The Meaning of Psalms 34:21 Explained

Psalms 34:21

KJV: Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

YLT: Evil doth put to death the wicked, And those hating the righteous are desolate.

Darby: Evil shall destroy the wicked; and they that hate the righteous shall bear their guilt.

ASV: Evil shall slay the wicked; And they that hate the righteous shall be condemned.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Evil  shall slay  the wicked:  and they that hate  the righteous  shall be desolate. 

What does Psalms 34:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 34:11-22 - The Salvation Of The Contrite
Psalms 34:11-14 : The gist of this exhortation is quoted by Peter in his first Epistle. See 1 Peter 3:10. We need not fret to defend ourselves or to answer false accusations. Let us refrain our lips, hold our peace, as Jesus did, and go on doing what is right and good. God will see to it that our needs are supplied, that our enemies are silenced, and that our soul is redeemed.
Psalms 34:15 : Do you feel unable to claim the designation of righteous? Remember that Paul was glad to reject his own, that he might be clad in Another's righteousness. That still avails for us. See Philippians 3:9.
Psalms 34:17 : We are not kept from trouble, but delivered out of it.
Psalms 34:20 : You do not recognize Him, but the Great Gardener passes by the plants that have braved the wind and storm to bend over you who are beaten to the earth. See the literal fulfillment of this in John 19:36. How much we owe to God's continuous care!
Psalms 34:22 : Observe the present tenses in which the psalmist records God's redeeming love. It never grows old. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 34

1  David praises God, and exhorts others thereto by his experience
8  They are blessed who trust in God
11  He exhorts to the fear of God
15  The privileges of the righteous

What do the individual words in Psalms 34:21 mean?

Shall slay the wicked Evil and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned
תְּמוֹתֵ֣ת רָשָׁ֣ע רָעָ֑ה וְשֹׂנְאֵ֖י צַדִּ֣יק יֶאְשָֽׁמוּ

תְּמוֹתֵ֣ת  Shall  slay 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
רָשָׁ֣ע  the  wicked 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
רָעָ֑ה  Evil 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
וְשֹׂנְאֵ֖י  and  those  who  hate 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: שָׂנֵא  
Sense: to hate, be hateful.
צַדִּ֣יק  the  righteous 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
יֶאְשָֽׁמוּ  shall  be  condemned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָשַׁם  
Sense: to offend, be guilty, trespass.