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Surely those He blesses will inherit the land, but the cursed will be destroyed.
Psalms 37:22 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB For such as are blessed by him shall inherit the land. Those who are cursed by him shall be cut off.
  • KJV For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
  • NKJV For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off.
  • NASB For those blessed by Him will inherit the land, But those cursed by Him will be eliminated.
  • NLT Those the Lord blesses will possess the land, but those he curses will die.

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

Those blessed by God inherit the land, while those cursed by Him are cut off. Final destinies hinge on God's blessing or judgment.

Overview

David roots the two destinies in God's own verdict: His blessing brings inheritance, His curse brings removal. Behind human outcomes stands divine sovereignty. The categories of blessing and curse run through Scripture and culminate at the cross, where Christ bore the curse for us so that the blessing might come to all who trust Him (Galatians 3:13-14).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 15

  • Prov 3:33The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous.
  • 1 Cor 16:22If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be under a curse. Come, O Lord!
  • Gal 3:13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
  • Ps 37:9For the evildoers will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
  • Ps 128:1A song of ascents. Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways!
  • Ps 37:18The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will last forever.
  • Ps 119:21You rebuke the arrogant—the cursed who stray from Your commandments.
  • Matt 25:41Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
  • Zech 5:3–4Then he told me, “This is the curse that is going out over the face of all the land, for according to one side of the scroll, every thief will be removed; and according to the other side, every perjurer will be removed.
  • Ps 37:11But the meek will inherit the land and delight in abundant prosperity.
  • Ps 37:28For the LORD loves justice and will not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.
  • Job 5:3I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.
  • Ps 32:1Of David. A Maskil. Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
  • Gal 3:10All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
  • Ps 115:15May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

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 37:22YouTube · 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 37:22 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.