Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

PSALMS 34:21KJV
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Psalms 34:21 (KJV)

What does Psalms 34:21 mean?

Psalms 34:21 says that evil will ultimately destroy those who are wicked, and people who hate those who do right will end up ruined themselves. The verse points out a kind of built-in justice: the harm that the wicked intend comes back on them.

This psalm is attributed to David, written when he was escaping danger and reflecting on how God protects those who do right. The verse highlights a contrast between the fate of the wicked and the righteous, emphasizing that hatred and wrongdoing lead to emptiness or ruin, not lasting success.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 34:21

  • "Evil" (רַע, ra‘, H7451) here refers to harm, trouble, or moral badness; the verse suggests that the very evil the wicked do is what brings about their downfall.
  • "Slay" (מוּת, mût, H4191) means to kill or destroy; the text is saying that evil is the agent that brings death or ruin to the wicked, not just some outside force.
  • "Desolate" (אָשֵׁם, ’āshēm, H816) can mean to be guilty, ruined, or left empty; it implies that those who hate the righteous will end up devastated or without hope.

Why Psalms 34:21 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the consequences of evil are not just external punishments but often come from the very nature of evil itself turning back on the doer.
  • It highlights a recurring theme in the Psalms: the ultimate difference in outcomes for those who do right versus those who do wrong.
  • In the context of the whole psalm, it reassures readers that even when the wicked seem to prosper for a time, their path leads to emptiness, while the righteous are ultimately protected.

Where else these words appear

“desolate” Hebrew H816 · used in 32 verses

  • Leviticus 4:13 And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty;
  • Numbers 5:6 Speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the LORD, and that person be guilty;
  • Ezekiel 6:6 In all your dwellingplaces the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.

“hate” Hebrew H8130 · used in 139 verses

  • Genesis 24:60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.
  • Esther 9:1 Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them,(though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;)
  • Proverbs 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: