Psalms 37:1

Amplified Bible

Do not worry because of evildoers, Nor be envious toward wrongdoers;

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version

Of David.

Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!

Geneva Bible (1587)
A Psalme of Dauid. Fret not thy selfe because of the wicked men, neither be enuious for the euill doers.

Christian Standard Bible®
Do not be agitated by evildoers;do not envy those who do wrong.

Hebrew Names Version
<> Don't fret because of evil-doers, Neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness.

Easy-to-Read Version

A song of David.

Don't get upset about evil people. Don't be jealous of those who do wrong.

American Standard Version

A Psalm of David.

Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, Neither be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness.

Contemporary English Version

(By David.)

Don't be annoyed by anyone who does wrong, and don't envy them.

Complete Jewish Bible
By David: Don't be upset by evildoers or envious of those who do wrong,

JPS Old Testament (1917)
[A Psalm] of David. Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, neither be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness.

King James Version (1611)
[A Psalme of Dauid.] Fret not thy selfe because of euill doers, neither bee thou enuious against the workers of iniquitie.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, neither be envious of them that do iniquity.

English Revised Version
A Psalm of David.

Berean Standard Bible
Of David. Do not fret over doers of evil; do not envy those who do wrong.

Lexham English Bible

Of David.

Do not fret because of evildoers; do not be envious of doers of wickedness.

Literal Translation
A Psalm of David. Do not inflame yourself with evildoers; and do not be envious against workers of perversity;

New Century Version

Of David.

Don't be upset because of evil people. Don't be jealous of those who do wrong,

New English Translation

By David.

Do not fret when wicked men seem to succeed! Do not envy evildoers!

New King James Version
Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

New Living Translation

A psalm of David.

Don't worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong.

New Life Bible
Do not trouble yourself because of sinful men. Do not want to be like those who do wrong.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Burn not with vexation because of evil-doers, Be not envious of the workers of perversity;

Douay-Rheims Bible
(36-1) Be not emulous of evildoers; nor envy them that work iniquity.

George Lamsa Translation
FRET not because of evildoers, neither be envious of the workers of iniquity,

Good News Translation
Don't be worried on account of the wicked; don't be jealous of those who do wrong.

New American Standard Bible
Do not get upset because of evildoers, Do not be envious of wrongdoers.

King James Version
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Fret not thy selfe because of the vngodly: neither be thou enuious against the euyll doers.

New Revised Standard

Of David.

Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers,

Darby Translation

[A Psalm] of David.

Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, and be not envious of them that work unrighteousness;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The title of the sixe and thrittithe salm. To Dauith. Nile thou sue wickid men; nether loue thou men doynge wickidnesse.

Young's Literal Translation
By David. Do not fret because of evil doers, Be not envious against doers of iniquity,

World English Bible
<> Don't fret because of evil-doers, Neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness.

Revised Standard Version
A Psalm of David. Fret not yourself because of the wicked, be not envious of wrongdoers!

Update Bible Version
[A Psalm] of David. Don't fret yourself because of evil-doers, Neither be envious against those that work unrighteousness.

Webster's Bible Translation
[A Psalm] of David. Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

Bible in Basic English
Do not be angry because of the wrongdoers, or have envy of the workers of evil.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Frett not thy self at the vngodly, be not thou envious agaynst the euell doers.

THE MESSAGE
A David Psalm Don't bother your head with braggarts or wish you could succeed like the wicked. In no time they'll shrivel like grass clippings and wilt like cut flowers in the sun.

New American Standard Bible (1995)

A Psalm of David.

Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers.

Legacy Standard Bible
Do not fret because of evildoers,Be not envious toward doers of unrighteousness.

Contextual Overview

¹Do not worry because of evildoers, Nor be envious toward wrongdoers;²For they will wither quickly like the grass, And fade like the green herb. ³Trust [rely on and have confidence] in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and feed [securely] on His faithfulness. ⁴Delight yourself in the LORD, And He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart. ⁵Commit your way to the LORD; Trust in Him also and He will do it. ⁶He will make your righteousness [your pursuit of right standing with God] like the light, And your judgment like [the shining of] the noonday [sun].

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

- Title

This is the third alphabetical Psalm. It seems to have been intended as an instructive and consoling ode for the captives in Babylon, who might feel themselves severely tempted when they saw those idolaters in prosperity, and themselves in adversity.

Fret: Psalms 37:7, 1 Samuel 1:6-8, Proverbs 19:3, Proverbs 24:1, Proverbs 24:19

neither: Psalms 73:3, Proverbs 3:31, Proverbs 23:17, Galatians 5:21, James 4:5, James 4:6

Reciprocal: Genesis 26:3 - Sojourn 1 Chronicles 16:4 - to record Job 12:6 - tabernacles Psalms 49:16 - Be not Psa_73:21 - my heart Psalms 92:7 - wicked Jeremiah 12:1 - Wherefore doth 1 Peter 2:1 - envies

Cross-References

Genesis 17:8
"I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger [moving from place to place], all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession [of property]; and I will be their God."

Genesis 23:4
"I am a stranger and a sojourner (resident alien) among you; give (sell) me property for a burial place among you so that I may bury my dead [in the proper manner]."

Genesis 28:4
"May He also give the blessing of Abraham to you and your descendants with you, that you may inherit the [promised] land of your sojournings, which He gave to Abraham."

Genesis 36:7
For their [great flocks and herds and] possessions made it impossible for them to live together [in the same region]; the land in which they lived temporarily could not support them because of their livestock.

Genesis 37:9
But Joseph dreamed still another dream, and told it to his brothers [as well]. He said, "See here, I have again dreamed a dream, and lo, [this time I saw] eleven stars and the sun and the moon bowed down [in respect] to me!"

Genesis 37:16
He said, "I am looking for my brothers. Please tell me where they are pasturing our flocks."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Fret not thyself because of evildoers,.... The saints may be grieved at them and for them, because of their evil doings, and may be angry with them for them; yet are not to show any undue warmth, at least in an indecent way, by calling them opprobrious names; for the words may be rendered, "do not show thyself warm" or "angry" i: in a sinful way; or fret not at their outward prosperity, as it is explained

Psalms 37:7. The Targum adds, "to be like them", which agrees with

Psalms 37:8;

neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity; that is, at their present temporal happiness; see Psalms 73:3. The Targum adds, as before, to be joined with them; which sense some parallel places seem to incline to, Proverbs 3:31.

i תתחר "ne accendaris ira", Junius Tremellius "ne exardescas", Gejerus, Michaelis.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Fret not thyself - The Hebrew word here means properly to burn, to be kindled, to be inflamed, and is often applied to anger, as if under its influence we become “heated:” Genesis 31:36; Gen 34:7; 1 Samuel 15:11; 2 Samuel 19:43. Hence, it means to fret oneself, to be angry, or indignant. Compare Proverbs 24:19. We should perhaps express the same idea by the word “worrying” or “chafing.” The state of mind is that where we are worried, or envious, because others are prosperous and successful, and we are not. The idea is, therefore, closely allied with that in the other part of the verse, “neither be thou “envious.””

Because of evil-doers - Wicked men:

(a) at the fact that there are wicked men, or that God suffers them to live;

(b) at their numbers;

(c) at their success and prosperity.

Neither be thou envious - Envy is pain, mortification, discontent, at the superior excellence or prosperity of others, accompanied often with some degree of malignant feeling, and with a disposition to detract from their merit. It is the result of a comparison of ourselves with others who are more highly gifted or favored, or who are more successful than we are ourselves. The feeling referred to here is that which springs up in the mind when we see persons of corrupt or wicked character prospered, while we, endeavoring to do right, are left to poverty, to disappointment, and to tears.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

PSALM XXXVII

Godly directions for those who are in adversity not to envy the

prosperity of the wicked, because it is superficial, and of

short duration, 1-22;

to put their confidence in God, and live to his glory, as this

is the sure way to be happy in this life, and in that which is

to come, 23-40.

NOTES ON PSALM XXXVII

In the title this Psalm is attributed to David by the Hebrew, and by most of the Versions: but it is more likely it was intended as an instructive and consoling ode for the captives in Babylon, who might feel themselves severely tempted when they saw those idolaters in prosperity; and themselves, who worshipped the true God, in affliction and slavery. They are comforted with the prospect of speedy deliverance; and their return to their own land is predicted in not less than ten different places in this Psalm.

This Psalm is one of the acrostic or alphabetical kind: but it differs from those we have already seen, in having two verses under each letter; the first only exhibiting the alphabetical letter consecutively. There are a few anomalies in the Psalm. The hemistich, which should begin with the letter ע ain, has now a ל lamed prefixed to the word with which it begins, לעולם leolam; and the hemistich which should begin with ת tau (Psalms 37:39) has now a ו vau prefixed, ותשועת utheshuath. It appears also that the letters ד daleth, כ caph, and ק koph, have each lost a hemistich; and ע ain, half a one. The manner in which this Psalm is printed in Dr. Kennicott's Hebrew Bible gives a full view of all these particulars. To the English reader some slighter differences may appear; but it should be observed, that the verses in our English Bibles are not always divided as those in the Hebrew. In all the Psalms that have a title, the title forms the first verse in the Hebrew; but our translation does not acknowledge any of those titles as a part of the Psalm, and very properly leaves them out of the enumeration of the verses.

Verse Psalms 37:1. Fret not thyself because of evil doers — It is as foolish as it is wicked to repine or be envious at the prosperity of others. Whether they are godly or ungodly, it is God who is the dispenser of the bounty they enjoy; and, most assuredly, he has a right to do what he will with his own. To be envious in such a case, is to arraign the providence of God. And it is no small condescension in the Almighty to reason with such persons as he does in this Psalm.