The Meaning of Psalms 97:10 Explained

Psalms 97:10

KJV: Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

YLT: Ye who love Jehovah, hate evil, He is keeping the souls of His saints, From the hand of the wicked he delivereth them.

Darby: Ye that love Jehovah, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints, he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

ASV: O ye that love Jehovah, hate evil: He preserveth the souls of his saints; He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Ye that love  the LORD,  hate  evil:  he preserveth  the souls  of his saints;  he delivereth  them out of the hand  of the wicked. 

What does Psalms 97:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Since God loves righteousness, it is only fitting that those who love Him should hate evil. By doing Song of Solomon , they become the objects of His blessing rather than partakers of His discipline.

Context Summary

Psalms 97:1-12 - "be Glad In The Lord"
The keynote here is the reign of God. To the wicked, it spells misery; to the believer, it is the inauguration of harmony and joy. It is as though herald-angels step from isle to isle, from mountain peak to mountain peak, with the glad tidings of great joy. It is not always easy to trace its advent. Clouds and darkness are around him. The eye of sense cannot penetrate the black enclosing pall, but faith is ever certain that righteousness and judgment are the foundation of His throne.
Sometimes God comes in fire, Psalms 97:3, as at Sinai, or on the day of Pentecost, which took place on the anniversary of the giving of the Law. Days come like that on which Jerusalem fell, or when the Turks took Constantinople, or when Napoleon was shattered at Waterloo-then hills melt like wax. But through all dark and terrible dispensations the Kingdom is secretly growing, the Lord is being exalted, and light is being sown for His people, Psalms 97:11. So, believer, your tears and fightings, as they pass, are absorbing heaven's love and power, which they will hold in reserve though buried for long in the dark. Days are at hand of unspeakable gladness. Be of good cheer. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 97

1  The majesty of God's kingdom
7  The church rejoices at God's judgments upon idolaters
10  An exhortation to godliness and gladness

What do the individual words in Psalms 97:10 mean?

You who love Yahweh hate evil He preserves the souls of His saints out of the hand of the wicked He delivers them
אֹהֲבֵ֥י יְהוָ֗ה שִׂנְא֫וּ רָ֥ע שֹׁ֭מֵר נַפְשׁ֣וֹת חֲסִידָ֑יו מִיַּ֥ד רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים יַצִּילֵֽם

אֹהֲבֵ֥י  You  who  love 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
שִׂנְא֫וּ  hate 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׂנֵא  
Sense: to hate, be hateful.
רָ֥ע  evil 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
שֹׁ֭מֵר  He  preserves 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
נַפְשׁ֣וֹת  the  souls 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
חֲסִידָ֑יו  of  His  saints 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חָסִיד  
Sense: faithful, kind, godly, holy one, saint, pious.
מִיַּ֥ד  out  of  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים  of  the  wicked 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
יַצִּילֵֽם  He  delivers  them 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: נָצַל  
Sense: to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder.