Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
Parallel translations
- WEB Trust in Yahweh, and do good. Dwell in the land, and enjoy safe pasture.
- KJV Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
- NKJV Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
- NASB Trust in the Lord and do good; Live in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
- NLT Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
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
Instead of fretting, David commands trust in the Lord and doing good, with the promise of secure dwelling and provision. Faith expresses itself in faithful action.
Overview
David replaces anxiety with active trust: rely on God and do good, and you will 'dwell in the land' enjoying His care. Genuine faith is not passive but works itself out in obedience. This pairing of trust and good works reflects the consistent biblical pattern fulfilled in the gospel, where faith in Christ bears the fruit of good works (Ephesians 2:8-10).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Jer 17:7–8But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.
- Matt 6:31–33Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
- Ps 62:8Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah
- 1 Cor 15:57–58But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
- Ps 34:9–10Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing.
- Luke 22:35Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out without purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered.
- Ps 4:5Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the LORD.
- Heb 6:10–12For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.
- Deut 30:20and that you may love the LORD your God, obey Him, and hold fast to Him. For He is your life, and He will prolong your life in the land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
- Isa 1:16–19Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!
- Ps 26:1Of David. Vindicate me, O LORD! For I have walked with integrity; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
- Ps 33:19to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.
- Isa 50:10Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of His Servant? Who among you walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD; let him lean on his God.
- Gen 26:2The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Settle in the land where I tell you.
- Heb 11:13–16All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
- 1 Sam 26:19Now please, may my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed in the presence of the LORD! For today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
- Isa 40:11He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes.
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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 37:3 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
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