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Yahweh knows the days of the perfect. Their inheritance shall be forever.
Psalms 37:18 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
  • BSB The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will last forever.
  • NKJV The Lord knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever.
  • NASB The Lord knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will be forever.
  • NLT Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance lasts forever. God intimately watches over His people and secures their eternal portion.

Overview

David affirms that God 'knows the days' of the upright, that is, He cares for and oversees their whole life, and grants them an everlasting inheritance. Their future is not fragile but eternal. This permanent inheritance, hinted under the old covenant, is fully revealed in the gospel as the imperishable inheritance kept in heaven for those in Christ (1 Peter 1:4).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 21

  • Ps 1:6For Yahweh knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish.
  • Rom 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  • Ps 103:17But Yahweh’s loving kindness is from everlasting to everlasting with those who fear him, his righteousness to children’s children;
  • 2 Tim 2:19However God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.”
  • Ps 49:5Why should I fear in the days of evil, when iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
  • 1 Pet 1:4–5to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn’t fade away, reserved in Heaven for you,
  • Ps 31:7I will be glad and rejoice in your loving kindness, for you have seen my affliction. You have known my soul in adversities.
  • Ps 73:24You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
  • Rev 11:3–5I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
  • Deut 33:25Your bars will be iron and brass. As your days, so your strength will be.
  • Ps 21:4He asked life of you, you gave it to him, even length of days forever and ever.
  • Isa 60:21Then your people will all be righteous. They will inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.
  • 1 Jn 2:25This is the promise which he promised us, the eternal life.
  • Ps 16:11You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. In your right hand there are pleasures forever more.
  • Ps 37:13The Lord will laugh at him, for he sees that his day is coming.
  • Matt 6:32For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
  • 2 Tim 3:1–5But know this, that in the last days, grievous times will come.
  • Rom 5:21that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
  • 2 Tim 4:2–4preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all patience and teaching.
  • Matt 24:21–24for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be.
  • Ps 31:15My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 37:18YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.

How Psalms 37:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.