Psalms 37:13

My Notes

What Does Psalms 37:13 Mean?

"The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming." God laughs at the wicked — not with humor but with the confident mockery of someone who sees the end when the wicked can only see the present. The wicked person's schemes seem powerful from a human perspective, but from God's perspective, their expiration date is already visible.

The phrase "his day is coming" refers to the day of judgment and destruction. God's laughter is rooted in foreknowledge: he sees the appointed end while the wicked person is still celebrating their current success. The contrast between the wicked person's confidence and God's knowledge is almost absurd — hence the laughter.

This verse connects to Psalm 2:4: "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh." Divine laughter appears in contexts where human rebellion is particularly grandiose. The more impressive the wicked person's power appears, the more clearly God sees its futility.

Reflection Questions

• 1.How does knowing God 'laughs' at the wicked person's false security change your anxiety about injustice?
• 2.What does divine laughter reveal about God's perspective on human power?
• 3.When the wicked seem invincible, how do you hold onto the truth that 'their day is coming'?
• 4.Is there someone in your life whose apparent success God sees very differently than they do?

Devotional

God laughs at the wicked. Not because he's cruel, but because he can see something the wicked person can't: their day is coming. While the oppressor struts and schemes and celebrates, God watches from eternity and laughs — the knowing laugh of someone who has read the last page when everyone else is still in the middle.

This should reframe how you see powerful people who seem to operate without consequences. Their current success is real but temporary. Their power is impressive but expiring. And God, who sees the whole timeline, finds their self-importance almost... funny. Not funny-ha-ha but funny-ironic. The mighty person who thinks they're untouchable has an appointment they can't cancel.

God's laughter is also a form of comfort for the oppressed. When the wicked seem invincible, when their schemes keep succeeding, when justice seems permanently delayed — God laughs. Not at the suffering they cause (that grieves him) but at their delusion of permanence. They think this lasts. He knows it doesn't.

If you're watching someone powerful harm others with apparent impunity, this verse says: their day is coming. God isn't worried. He's not wringing his hands. He's so confident in the approaching justice that he laughs. And if God can laugh at your enemy's false security, maybe you can find some peace there too.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture