Bible Strands
Psalms 37:32
Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses the faithful community, placing this declaration between a statement of divine preservation and a guarantee of judicial rescue. It captures a moment where hostile forces actively target those who remain obedient to God.
The words — The text foregrounds צוֹפֶה (tzo.Peh), meaning watching or lying in wait, and רָשָׁע (Ra.sho'), denoting a wicked person. These terms establish the deliberate, predatory posture of the antagonist against the righteous.
The thread — This pattern of concealed hostility runs through Psalms 10:8, where ambushers slay the innocent, Jeremiah 20:10, where trusted companions turn to whispered terror, and Luke 14:1, where religious leaders watch Jesus closely. The motif tracks how opposition operates through surveillance and coordinated intent.
Why it lands — The verse demands recognition that faithful living provokes lethal opposition, yet it anchors the reader in the immediate context that God will not abandon the righteous to their adversaries. It requires steady trust rather than defensive panic.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
Cross-references
- Psalms 10:8 He lies in wait near the villages; in ambush he slays the innocent; his eyes watch in stealth for the helpless.
- Jeremiah 20:10 For I have heard the whispering of many: “Terror is on every side! Report him; let us report him!” All my trusted friends watch for my fall: “Perhaps he will be deceived so that we may prevail against him and take our vengeance upon him.”
- Luke 14:1 One Sabbath, Jesus went to eat in the home of a leading Pharisee, and those in attendance were watching Him closely.
- Luke 19:47 Jesus was teaching at the temple every day, but the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people were intent on killing Him.
- Luke 20:20 So they watched Him closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They were hoping to catch Him in His words in order to hand Him over to the rule and authority of the governor.
- Psalms 37:12 The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them,
- Luke 6:7 Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.
- Luke 11:54 waiting to catch Him in something He might say.
- Acts 9:24 but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him.