For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
What does Psalms 37:17 mean?
Let us be satisfied that God will make all to work for good to us. Let us not discompose ourselves at what we see in this world.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside its immediate passage and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Psalms 37:17
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken - See the notes at Psalm 10:15 . The "arm" is the instrument by which we accomplish a purpose; and the meaning here is, that that will be broken on which the wicked rely, or, in other words, that their plans will fail, and that they will be disappointed - as a man is rendered helpless whose arms are broken. Compare the notes at Job 38:15 . But the Lord upholdeth the righteous - The Lord will sustain and strengthen him.
Key words
- wicked
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For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,.
- broken
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For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,.
Context in Psalms 37
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Psalms 37 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as Book II. Psalms is the Bible’s great book of sung prayer, teaching the full range of faithful speech from anguish and repentance to jubilation and doxology. Read this chapter with the wider themes of prayer, praise, and lament in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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