Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Psalms 37:20 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 20. 20But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Psalm 37:20: The opening contrast in “But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD…” turns the argument of “Alphabetic counsel when wrongdoers prosper: Violent plots and their limits.”
A plot, a gnash, a laugh that belongs to the Lord
This verse is one part of that explanation in Psalms 37:12–20. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Psalms 37:12–20
- Psalms 37:1–40
Read Psalms 37:20 with 37:12–20 and 37:1–40. Read alone, “But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall…” could lose the individual voice, the parallel line or movement it develops, and the psalm's outcome. The complete movement establishes: Within Psalms 37:12–20, the individual voice carries the movement “Violent plots and their limits” as part of “Alphabetic counsel when wrongdoers prosper.” Its acrostic-wisdom form and poetic parallelism hold the petitions, images, memories, or praise together before any single line is applied.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Psalms 37:12–20 contrasts with “Do not fret; trust and wait” within Psalm 37 by carrying “Violent plots and their limits.” The turn from “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace” to “The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth” explains why this movement occurs here. Within that relationship, Psalm 37:20 turns the movement by contrasting what precedes it with “But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as….”
What Remains True
Psalm 37:20 carries “But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall…” inside the acrostic-wisdom movement “Violent plots and their limits.” Its durable contribution is this: Wrong and rage may be named honestly before the LORD, yet judgment remains accountable to justice and never turns another person into disposable prey. The local movement is “Violent plots and their limits.” The unit's reviewed limit is: The repeated future of the righteous is wisdom-shaped hope, not a prosperity formula, land entitlement for modern nationalism, or blame for victims.
How It Can Shape Life
- Keep the movement “Alphabetic counsel when wrongdoers prosper: Violent plots and their limits” in view. Let the line “But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall…” make room for protest without dehumanizing anyone; choose safety, truthful evidence, and justice over revenge. The textual reason is this verse's role: Psalm 37:20 turns the movement by contrasting what precedes it with “But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as….”
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Psalms 37:12–20 — Alphabetic counsel when wrongdoers prosper: Violent plots and their limitsSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Psalms 37:12–20, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Psalms
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology checked at the exact unit without treating morphology as a complete apparatus or interpretation.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Ps.xml, OSIS 37:12–20
Open the fixed Hebrew Psalms file ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible Notes: Psalms 1-150
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, current official online edition
Supports: Verse-level controls for poetic syntax, imagery, older KJV language, textual issues, headings, and alternatives in Psalms 37:12–20.
Exact location: Official NET Bible Psalm 37 HTML, translator, textual, and study notes attached to Psalms 37:12–20
Open the official NET Psalms notes ↗