Psalms 37:12 (LSB)

Passage

The wicked schemes against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth.

Nearby Context

Psalms 37:10 Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; You will look carefully at his place, and he will not be there.

Psalms 37:11 But the lowly will inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant peace.

Psalms 37:12 The wicked schemes against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth.

Psalms 37:13 The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming.

Psalms 37:14 The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow To cast down the afflicted and the needy, To slay those who are upright in conduct.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "But the lowly will inherit the land..." into verse 13's "The Lord laughs at him For He...", so "wicked" and "schemes" 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 "schemes" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.