The Meaning of Psalms 37:33 Explained

Psalms 37:33

KJV: The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

YLT: Jehovah doth not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him in his being judged.

Darby: Jehovah will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

ASV: Jehovah will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The LORD  will not leave  him in his hand,  nor condemn  him when he is judged. 

What does Psalms 37:33 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 37:30-40 - Steps That Shall Not Slide
How dear this psalm has been to God's saints! It has been peculiarly prized by them in all ages. Gerhardt has paraphrased it in his noble hymn:
Give to the winds thy fears,
Hope, and be undismayed.
When banished from Berlin by the Elector, he turned into a small wayside hostelry, not knowing where to go. Seeing his wife greatly depressed, he turned to find comfort for them both in these verses, and the conception of his hymn broke upon him. That evening messengers arrived from the Duke of Mecklenburg, offering Gerhardt an honorable position in his kingdom. Among many others, Psalms 37:5 was frequently quoted by David Livingstone.
Bishop Coverdale's translation of Psalms 37:37 is noteworthy: "Keep innocency and take heed unto the thing that is right, for that shall bring a man peace at the last." But the psalmist repeatedly insists that the fulfillment of God's promises is conditioned by our faith, Psalms 37:40. The day may break stormily, but the storms expend themselves before nightfall and the sunset is golden. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 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 37:33 mean?

Yahweh not will leave him in his hand nor condemn him when he is judged
יְ֭הוָה לֹא־ יַעַזְבֶ֣נּוּ בְיָד֑וֹ וְלֹ֥א יַ֝רְשִׁיעֶ֗נּוּ בְּהִשָּׁפְטֽוֹ

יְ֭הוָה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
יַעַזְבֶ֣נּוּ  will  leave  him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.
בְיָד֑וֹ  in  his  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וְלֹ֥א  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יַ֝רְשִׁיעֶ֗נּוּ  condemn  him 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: רָשַׁע  
Sense: to be wicked, act wickedly.
בְּהִשָּׁפְטֽוֹ  when  he  is  judged 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Nifal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁפַט  
Sense: to judge, govern, vindicate, punish.