The Meaning of Psalms 37:4 Explained

Psalms 37:4

KJV: Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

YLT: And delight thyself on Jehovah, And He giveth to thee the petitions of thy heart.

Darby: and delight thyself in Jehovah, and he will give thee the desires of thy heart.

ASV: Delight thyself also in Jehovah; And he will give thee the desires of thy heart.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Delight  thyself also in the LORD;  and he shall give  thee the desires  of thine heart. 

What does Psalms 37:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalm 37:1-17 - A Sure Cure For Fretting
This is an acrostic psalm, grappling with the problem of the inequality of human life and the apparent failure of God to reward His servants and punish His enemies as they deserve. Life and immortality, where we know that the balance will be readjusted, had not then been brought to light, and therefore the solution was far harder before the advent of our Lord than for us.
But though the psalmist's solution is therefore not complete, his teaching of the blessedness of absolute trust in God's providence is very delightful. Fret not thyself; that is, do not give way to passionate resentment or bitter disappointment. Live in God; find your delight in contemplating His nature and His works; roll on Him the decision of your life-choices; trust in Him to supply all your need and work in your behalf. Be silent and rest!
How dramatically this picture of the happy, restful child of God is contrasted with the wicked and his certain doom-like barren pastures scorched by heat, or thin smoke-columns vanishing in the air! "Wait and trust! [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 37

1  David persuades to patience and confidence in God,
12  by the different estate of the godly and the wicked

What do the individual words in Psalms 37:4 mean?

And Delight yourself in Yahweh and He shall give you the desires of your heart
וְהִתְעַנַּ֥ג עַל־ יְהוָ֑ה וְיִֽתֶּן־ לְ֝ךָ֗ מִשְׁאֲלֹ֥ת לִבֶּֽךָ

וְהִתְעַנַּ֥ג  And  Delight  yourself 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: עָנַג  
Sense: to be soft, be delicate, be dainty.
יְהוָ֑ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְיִֽתֶּן־  and  He  shall  give 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
מִשְׁאֲלֹ֥ת  the  desires 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מִשְׁאָלָה  
Sense: request, petition, desire.
לִבֶּֽךָ  of  your  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.