Psalms 37:13 · Bible study
Psalms 37:13 Commentary: Divine Laughter Over the Wicked
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Psalm 37:13 reveals God's laughter as an expression of His certain justice, not cruel mockery.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God laughs at the wicked because He knows their appointed day of judgment is certain, this is a reassurance of divine justice, not cruel mockery.
- Key words: laughs (יִשְׂחַק, Qal imperfect, ongoing action of derision); sees (רָאָה, Qal perfect, completed perception, certainty); his day (יוֹמוֹ, the appointed time of reckoning or death).
- Main debate: Whether 'his day' refers to the wicked's day of death or to the eschatological day of the Lord; commentators generally see both as intertwined in God’s sovereign plan.
- Theological theme: Theodicy, how God’s justice operates in a world where evil temporarily flourishes, calling the righteous to patient trust rather than vengeful anger.
- Best use: Preaching on God’s sovereignty over evil, pastoral counseling for those suffering injustice, and small-group study on the biblical response to the prosperity of the wicked.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The Lord will laugh at him, for he sees that his day is coming.
KJV King James Version 1769
The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
The Lord will laugh at him; For he seeth that his day is coming.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
The Lord doth laugh at him, For He hath seen that his day cometh.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
The Lord laugheth at him; for he seeth that his day is coming.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And they that sought my soul used violence. And they that sought evils to me spoke vain things, and studied deceits all the day long.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
El Señor se reirá de él; porque ve que viene su día.
O Senhor ri dele, porque vê que já vem o dia dele.
Le Seigneur se rit du méchant,
Aber der Herr lacht sein; denn er sieht, daß sein Tag kommt.
De Heere belacht hem, want Hij ziet, dat zijn dag komt.
Il Signore si ride di lui, perché vede che il suo giorno viene.
Ale się Pan śmieje z niego; bo widzi, że przychodzi dzień jego.
Ищущие же души моей ставят сети, и желающие мне зла говорят о погибели моей и замышляют всякий день козни;
主 要笑 他，因 見 他受罰的日子 將要來到。
He will be laughed at by the Lord, who sees that his day is coming.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 37:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that God's laughter in Psalm 37:13 is not cruel mockery but a sovereign response to the folly of the wicked. Barnes notes that God 'regards all such efforts as vain, as not worthy of serious thought or care,' emphasizing that the laughter reflects His complete freedom from fear or apprehension, not a lack of feeling. Keil and Delitzsch add that the Lord, 'who orders the destinies of men, sees beforehand, with His omniscient insight into the future, his day.' The Hebrew verb יִשְׂחַק (yis.chak) carries the sense of laughing in contempt or derision, as at Psalm 2:4, but here it is anchored in God's certain knowledge: He sees the wicked's appointed end. Gill explains that God 'has him and his plots in derision, confound his schemes, and disappoint him of his designs.' The laughter is therefore not emotional cruelty but the calm, unshakable confidence of the Judge who already sees the verdict executed. Calvin frames the wider psalm as teaching that 'the faithful, so long as they pursue their earthly pilgrimage through life, see things strangely confused in the world', yet the laughter assures them that God is not indifferent; He sees the end from the beginning.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God's laughter expresses His certain knowledge that the wicked will face judgment on the day He has appointed.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of God's laughter | All traditions agree that God's laughter is not cruel mockery but a sovereign expression of His certain justice and disdain for futile evil. | Some emphasize the anthropomorphic language as a metaphor for God's transcendence (Calvin, Barnes), while others see it as a direct expression of divine emotion (Gill). Each seeks to preserve God's character as both just and compassionate. |
| Meaning of 'his day' | Christians agree that 'his day' refers to the appointed time of judgment or destruction for the wicked, a day known to God. | Some commentators focus on temporal judgment in this life (Clarke, Wesley), while others point to eschatological judgment (Gill, Cambridge Bible). Both are seen as complementary, with the psalm emphasizing certainty rather than timing. |
| Application for the righteous | The verse is understood as a comfort and call to patient trust for the righteous who suffer under the wicked (Calvin, Matthew Henry). | Different traditions caution against passive resignation differently: some stress active waiting on God (Reformed), others highlight the call to continue doing good (Wesleyan), but all avoid encouraging vengeance. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 37 is an acrostic wisdom psalm attributed to David, likely written in his later years (v. 25: 'I have been young, and now am old'). It addresses the perennial problem of the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous, a theme that runs through Job, Proverbs, and much of the Psalter. The poem uses an alphabetic structure (each stanza begins with successive Hebrew letters) to reinforce its ordered, reflective character.
In the ancient Near East, the 'day' of a person or nation was a common expression for the appointed time of judgment or death. First Samuel 26:10 uses the same phrase: 'his day shall come to die.' Obadiah 1:12 and Jeremiah 50:27 speak of 'the day of their visitation.' The Psalm's 'his day is coming' echoes this idiom, grounding it in God's sovereign timetable.
Culturally, the Psalm addresses the temptation to envy the wicked (v. 1) and to fret over their seeming success. The laughter of God (v. 13) is the sharp counterpoint to the wicked's gnashing of teeth (v. 12). In ancient Israelite poetry, anthropomorphic language about God, including laughter, was not taken as literal emotion but as a vivid way to describe His transcendent perspective. Matthew Henry notes that this verse is part of a larger call to 'rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him.' The historical setting of David facing enemies like Saul or Absalom gives concrete urgency to the promise: the wicked plot, but God sees the end.
Poole's annotations observe that the laughter signifies that God 'will despise and deride all their hopes and endeavours against the good, as most vain and foolish.' The certainty of the wicked's downfall allows the righteous to live without fear, even in a world where evil seems to prosper.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 37:13. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, with the reading יִשְׂחַק־ל֑וֹ (he laughs at him) and יוֹמֽוֹ (his day) consistently attested. Minor differences in English translations (e.g., 'will laugh' vs 'doth laugh') reflect translation style rather than manuscript variation. The verse is well preserved.
Reception History
Psalm 37:13 has been a source of comfort for the oppressed across Christian history. The early church fathers, in their homilies on the Psalms, often cited this verse to encourage believers facing persecution, pointing to God's final judgment as the resolution of present injustice. In the Reformation, both Luther and Calvin drew on this psalm to argue against the temptation to envy the wicked, with Calvin writing that 'the Spirit of God confirms and strengthens us… against the assaults of such a temptation.' In Protestant and Catholic devotional literature, the verse has been paired with Psalm 2:4 in hymns that celebrate God's sovereignty over the nations. The phrase 'his day is coming' has also been quoted in sermons on eschatological judgment, emphasizing that evil has an expiration date known only to God.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The wicked scheme, but God sees the end. Verse 12 shows the wicked plotting and gnashing teeth; verse 13 reveals that God already views their final outcome. Their rage is powerless against His foresight.
- God's laughter is the sound of certain justice. Not mockery of suffering, but the quiet confidence of a Judge who knows the verdict is already written. Barnes: 'He sees that the wicked man cannot be ultimately successful.'
- The 'day' is coming, and that changes everything. The phrase 'his day' (1 Sam 26:10, Obad 1:12) means the appointed time of reckoning. Because that day is fixed, the righteous can wait without vengeance.
Five-point outline
- The temptation, to envy the wicked (v. 1) and to be consumed with anger at injustice.
- The confrontation, the wicked actively plot against the just (v. 12).
- The divine response, God laughs at their schemes (v. 13a), not in cruelty but in sovereign dismissal.
- The reason, He sees their day is coming (v. 13b), the appointed moment of judgment.
- The reversal, the wicked's weapons turn against them (v. 14-15), and the righteous are upheld (v. 17).
Illustration hooks
- The courtroom scene: A judge sits calmly while a defendant shouts threats. The judge does not tremble because he holds the verdict in his hand. God's laughter is that calm certainty.
- The toddler's tantrum: A small child screams at a parent, pounding fists. The parent knows the storm will pass. God's perspective on human rage is infinitely greater, He sees the bigger story.
- The chess master: A beginner makes aggressive moves, but the grandmaster sees ten moves ahead and smiles. The wicked's schemes are arrogant, but God has already foreseen the final checkmate.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God is just, why does He allow the wicked to prosper for so long?
- Does God really 'laugh' at suffering? How do I reconcile that with His love?
- How can I live without bitterness when I see injustice around me?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 37:13 confronts us with a startling image: God laughing at the wicked. This is not the laugh of a bully but the settled confidence of the Judge who already sees the outcome. As you discuss, consider how this changes your perspective on the injustice you experience or observe.
Discussion questions
- Read Psalm 37:1-11. What emotions does the psalmist acknowledge, and what commands does he give? How does verse 13 answer the problem raised in verses 1-2?
- The Hebrew verb for 'laughs' (יִשְׂחַק) often carries a note of contempt or derision (see Psalm 2:4). How is this different from cruel mockery? What does God's laughter reveal about His character?
- Barnes comments that God's laughter shows He 'regards all such efforts as vain.' How does knowing that God sees the end from the beginning change your response to personal injustice or societal evil?
- The phrase 'his day' appears in 1 Samuel 26:10 and Jeremiah 50:27. What does it mean in those contexts? Why is the certainty of that day crucial for the righteous?
- In verses 14-15, the weapons of the wicked turn against them. How does this reversal echo the theme of God's justice throughout Scripture? Share a time when you saw or trusted in such a reversal.
- How might this verse be misused to justify passivity or resignation? What is the difference between patient trust in God's timing and a failure to pursue justice?
- What would it look like for you this week to 'rest in the Lord' (v. 7) rather than fret over the success of those who oppose God's ways?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 26:10 | David said, “As Yahweh lives, Yahweh will strike him; or his day shall come to die, or he shall go down into battle and perish. |
| Job 18:20 | Those who come after will be astonished at his day, as those who went before were frightened. |
| Psalms 2:4 | He who sits in the heavens will laugh. The Lord will have them in derision. |
| Proverbs 1:26 | I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you, |
| Jeremiah 50:27 | Kill all her bulls. Let them go down to the slaughter. Woe to them! For their day has come, the time of their visitation. |
| Ezekiel 21:25 | “‘You, deadly wounded wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come, in the time of the iniquity of the end, |
| Ezekiel 21:29 | while they see for you false visions, while they divine lies to you, to lay you on the necks of the wicked who are deadly wounded, whose day has come in the time of the iniquity of the end. |
| Daniel 5:26 | “This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE: God has counted your kingdom, and brought it to an end. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
He seeth that his day is coming - The utter desolation of your oppressors is at hand. All this may be said of every wicked man.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes that when God laughs at the wicked, it is not mockery or cruelty. It means their schemes are so powerless that they deserve no serious concern, because God already sees their certain overthrow coming.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists the wicked's fleeting success is actually misery, while the faithful remain truly happy even in suffering because God cares for them and will rescue them at the right time. This paradoxical truth, which defies human reason, is the Spirit's assurance against doubting
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Doth laugh ( Psa_2:4 note) … for he hath seen. The punishment of the wicked has been foreseen and foreordained from the first. his day ] The appointed day of retribution and ruin. Cp. Psa_137:7 ; Oba_1:12 ; 1 Sa_26:10 ; Job_18:20 .
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note emphasizes that God's laughter at the wicked is not cruel mockery but arises from His certain knowledge that their downfall is near. He sees their day of judgment approaching, so their current power poses no real threat. Their apparent success is already overturned in God's sight.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that God's laughter at the wicked is not cruel mockery but a response rooted in perfect foreknowledge. God sees the inevitable day of ruin already hastening toward the wicked, and He knows their schemes will collapse on schedule.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB emphasizes that the wicked may believe God does not see their deeds, but God knows with absolute certainty. Their day of punishment, though long delayed, will surely arrive. This certainty rests on the promise that the coming One will not tarry.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch point to the Hebrew verb zamam to show that the wicked actively scheme against a target, while gnashing teeth expresses raw anger more than mockery. God laughs not from scorn but because His omniscient sight already sees the day of that schemer's death.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange insists this psalm is not a theodicy or reasoned defense of God’s justice. It is instead a practical exhortation not to let the wicked’s apparent success stir up envy or anger, but to trust God and keep doing good, knowing the wicked will soon collapse. Its proverbial, memorable style suits this purpose.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that these verses repeat the same command to rest in God and wait patiently, because we are so prone to needless disquiet and distrust. God inculcates the precept line upon line to suppress these impulses
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley understands the phrase "His day" as the specific day God has ordained for a person's punishment or destruction. It is not a vague time but the appointed moment of divine judgment.