Psalms 37:19
in Psalms 37In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
They shall not be put to shame in the time of evil; And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
KJV
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
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This verse in Psalms 37
Commentary
13 notes on this verseThey shall not be ashamed in the evil time,.... Of affliction and persecution, or of old age, or in the day of judgment, when it will go ill with others; see 1Jn 2:28; and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied: whether it is understood figuratively of a famine of hearing the word, or literally of a proper famine of bread and water: these God will provide for them, as he did for Elijah, and they shall be sure unto them, and therefore let them not fret nor envy.
This site's exposition
Better is the little
on Psalms 37:16-20
The little of the righteous outweighs the abundance of many wicked men. Verse 17 sets broken arms against the LORD holding the righteous up, and verse 19 carries the promise into famine, where they are satisfied. The wicked fade like the glory of the fields, like smoke.
This site's exposition
In the time of evil they will not be ashamed
To be ashamed is to be disappointed, as Albert Barnes explained from Job 6:20, like a traveller who reaches a stream and finds it dry. Augustine said hope set on God is never put to shame. Shame belongs to the man whose hope deceives him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"They shall not be ashamed in the evil time" (ver. 19). In the day of trouble, in the day of distress, they shall not be "ashamed," as he is ashamed whose hope deceives him. Who is the man that is "ashamed"? He who saith, "I have not found that which I was in hopes of." Nor undeservedly either; for thou didst hope it from thyself or from man, thy friend. But "cursed is he that putteth his trust in man." Thou art ashamed, because thy hope hath deceived thee; thy hope that was set on a lie. For "every man is a liar." But if thou dost place thy hopes on thy God, thou art not made "ashamed." For He in whom thou hast put thy trust, cannot be deceived. Whence also the man whom we mentioned just above, the now "strengthened" righteous man, when fallen on an evil time, on the day of tribulation, what saith he to show that he was not "ashamed"? "We glory in tribulation; knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope; but hope maketh not ashamed." Whence is it that hope "maketh not ashamed"? Because it is placed on God. Therefore follows immediately, "Because the love of God is spread in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given unto us." The Holy Spirit hath been given to us already: how should He deceive us, of whom we possess such an "earnest" already? "They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied."...
Those choosing a blameless life enjoy providence completely; even if they encounter disasters, they will emerge superior to them; and when need becomes endemic, they will receive sufficiency from God, and in addition will enjoy everlasting goods.
A commentator
Ambrose of MilanCommentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms · Written before 397.
proposed
(Verse 18, 19.) Do not think that the Lord does not know your way. If you are righteous, He knows. Believe what the Prophet says: The Lord knows the ways of the blameless; and their inheritance will be blameless. They will not be put to shame in times of trouble. Those who know the Lord are known by the Lord.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then when he says, "They will not be confounded," he shows how the just are protected against evils. And this in two ways: for there is one kind of evil that is contrary to the good, and another kind of evil through the lack of …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
21 ), but rejoice in God as the God of their salvation even when the fig-tree does not blossom, Hab. iii. Good people have no reason to fret at the occasional success of the designs of the wicked against the just.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
5 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century5 voices
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time. Calamities will come, but deliverances will come also. As the righteous never reckoned upon immunity from trouble, they will not be disappointed when they are called to take their share of it, but the rather they will cast themselves anew upon their God, and prove again his faithfulness and love. God is not a friend in the sunshine only, he is a friend indeed and a friend in need. And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time. Calamities will come, but deliverances will come also. As the righteous never reckoned upon immunity from trouble, they will not be disappointed when they are called to take their share of it, but the rather they will cast themselves anew upon their God, and prove again his faithfulness and love. God is not a friend in the sunshine only, he is a friend indeed and a friend in need. And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time. Calamities will come, but deliverances will come also. As the righteous never reckoned upon immunity from trouble, they will not be disappointed when they are called to take their share of it, but the rather they will cast themselves anew upon their God, and prove again his faithfulness and love. God is not a friend in the sunshine only, he is a friend indeed and a friend in need. And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. Their barrel of meal and cruse of oil shall last out the day of distress, and if ravens do not bring them bread and meat, the supply of their needs shall come in some other way, for their bread shall be given them. Our Lord stayed himself upon this when he hungered in the wilderness, and by faith he repelled the tempter; we too may be enabled not to fret ourselves in any wise to do evil by the same consideration. If God's providence is our inheritance, we need not worry about the price of wheat. Mildew, and smut, and bent, are all in the Lord's hands. Unbelief cannot save a single ear from being blasted, but faith, if it do not preserve the crop, can do what is better, namely, preserve our joy in the Lord.
They shall not be ashamed - They have expressed strong confidence in the Lord; and he shall so work in their behalf that their enemies shall never be able to say, “Ye have trusted in your God, and yet your enemies have prevailed over you.” No; for even in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
They shall not be ashamed in the evil thee - In times of calamity and trouble. The word “ashamed” here refers to disappointment; as when one goes to a fountain or stream for water and finds it dried up. See Job 6:20, note; and Psa 25:2-3. The idea here is, that when thees of trouble and calamity come, in seasons of famine or want, they will find their expectations, arising from confidence in God, fully met. Their wants will be supplied, and they will find him to be their friend. And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied - Their needs shall be supplied. God will provide for them. See Psa 37:25. This is in accordance with the general promises which are made in the Scriptures, that God will provide for the needs of those who trust in Him. See the notes at Psa 37:3.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יֵ֭בֹשׁוּ | yevoshu | they will be ashamed | H954 → | 127 times |
| בְּעֵ֣ת | beet | in a time | H6256 → | 296 times |
| רָעָ֑ה | raah | evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| וּבִימֵ֖י | uvimei | and in days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| רְעָב֣וֹן | reavon | famine | H7459 → | |
| יִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃ | yisbau | they will be satisfied | H7646 → | 97 times |
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יֵ֭בֹשׁוּthey will be ashamed
yevoshuH954 →127 times
בְּעֵ֣תin a time
beetH6256 →296 times
רָעָ֑הevil
raahH7451 →662 times
וּבִימֵ֖יand in days of
uvimeiH3117 →2304 times
רְעָב֣וֹןfamine
reavonH7459 →
יִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃they will be satisfied
yisbauH7646 →97 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 10:3The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but He denies the craving of the wicked.
it leads to
- Psalms 37:3
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
- Matthew 6:30–33
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
- Psalms 37:25
I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread.
- Psalms 34:9–10
Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing.
- Zephaniah 1:18
Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He…
- Psalms 37:3
Through
Psalms 33:19to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.
it leads to
- Proverbs 10:3
The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but He denies the craving of the wicked.
- Job 5:19–22
He will rescue you from six calamities; no harm will touch you in seven.
- Proverbs 10:3
Through
Isaiah 33:16he will dwell on the heights; the mountain fortress will be his refuge; his food will be provided and his water assured.
it leads to
- Luke 12:29–31
And do not be concerned about what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it.
- Luke 12:29–31
Where this verse is studied
About Psalms
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms; Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 37; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 2; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 37:6 and Thomas Aquinas, Exposition on the Psalms of David.