The Meaning of Psalms 37:5 Explained

Psalms 37:5

KJV: Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

YLT: Roll on Jehovah thy way, And trust upon Him, and He worketh,

Darby: Commit thy way unto Jehovah, and rely upon him: he will bring it to pass;

ASV: Commit thy way unto Jehovah; Trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Commit  thy way  unto the LORD;  trust  also in him; and he shall bring [it] to pass. 

What does Psalms 37:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 37:1-17 - A Sure Cure For Fretting
This is an acrostic psalm, grappling with the problem of the inequality of human life and the apparent failure of God to reward His servants and punish His enemies as they deserve. Life and immortality, where we know that the balance will be readjusted, had not then been brought to light, and therefore the solution was far harder before the advent of our Lord than for us.
But though the psalmist's solution is therefore not complete, his teaching of the blessedness of absolute trust in God's providence is very delightful. Fret not thyself; that is, do not give way to passionate resentment or bitter disappointment. Live in God; find your delight in contemplating His nature and His works; roll on Him the decision of your life-choices; trust in Him to supply all your need and work in your behalf. Be silent and rest!
How dramatically this picture of the happy, restful child of God is contrasted with the wicked and his certain doom-like barren pastures scorched by heat, or thin smoke-columns vanishing in the air! "Wait and trust! [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 37

1  David persuades to patience and confidence in God,
12  by the different estate of the godly and the wicked

What do the individual words in Psalms 37:5 mean?

Commit to Yahweh your way and Trust in Him and He shall bring [it] to pass
גּ֣וֹל עַל־ יְהוָ֣ה דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ וּבְטַ֥ח עָ֝לָ֗יו וְה֣וּא יַעֲשֶֽׂה

גּ֣וֹל  Commit 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: גָּלַל 
Sense: to roll, roll away, roll down, roll together.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ  your  way 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
וּבְטַ֥ח  and  Trust 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: בָּטוּחַ 
Sense: to trust.
עָ֝לָ֗יו  in  Him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וְה֣וּא  and  He 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יַעֲשֶֽׂה  shall  bring  [it]  to  pass 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.