Psa 34:21-22 | NETfull | STEP | Evil people self-destruct; those who hate the godly are punished.

Psalms 34:21-22

21 Evil people self-destruct; ^{▼▼ Heb “evil kills the wicked [one].” The singular form is representative; the typical evil person is envisioned. The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the typical nature of the action.}
those who hate the godly are punished. ^{▼▼ Heb “are guilty,” but the verb is sometimes used metonymically with the meaning “to suffer the consequences of guilt,” the effect being substituted for the cause.}
The Lord rescues his servants; ^{▼▼ Heb “redeems the life of his servants.” The Hebrew participial form suggests such deliverance is characteristic.}
all who take shelter in him escape punishment. ^{▼▼ “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear, and serve the Lord (Pss 2:12; 5:11–12; 31:19).}

Psalm 35

^{▼▼ Psalm 35. The author, who faces ruthless enemies who seek his life for no reason, begs the Lord to fight his battles for him and to vindicate him by annihilating his adversaries.}

Psalms 34:21-22

Psalm 35

By David.