“For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.”
My Notes
What Does Psalms 37:17 Mean?
A straightforward contrast: the arms of the wicked will be broken; the LORD upholds the righteous. Power and support are distributed according to moral character. The wicked lose their strength; the righteous are sustained by God's.
"Arms" represent power, ability, and capacity to harm. Breaking the arms of the wicked means dismantling their capability — not just defeating their plans but removing their ability to execute them. It's comprehensive disarmament.
"Upholdeth" (samak) means to sustain, to support, to lean on. The righteous aren't just spared from the wicked's fate; they're actively held up. The verb implies ongoing, continuous support — not a one-time rescue but a permanent posture of divine sustenance. While the wicked are breaking down, the righteous are being held up.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Where do you need to trust that God is 'breaking the arms' of what threatens you?
- 2.What does it feel like to be 'upheld' by God — and have you experienced that sustaining support?
- 3.How do you wait for God to dismantle someone's power when their arms still seem strong?
- 4.What's your role when God is both breaking the wicked and upholding the righteous simultaneously?
Devotional
Two futures. The wicked person's arms — their ability to do harm — will be broken. The righteous person will be upheld — held up, supported, sustained. One is losing strength; the other is receiving it.
The arm-breaking image is visceral. It's not that the wicked will be politely discouraged. Their capacity for harm will be structurally dismantled. The thing they used to oppress — their power, their leverage, their ability to hurt — will snap. You don't punch with a broken arm.
The righteous being upheld is the mirror image: while the wicked are losing their power, the righteous are gaining stability. "Upholds" is a continuous action word — it's not that God catches you once when you fall. He holds you up, constantly, like a hand under your arm preventing the stumble before it happens.
If you feel weak against the powerful, this verse says: wait. Their arms are breaking. Yours are being held. The power differential you see now is temporary. God is simultaneously dismantling what threatens you and sustaining what keeps you standing. Your job isn't to break the wicked person's arms yourself — it's to let God uphold you while he handles the rest.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
The Lord knoweth the days of the upright,.... Not only how long they shall live, and so fill up their days, the number…
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken - See the notes at Psa 10:15. The “arm” is the instrument by which we…
In these verses we have,
I. The foregoing precepts inculcated; for we are so apt to disquiet ourselves with needless…
For the arms&c. All the power which they have misused for evil will be rendered impotent. Cp. Psa 10:15; Job…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture