us thither (Psa 73:17); there he understands their end, and thence gives us to understand it, and, by comparing that with the end of the righteous, baffles the temptation and puts it to silence. Observe,

1.The misery of the wicked at last, however they may prosper awhile: The end of the wicked shall be cut off (Psa 37:38); and that cannot be well that will undoubtedly end so ill. The wicked, in their end, will be cut off from all good and all hopes of it; a final period will be put to all their joys, and they will be for ever separated from the fountain of life to all evil. (1.) Some instances of the remarkable ruin of wicked people David had himself observed in this world - that the pomp and prosperity of sinners would not secure them from the judgments of God when their day should come to fall (Psa 37:36, Psa 37:35): I have seen a wicked man (the word is singular), suppose Saul or Ahithophel (for David was an old man when he penned this psalm), in great power, formidable (so some render it), the terror of the mighty in the land of the living, carrying all before him with a high hand, and seeming to be firmly fixed and finely flourishing, spreading himself like a green bay-tree, which produces all leaves and no fruit; like a native home-born Israelite (so Dr. Hammond), likely to take root. But what became of him? Eliphaz, long before, had learned, when he saw the foolish taking root, to curse his habitation, Job 5:3. And David saw cause for it; for this bay-tree withered away as soon as the fig-tree. Christ cursed: He passed away as a dream, as a shadow, such was he and all the pomp and power he was so proud of. He was gone in an instant: He was not; I sought him with wonder, but he could not be found. He had acted his part and then quitted the stage, and there was no miss of him. (2.) The total and final ruin of sinners, of all sinners, will shortly be made as much a spectacle to the saints as they are now sometimes made a spectacle to the world (Psa 37:34): When the wicked are cut off (and cut off they certainly will be) thou shalt see it, with awful adorations of the divine justice. The transgressors shall be destroyed together, Psa 37:38. In this world God singles out here one sinner and there another, out of many, to be made an example in terrorem - as a warning; but in the day of judgment there will be a general destruction of all the transgressors, and not one shall escape. Those that have sinned together shall be damned together. Bind them in bundles, to burn them.

2.The blessedness of the righteous, at last. Let us see what will be the end of God's poor despised people. (1.) Preferment. There have been times the iniquity of which has been such that men's piety has hindered their preferment in this world, and put them quite out of the way of raising estates; but those that keep God's way may be assured that in due time he will exalt them, to inherit the land (Psa 37:34); he will advance them to a place in the heavenly mansions, to dignity, and honour, and true wealth, in the New Jerusalem, to inherit that good land, that land of promise, of which Canaan was a type; he will exalt them above all contempt and danger. (2.) Peace, Psa 37:37. Let all people mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; take notice of him to admire him and imitate him, keep your eye upon him to observe what comes of him, and you will find that the end of that man is peace. Sometimes the latter end of his days proves more comfortable to him than the beginning was; the storms blow over, and he is comforted again, after the time that he was afflicted. However, if all his days continue dark and cloudy, perhaps his dying day may prove comfortable to him and his sun may set in brightness; or, if it should set under a cloud, yet his future state will be peace, everlasting peace. Those that walk in their uprightness while they live shall enter into peace when they die, Isa 57:2. A peaceful death has concluded the troublesome life of many a good man; and all is well that thus ends everlastingly well. Balaam himself wished that his death and his last end might be like that of the righteous Num 23:10. (3.) Salvation, Psa 37:39, Psa 37:40. The salvation of the righteous (which may be applied to the great salvation of which the prophets enquired and searched diligently, Pe1 1:10) is of the Lord; it will be the Lord's doing. The eternal salvation, that salvation of God which those shall see that order their conversation aright (Psa 50:23), is likewise of the Lord. And he that intends Christ and heaven for them will be a God all-sufficient to them: He is their strength in time of trouble, to support them under it and carry them through it. He shall help them and deliver them, help them to do their duties, to bear their burdens, and to maintain their spiritual conflicts, help them to bear their troubles well and get good by them, and, in due time, shall deliver them out of their troubles. He shall deliver them from the wicked that would overwhelm them and swallow them up, shall secure them there, where the wicked cease from troubling. He shall save them, not only keep them safe, but make them happy, because they trust in him, not because they have merited it from him, but because they have committed themselves to him and reposed a confidence in him, and have thereby honoured him.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 34–40. Public domain.
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Ambrose of MilanAD 397
Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms
(Verse 38.) But the unjust will perish together; the remnants of the wicked will be destroyed. The remnants of the righteous are virtues; the remnants of the wicked are wickedness and the sin of treachery. They will be wiped away, so that they will not exist.

The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; not from the world, not from an element. Heaven and earth will pass away. I do not entrust my salvation to heaven; because it too will pass away, for it is said of many heavens: They will perish, but you will remain. I entrust myself only to God, who remains, who can forgive sins; that He may be my protector in times of tribulation, that He may help me and deliver me, and snatch me from the sinners in the time of His judgment, and make me safe, for I have hoped in Him. In Him alone I have hoped; for He does not desire us to serve both Himself and others. He who serves Himself alone is liberated; for to Himself belongs praise, glory, and eternal power, both now and forever, and unto all ages of ages.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 37
"But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord, and He is their strength in the time of trouble" [Psalm 37:39]. "And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the sinners" [Psalm 37:40]. At present therefore let the righteous bear with the sinner; let the wheat bear with the tares; let the grain bear with the chaff: for the time of separation will come, and the good seed shall be set apart from that which is to be consumed with fire. [Matthew 13:30] The one will be consigned to the garner, the other to "everlasting burning;" for it was for this reason that the just and the unjust were at the first together; that the one should lay a stumbling-block, that the other should be proved; that afterwards the one should be condemned, the other receive a crown....
Theodoret of CyrusAD 458
COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 37:14
Those who practice righteousness … will enjoy divine aid and attain salvation, and by reason of placing complete hope in him, they will prevail over those endeavoring to wrong them.
CassiodorusAD 585
EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 37:40
Free to Hope. Cassiodorus: He also adds the reason for the liberation: it is because “they have hoped in him”—not because they have not sinned, but because they have placed their hope in the Lord’s compassion. This can also be applied to the judgment, when he will deign to present an eternal reward to his saints.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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