Psalm 37:9

ESV For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
NIV For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
NASB For evildoers will be eliminated, But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.
CSB For evildoers will be destroyed, but those who put their hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
NLT For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.
KJV For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
NKJV For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth.

What does Psalm 37:9 mean?

According to this verse evildoers will not continue to live in the Promised Land. They will be excommunicated from Israel and from the covenant promises God gave to His people. As a general statement, this is part of the Bible's warning about generational sin and how a righteous culture tends to lead to more prosperity and stability (Psalm 25:13; Proverbs 2:21; Isaiah 57:13). Early in the psalm, David made a related comment about the eventual fate of those who reject God (Psalm 37:1–2).

There is also a prophetic element to these statements. The Bible teaches that someday Jesus will return to earth and establish His kingdom. The redeemed of the Lord among the tribes of Israel will return to their homeland and settle there (Isaiah 43:4–7; 44:1–5, 21–28; Zechariah 13:6—14:21). But being a member of Israel is an insufficient credential for membership in the Lord's future kingdom. Jesus told Nicodemus, a highly religious ruler of the Jews, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

According to this verse, those who trust in the Lord and wait on Him will be part of this blessed future (Isaiah 12:2; Ephesians 1:13). They will inherit Messiah's kingdom. When Jesus places His sheep on His right, He will say to them, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34).
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