Psalms 37:14 (DBY)

Passage

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:

Nearby Context

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:

Psalms 37:15 their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

Psalms 37:16 The little that the righteous hath is better than the abundance of many wicked;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wicked", "drawn", "sword", "bent", "cast", "down", "afflicted", and "needy". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wicked" and "drawn", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "The Lord laugheth at him for he..." into verse 15's "their sword shall enter into their own...", so "wicked" and "drawn" 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 "drawn" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.