Psalms 37:12 (DBY)

Passage

The wicked plotteth against the righteous, and gnasheth his teeth against him.

Nearby Context

Psalms 37:10 For yet a little while, and the wicked is not; and thou considerest his place, but he is not.

Psalms 37:11 But the meek shall possess the land, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of prosperity.

Psalms 37:12 The wicked plotteth against the righteous, and gnasheth his teeth against him.

Psalms 37:13 The Lord laugheth at him; for he seeth that his day is coming.

Psalms 37:14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the afflicted and needy, to slay those that are upright in [the] way:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wicked", "plotteth", "against", "righteous", "gnasheth", and "teeth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wicked" and "plotteth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "But the meek shall possess the land..." into verse 13's "The Lord laugheth at him for he...", so "wicked" and "plotteth" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "wicked" and "plotteth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.