Mazmur 37:36-40

37:36 But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared! ¹ 

I looked for them, but they could not be found.

37:37 Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! ² 

For the one who promotes peace has a future. ³ 

37:38 Sinful rebels are totally destroyed; ⁴ 

evil men have no future. ⁵ 

37:39 But the Lord delivers the godly; ⁶ 

he protects them in times of trouble. ⁷ 

37:40 The Lord helps them and rescues them;

he rescues them from evil men and delivers them, ⁸ 

for they seek his protection.

[37:36]  ¹ tn Heb “and he passes by and, look, he is not [there].” The subject of the verb “passes by” is probably indefinite, referring to any passerby. Some prefer to change the form to first person, “and I passed by” (cf. NEB; note the first person verbal forms in preceding verse and in the following line).

[37:37]  ² tn Or “upright.”

[37:37]  ³ tn Heb “for [there is] an end for a man of peace.” Some interpret אַחֲרִית (’akharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see the next verse and Ps 109:13; cf. NEB, NRSV).

[37:38]  ⁴ tn Or “destroyed together.” In this case the psalmist pictures judgment sweeping them away as a group.

[37:38]  ⁵ tn Heb “the end of evil men is cut off.” As in v. 37, some interpret אַחֲרִית (’akharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see Ps 109:13). The perfect verbal forms in v. 38 probably express general truths. Another option is that they are used emphatically to state with certitude that the demise of the wicked is as good as done.

[37:39]  ⁶ tn Heb “and the deliverance of the godly [ones] [is] from the Lord.”

[37:39]  ⁷ tn Heb “[he is] their place of refuge in a time of trouble.”

[37:40]  ⁸ tn The prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive carry on the generalizing tone of the preceding verse.