Psalms 37:25 (KJV)

Passage

I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

Nearby Context

Psalms 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

Psalms 37:24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

Psalms 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

Psalms 37:26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.

Psalms 37:27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "been", "young", "seen", "righteous", "forsaken", "seed", "begging", and "bread". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "been" and "young", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 24's "Though he fall he shall not be..." into verse 26's "He is ever merciful and lendeth and...", so "been" and "young" 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 "been" and "young" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.