The Meaning of Psalms 37:8 Explained

Psalms 37:8

KJV: Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

YLT: Desist from anger, and forsake fury, Fret not thyself only to do evil.

Darby: Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not thyself: it would be only to do evil.

ASV: Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: Fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil-doing.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Cease  from anger,  and forsake  wrath:  fret  not thyself in any wise  to do evil. 

What does Psalms 37:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 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: 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 37:8 mean?

Cease from anger and forsake wrath not do fret only it causes harm
הֶ֣רֶף מֵ֭אַף וַעֲזֹ֣ב חֵמָ֑ה אַל־ תִּ֝תְחַ֗ר אַךְ־ לְהָרֵֽעַ

הֶ֣רֶף  Cease 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: רָפָה  
Sense: to sink, relax, sink down, let drop, be disheartened.
מֵ֭אַף  from  anger 
Parse: Preposition, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַף 
Sense: nostril, nose, face.
וַעֲזֹ֣ב  and  forsake 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.
חֵמָ֑ה  wrath 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֵמָא 
Sense: heat, rage, hot displeasure, indignation, anger, wrath, poison, bottles.
תִּ֝תְחַ֗ר  do  fret 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect Jussive, second person masculine singular
Root: חָרָה  
Sense: to be hot, furious, burn, become angry, be kindled.
אַךְ־  only 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַךְ  
Sense: indeed, surely (emphatic).
לְהָרֵֽעַ  it  causes  harm 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: מֵרֵעַ 
Sense: to be bad, be evil.