The Meaning of Psalms 37:20 Explained

Psalms 37:20

KJV: But 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.

YLT: But the wicked perish, and the enemies of Jehovah, As the preciousness of lambs, Have been consumed, In smoke they have been consumed.

Darby: For the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of Jehovah shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume, like smoke shall they consume away.

ASV: But the wicked shall perish, And the enemies of Jehovah shall be as the fat of lambs: They shall consume; In smoke shall they consume away.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But 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. 

What does Psalms 37:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 37:18-29 - Ways That God Establishes
God takes pleasure in our lives. In each He is working out a plan. Even our failures do not turn Him away from us, for He keeps fast hold of our hands, Psalms 37:24, r.v., margin. Long after His people have passed home, God sees to their children. If they follow in their parents' ways, they are borne along in the stream of providential care; but obviously they may depart from it. What precious promises in Psalms 37:28; Psalms 37:31; Psalms 37:33; Psalms 37:37; Psalms 37:39-40! Never forsaken! Always sure of an Advocate in the Divine Presence! Not left to the mercy of our foes! Safely housed in the time of need! Dying in peace! Such are the blessings which accrue to the servant of God. Such has been the observation of one no longer young, Psalms 37:25.
When taunted, persecuted, maligned, desperate, go into a silent place and lift your tear-stained face to Him. He understands the unspoken language of sighs and tears. Do not hurry Him; He has ages to work in. Wait patiently and rest. [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 37:20 mean?

But the wicked shall perish and the enemies of Yahweh Like the splendor of the meadows shall vanish Into smoke they shall vanish away
כִּ֤י רְשָׁעִ֨ים ׀ יֹאבֵ֗דוּ וְאֹיְבֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה כִּיקַ֣ר כָּרִ֑ים כָּל֖וּ בֶעָשָׁ֣ן כָּֽלוּ

רְשָׁעִ֨ים ׀  the  wicked 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
יֹאבֵ֗דוּ  shall  perish 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
וְאֹיְבֵ֣י  and  the  enemies 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
יְ֭הוָה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
כִּיקַ֣ר  Like  the  splendor 
Parse: Preposition-k, Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: יְקִפָּאֹון 
Sense: valuable, prized, weighty, precious, rare, splendid.
כָּרִ֑ים  of  the  meadows 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּר 
Sense: howdah, palanquin, basket saddle.
כָּל֖וּ  shall  vanish 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.
בֶעָשָׁ֣ן  Into  smoke 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׁן  
Sense: smoke.
כָּֽלוּ  they  shall  vanish  away 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.