Psalms 37:20 (DBY)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

Psalms 37:18 Jehovah knoweth the days of the perfect; and their inheritance shall be for ever:

Psalms 37:19 they shall not be ashamed in the time of evil, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

Psalms 37:20 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.

Psalms 37:21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again; but the righteous is gracious and giveth:

Psalms 37:22 for those blessed of him shall possess the land, and they that are cursed of him shall be cut off.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wicked", "shall", "perish", "enemies", "jehovah", and "lambs". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wicked" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "they shall not be ashamed in the..." into verse 21's "The wicked borroweth and payeth not again...", so "wicked" and "shall" 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 "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.