Psalms 37:21 (KJV)

What does Psalms 37:21 mean?

Psalms 37:21 contrasts two ways of treating other people’s money and needs. The wicked person takes a loan and fails to repay it, while the righteous person responds to others with mercy and generosity. The contrast turns on what each person does in relation to others.

The picture begins with an unpaid debt, then moves beyond repayment to the act of giving. In the surrounding passage, where the success of the wicked is a concern, verse 21 draws attention to conduct rather than outward success.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 37:21

• “again” — שָׁלַם (shalam): This word can carry the sense of making something complete or settling an obligation. In the phrase “payeth not again,” the emphasis is on leaving the debt unsettled.
• “mercy” — חָנַן (chanan): This word often carries the sense of showing favor or being gracious. Here, “sheweth mercy” describes a generous response to another person, alongside the act of giving.

Why Psalms 37:21 matters

• The verse looks at more than whether someone has possessions. Its contrast is between an unpaid loan and a person who “sheweth mercy, and giveth.”
• The surrounding passage gives the contrast a wider setting. Verse 16 says that a little belonging to a righteous person is better than the riches of many wicked people, so wealth alone is not the measure of a person’s conduct.