Psalms 37:38 - Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Bible Comments

But the transgressors - Sinners; violators of the law of God.

Shall be destroyed together - The word “together” here - יחדּו yachedâh - means properly “a union of them;” then, together - either:

(a) in one place, Genesis 13:6 - or

(b) at one time, Psalms 4:8; or

(c) all as one, Psalms 14:3 - or

(d) mutually with one another, as when men strive together, Deuteronomy 25:11.

The idea here is, that one would be destroyed as well as another; that there would be no exception; that they would go to the same ruin. They might be destroyed at different times, or in different modes, but it would be the same destruction in the end.

The end of the wicked - The future of the wicked. The same word is used here which occurs in Psalms 37:37, as applied to the righteous. The meaning is, that while the “future” of the one would be peace, the future of the other would be a “cutting off,” or destruction.

Shall be cut off - That is, they shall be cut off; or, there will be a cutting off. This means here, evidently:

(a) that as an ordinary fact they would be cut down before they had reached the full limit of their course, Psalms 37:35-36;

(b) in the future world they would be cut off from hope and happiness forever.

Psalms 37:38

38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.