“For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.”
My Notes
What Does Psalms 37:10 Mean?
"For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be." The wicked will disappear — and the disappearance will be so complete that when you look where they used to be, the place itself is empty. Not just the person gone, but the PLACE where the person stood. The vacancy is total.
The phrase "yet a little while" (od me'at — still a small amount of time) insists on the brevity of the wait: the wicked may seem permanent right now, but the remaining time is small. The 'little while' is God's measurement of the interval between now and justice. What feels like forever to the sufferer is 'a little while' in God's timeline.
The "diligently consider his place" (vehitbonanta al meqomo) asks you to go look: after the wicked is gone, go to the spot where they operated, where they built their empire, where they oppressed and boasted. Look carefully. It's empty. The place that once belonged to the powerful is now a vacancy. The throne is not just unoccupied — it's dissolved.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What seemingly permanent wickedness or injustice are you watching — and does 'a little while' change your perspective?
- 2.What does 'his place shall not be' teach about the total removal of wickedness — not just the person but the system?
- 3.How does diligently examining the empty place where the wicked stood build your faith?
- 4.What does 'a little while' mean on God's timeline versus yours — and can you trust the difference?
Devotional
A little while. That's all that's left for the wicked. A little while — and then: gone. Not just moved. Not just diminished. GONE. You'll go look where they stood, and the place won't exist anymore. The vacancy will be total.
The 'yet a little while' addresses the patience problem: when you watch the wicked prosper, time feels infinite. The injustice seems permanent. The oppressor appears eternal. David says: it's a little while. The measurement is God's, not yours. What feels like forever on your calendar is 'a small amount' on His.
The 'diligently consider his place' is an invitation to future investigation: go back. Look at where the wicked person operated. Study the spot carefully — diligently, intentionally. And what will you find? Nothing. The place is empty. The empire is dissolved. The throne that seemed permanent is vacant. The person who occupied every room is in no rooms.
The double 'shall not be' — the wicked shall not be AND his place shall not be — eliminates every trace: not just the person but the position. Not just the ruler but the rule. Not just the oppressor but the system of oppression. The removal is so complete that future investigation finds nothing to investigate.
What seemingly permanent wickedness are you watching right now — and does 'a little while' change your perspective?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
But the meek shall inherit the earth,.... See Gill on Psa 37:9; of this character See Gill on Psa 22:26. Our Lord seems…
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be - The thee will soon come when they shall pass away. The language…
In these verses we have,
I. The foregoing precepts inculcated; for we are so apt to disquiet ourselves with needless…
Cross References
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