The Meaning of Psalms 37:9 Explained

Psalms 37:9

KJV: For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

YLT: For evil doers are cut off, As to those waiting on Jehovah, they possess the land.

Darby: For evil-doers shall be cut off; but those that wait on Jehovah, they shall possess the land.

ASV: For evil-doers shall be cut off; But those that wait for Jehovah, they shall inherit the land.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For evildoers  shall be cut off:  but those that wait  upon the LORD,  they shall inherit  the earth. 

What does Psalms 37:9 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 37:9 mean?

For evildoers shall be cut off but those who wait on Yahweh they shall inherit the earth
כִּֽי־ מְ֭רֵעִים יִכָּרֵת֑וּן וְקֹוֵ֥י יְ֝הוָ֗ה הֵ֣מָּה יִֽירְשׁוּ־ אָֽרֶץ

מְ֭רֵעִים  evildoers 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine plural
Root: מֵרֵעַ 
Sense: to be bad, be evil.
יִכָּרֵת֑וּן  shall  be  cut  off 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
וְקֹוֵ֥י  but  those  who  wait  on 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: קָוָה 
Sense: to wait, look for, hope, expect.
יְ֝הוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
יִֽירְשׁוּ־  shall  inherit 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
אָֽרֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.