The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in him.
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh helps them, and rescues them. He rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, Because they have taken refuge in him.
- KJV And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
- BSB The LORD helps and delivers them; He rescues and saves them from the wicked, because they take refuge in Him.
- NKJV And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.
- NASB The Lord helps them and rescues them; He rescues them from the wicked and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him.
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 helps, rescues, and saves the righteous from the wicked because they take refuge in Him. Salvation rests on trustful dependence on God.
Overview
The psalm closes with a fourfold note of deliverance, the Lord helps, rescues, rescues again, and saves, all because His people 'have taken refuge in him.' Their security flows from faith that runs to God for shelter. This is the very posture of saving faith in the gospel, fleeing to Christ as our refuge, in whom God's saving help is fully and finally given.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Isa 31:5As birds hovering, so Yahweh of Armies will protect Jerusalem. He will protect and deliver it. He will pass over and preserve it.”
- 1 Chr 5:20They were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them; for they cried to God in the battle, and he was answered them, because they put their trust in him.
- Dan 3:17If it happens, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
- Dan 6:23Then was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
- Isa 46:4Even to old age I am he, and even to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear. Yes, I will carry, and will deliver.
- Dan 3:28Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel, and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
- Ps 22:4–5Our fathers trusted in you. They trusted, and you delivered them.
- 1 Jn 5:18We know that whoever is born of God doesn’t sin, but he who was born of God keeps himself, and the evil one doesn’t touch him.
- 1 Jn 2:13–14I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, little children, because you know the Father.
- Ps 17:13Arise, Yahweh, confront him. Cast him down. Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword;
- Ps 27:2When evildoers came at me to eat up my flesh, even my adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell.
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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 37:40 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.