The Meaning of Psalms 37:40 Explained

Psalms 37:40

KJV: And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

YLT: And Jehovah doth help them and deliver them, He delivereth them from the wicked, And saveth them, Because they trusted in Him!

Darby: And Jehovah will help them and deliver them: he will deliver them from the wicked, and save them; for they trust in him.

ASV: And Jehovah helpeth them, and rescueth them; He rescueth them from the wicked, and saveth them, Because they have taken refuge in him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  shall help  them, and deliver  them: he shall deliver  them from the wicked,  and save  them, because they trust  in him. 

What does Psalms 37:40 Mean?

Study Notes

trust
.
Trust is the characteristic O.T. word for the N.T. "faith," "believe." It occurs 152 times in the O.T., and is the rendering of Heb. words signifying to take refuge (e.g. Ruth 2:12 "to lean on" (e.g.) Psalms 56:3 "to roll on" (e.g.) Psalms 22:8 "to stay upon" (e.g.) Job 35:14 .

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 37:40 mean?

And shall help them Yahweh and deliver them He shall deliver them from the wicked and save them because they trust in Him
וַֽיַּעְזְרֵ֥ם יְהוָ֗ה וַֽיְפַ֫לְּטֵ֥ם יְפַלְּטֵ֣ם מֵ֭רְשָׁעִים וְיוֹשִׁיעֵ֑ם כִּי־ חָ֥סוּ בֽוֹ

וַֽיַּעְזְרֵ֥ם  And  shall  help  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: עָזַר  
Sense: to help, succour, support.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַֽיְפַ֫לְּטֵ֥ם  and  deliver  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: פָּלַט  
Sense: to escape, save, deliver, slip away.
יְפַלְּטֵ֣ם  He  shall  deliver  them 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: פָּלַט  
Sense: to escape, save, deliver, slip away.
מֵ֭רְשָׁעִים  from  the  wicked 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
וְיוֹשִׁיעֵ֑ם  and  save  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁע 
Sense: to save, be saved, be delivered.
כִּי־  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
חָ֥סוּ  they  trust 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָסָה  
Sense: (Qal) to seek refuge, flee for protection.
בֽוֹ  in  Him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular