Psalms 37:17 (LSB)

Passage

For the arms of the wicked will be broken, But Yahweh sustains the righteous.

Nearby Context

Psalms 37:15 Their sword will enter their own heart, And their bows will be broken.

Psalms 37:16 Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked.

Psalms 37:17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken, But Yahweh sustains the righteous.

Psalms 37:18 Yahweh knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will be forever.

Psalms 37:19 They will not be ashamed in the time of evil, And in the days of famine they will be satisfied.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "arms", "wicked", "broken", "yahweh", "sustains", and "righteous". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "arms" and "wicked", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "Better is the little of the righteous..." into verse 18's "Yahweh knows the days of the blameless...", so "arms" and "wicked" 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 "arms" and "wicked" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.