Bible Strands
Psalms 37:7
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men prosper in their ways, when they carry out wicked schemes.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses the righteous who are watching the wicked carry out their schemes and appear to prosper. It is a moment of temptation toward envy and self-reliance.
The words — הִתְחֹלֵל (hitcholel) is a Hithpael form meaning "wait longingly" or "desire eagerly"; paired with דּוֹם (dom, "be still"), it produces a tension: the stillness is not apathy but a taut, longing posture.
The thread — The same posture recurs in Psalms 27:14 ("Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong") and Psalms 62:5 ("Rest in God alone, O my soul"), and is extended in James 5:7 to the eschatological waiting of the church.
Why it lands — It asks the reader to stop treating the prosperity of the wicked as evidence against God's justice, and to hold stillness as an active trust rather than passive resignation.
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
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Cross-references
- Psalms 27:14 Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD!
- James 5:7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains.
- Psalms 62:5 Rest in God alone, O my soul, for my hope comes from Him.
- Hebrews 10:36 You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.
- Lamentations 3:25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
- Proverbs 20:22 Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.
- Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and will not delay.
- Jeremiah 12:1 Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?
- Psalms 40:1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; He inclined to me and heard my cry.
- Isaiah 30:15 For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “By repentance and rest you would be saved; your strength would lie in quiet confidence—but you were not willing.”