Psalm 37:4

Commentary on Psalm 37:4

1. The Text (King James Version)

Psalm 37:4
“Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

2. Setting Psalm 37 in Its Biblical Context

Psalm 37[i] is a wisdom psalm. It reads more like Proverbs than like a lament or hymn. David, now older (Psalm 37:25), reflects on the apparent prosperity of the wicked and the struggles of the righteous. The psalm teaches patient trust in the Lord, moral steadfastness, and long‑term confidence in God’s justice.

Key themes in Psalm 37 include:

• Do not envy the wicked (verses 1–2).
  “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.”
• Trust, delight, commit, rest (verses 3–7).
  These verbs describe a life of settled confidence in God.
• The LORD upholds the righteous (verses 23–24).
  “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.”
• The future belongs to the meek (verse 11).
  “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”

Psalm 37:4 sits within this cluster of commands that describe a posture of faith in a world where evil sometimes seems to triumph.

3. Exegetical Commentary on Psalm 37:4

“Delight thyself also in the LORD”

The Hebrew verb translated “delight” carries the sense of taking exquisite pleasure in something, finding deep enjoyment, or making something your joy. In Psalm 37, the command follows “Trust in the LORD” (verse 3) and precedes “Commit thy way unto the LORD” (verse 5). It is part of a sequence describing a whole‑of‑life orientation toward God.

To “delight in the LORD” is not merely to obey Him reluctantly or to acknowledge Him intellectually. It is to treasure Him, to find joy in His character, His promises, His presence, and His ways. It is relational, not mechanical.

In Christian theology, this aligns with the conviction that God is the believer’s highest good. The Westminster Shorter Catechism famously states that humanity’s chief end is “to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for ever.” Psalm 37:4 expresses that same truth: God Himself is the believer’s joy.

“And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart”

This is not a blank cheque for personal wishes. The context of Psalm 37 makes that clear. The psalm repeatedly contrasts the fleeting desires of the wicked with the enduring inheritance of the righteous. The promise is not that God will satisfy every natural craving, but that He will shape and fulfil the desires of a heart that delights in Him.

In biblical theology, the heart is the centre of a person’s will, affections, and commitments. When a believer delights in the Lord, their desires are transformed. God gives them desires that align with His purposes, and He brings those desires to fruition.

This is consistent with other passages:

• Psalm 145:19
  “He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.”
• John 15:7
  “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

The promise is not indulgence but alignment. God grants the desires of a heart that has been reshaped by delight in Him.

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4. Theological Insights

A. God is the believer’s ultimate joy

Delighting in the Lord is an act of worship. It recognises God as the supreme treasure. This is not emotionalism; it is a settled affection grounded in God’s character and covenant faithfulness.

B. God transforms the heart

Christian theology emphasises that God renews the will. Psalm 37:4 reflects this: as believers delight in God, He reforms their desires so that they increasingly long for what He loves.

C. God fulfils what He plants

The promise is not that God gives us whatever we want, but that He fulfils the desires He Himself has cultivated in us. This protects the verse from prosperity‑gospel distortions.

D. The promise is eschatological as well as present

Psalm 37 repeatedly points to the long view. The righteous may struggle now, but their future is secure. The desires God gives may be fulfilled in this life, but their ultimate fulfilment is in the new creation.

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5. Practical Application for Modern Christian Living

1. Cultivate delight in God

Delight grows through:

• regular Scripture reading
• prayer that is relational, not merely functional
• worship with God’s people
• remembering God’s past faithfulness
• obedience that flows from love, not duty alone

Delight is not forced emotion; it is the fruit of attention. We delight in what we dwell on.

2. Examine your desires

Ask:

• Are my desires shaped by God’s character and Word?
• Do I want what God wants?
• Are my longings aligned with righteousness, justice, and love?

A heart that delights in God will increasingly desire holiness, mercy, generosity, and Christlikeness.

3. Trust God with the timing

Psalm 37 emphasises patience. God fulfils His promises in His time. The believer’s role is to trust, delight, commit, and rest.

4. Resist envy and anxiety

The psalm begins with “Fret not.” Delight in God displaces envy of the wicked and anxiety about the future. When God is your joy, the apparent success of others loses its power to unsettle you.

5. Anchor your desires in eternity

Some desires will be fulfilled in this life; others will only be fulfilled in the new creation. The Christian hope is not limited to earthly outcomes. God’s ultimate gift is Himself.

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6. Meditation Guide

A. Read Psalm 37 slowly
“Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

Pay attention to the repeated themes: trust, delight, commit, rest, wait.

B. Reflect on Psalm 37:4

Ask:

• What does it mean for me to delight in the Lord today?
• What desires has God placed in my heart that reflect His character?
• Are there desires I need to surrender so that God can reshape them?

C. Pray

“Lord, teach me to delight in You. Shape my desires so that they reflect Your goodness. Fulfil in me the longings that You have planted.”

D. Act

Choose one concrete way today to express delight in God—through gratitude, obedience, worship, or service.

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[i] Psalm 37

King James Version

37 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

4 Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

13 The LORD shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.

15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.

18 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.

19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.

22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.

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

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

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

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

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

28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

33 The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

34 Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.

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

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

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

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

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.