Psalms 37:38 (KJV)

Passage

But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.

Nearby Context

Psalms 37:36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

Psalms 37:37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

Psalms 37:38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.

Psalms 37:39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

Psalms 37:40 And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 37's "Mark the perfect man and behold the..." into verse 39's "But the salvation of the righteous is...", so "transgressors" 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 "transgressors" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.