I have seen the wicked in great power, spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil.
Parallel translations
- KJV I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
- BSB I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,
- NKJV I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree.
- NASB ¶I have seen a wicked, violent person Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil.
- NLT I have seen wicked and ruthless people flourishing like a tree in its native soil.
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
David recalls seeing a wicked man in great power, flourishing like a luxuriant tree. The ungodly can appear strong and well-rooted.
Overview
David testifies to having observed the wicked at the height of apparent prosperity, spreading like a vigorous native tree. This honest observation acknowledges that evil sometimes looks impressively successful. Yet, as the next verse shows, such flourishing is fleeting, reinforcing the psalm's plea not to envy but to trust the God who outlasts all human glory.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Job 5:3I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation.
- Job 21:7–17“Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty in power?
- Ps 73:3–11For I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
- Esth 5:11Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, the multitude of his children, all the things in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.
- Job 8:13–19So are the paths of all who forget God. The hope of the godless man shall perish,
- Isa 14:14–19I will ascend above the heights of the clouds! I will make myself like the Most High!”
- Ezek 31:6–10All the birds of the sky made their nests in its boughs; and under its branches all the animals of the field gave birth to their young; and all great nations lived under its shadow.
- Ezek 31:18To whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet you will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the lower parts of the earth: you shall lie in the middle of the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord Yahweh.
- Dan 4:20–33The tree that you saw, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached to the sky, and its sight to all the earth;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 37:35 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.