Psalms 37:26 · Bible study
Psalms 37:26 Commentary: The Generous Righteous and Their Blessed Offspring
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
An in-depth study of Psalm 37:26, examining the promise that the generous righteous person's offspring are blessed, and how to reconcile this with suffering and the
Research Summary
- Meaning: The righteous person's constant generosity leads to God's blessing on their children as a general covenant principle.
- Key words: 'All day' (kol hayom, continuous), 'deals graciously' (chonen, showing favor), 'lends' (malveh), 'offspring' (zera, seed), 'blessing' (berakhah, often 'a source of blessing').
- Main debate: Is this a universal guarantee or a proverbial principle that holds in the long term, with exceptions?
- Theological theme: Covenant faithfulness extends across generations, and generosity reflects trust in God's provision.
- Best use: For comfort and challenge when comparing the apparent prosperity of the wicked with the lot of the righteous, and for encouraging generous living.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
They are ever generous and quick to lend, and their children are a blessing.
WEB World English Bible 2000
All day long he deals graciously, and lends. His offspring is blessed.
KJV King James Version 1769
He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
All the day long he dealeth graciously, and lendeth; And his seed is blessed.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
All the day he is gracious and lending, And his seed is for a blessing.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
all the day he is gracious and lendeth, and his seed shall be a blessing.
Translations in other languages (9 available)
En todo tiempo tiene misericordia, y presta; y su simiente es para bendición.
O dia todo ele se compadece, e empresta; e sua semente é abençoada.
Toujours il est compatissant, et il prête;
Er ist allezeit barmherzig und leihet gerne, und sein Same wird gesegnet sein.
Den gansen dag ontfermt hij zich, en leent; en zijn zaad is tot zegening.
Egli tutti i giorni è pietoso e presta, e la sua progenie è in benedizione.
Na każdy dzień pokazuje miłosierdzie i pożycza, a przecież nasienie jego jest w błogosławieństwie.
他終 日 恩待人，借給人；他的後裔 也蒙福！
All the day he is ready to have mercy and to give; his children are a blessing.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 37:26
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The Hebrew phrase kol hayom ('all the day long') establishes this as a settled characteristic, not an occasional act. Barnes notes that 'it is this that marks the character of the man.' The participle chonen (showing favor) and the verb malveh (lending) are both in participial form, indicating ongoing, habitual action. Clarke describes the righteous as 'confirmed in the habit of godliness.' Commentators across traditions agree that the result stated in the second line, 'his offspring is blessed', is directly tied to this lifestyle. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown point out the Hebrew li/verakhah means 'for a blessing,' echoing God's promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:2). At the same time, Keil and Delitzsch caution that such promises must be read 'with exception of the cross'; temporary hardship does not cancel the ultimate blessing. The consensus, then, is that the verse states a general principle of God's covenant care, not an ironclad guarantee of material prosperity for every generation.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- General principle view: The verse describes a typical pattern in God's economy, not an absolute promise; the psalm itself acknowledges temporary setbacks (v.24), and Keil & Delitzsch explicitly cite the 'exception of the cross'.
- Covenantal guarantee view: Under the old covenant, this was a literal promise tied to land and lineage, grounded in Deuteronomy 15 and the Abrahamic blessing; it pointed forward to the ultimate blessing in Christ.
What is clear: The righteous person is habitually generous and merciful toward those in need, and this character is directly connected to God's blessing on their children.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'lends' | The righteous person lends freely without expecting return or interest, as an act of mercy and trust in God. | Some traditions (e.g., Reformed) emphasize lending as a literal financial transaction; others (e.g., Wesleyan) extend it to any form of generous giving. Both see it as a mark of righteousness. |
| Nature of the blessing on offspring | The offspring of the righteous are blessed by God as a result of the parents' covenant faithfulness. | Some interpret 'blessed' as primarily material (land, wealth) in the Old Testament context; others include spiritual blessings (character, faith, salvation). The cross introduces a reorientation: blessing may come through suffering. |
| Conditionality of the promise | The promise is attached to a life of habitual generosity and mercy. | Some read it as an absolute guarantee for every righteous household (e.g., under the old covenant). Others, noting the psalm's own acknowledgment of temporary setbacks (v.24), see it as a general principle that holds in the end but not always in the short term. |
| Applicability across testaments | The verse teaches that God cares for the families of the faithful across both testaments. | Christians in the New Testament context argue that the promise is now filtered through the cross: temporal hardship is not a sign of God's disfavor. The ultimate blessing is in Christ, not merely in earthly descendants. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 37 is an alphabetic acrostic, each stanza beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This structure made it easy to memorize, a practical tool for internalizing its wisdom. The psalm directly addresses the temptation to envy the wicked when they prosper (v.1). Calvin describes this as a deep crisis: believers see the world 'strangely confused' and wonder if God cares. The psalm responds not with abstract arguments but with concrete portraits of the righteous and the wicked.
Verses 25-26 form a stanza that appeals to David's long experience: 'I have been young, and now am old.' The language of lending and borrowing is drawn from the covenant law (Deuteronomy 15:8-10), where the community was commanded to lend generously to the poor. In an agrarian economy, a loan could mean the difference between survival and destitution. To lend was an act of trust in God's provision. The righteous person's willingness to lend demonstrates that he has enough and gives freely.
The promise that 'his seed is blessed' rests on the covenant principle that God's blessing flows through families. Proverbs 20:7 echoes this: 'A righteous man walks in integrity. Blessed are his children after him.' Yet the psalm is not naive. David himself experienced hunger and exile. Keil and Delitzsch note that the psalm does not deny 'temporary forsakenness and destitution', it contrasts what abides with what is transitory. This orientation sets the stage for the New Testament's deeper revelation of blessing through suffering.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 37:26. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscript traditions. Translations differ in rendering the phrase li/verakhah (לִ/בְרָכָֽה), some give 'is blessed' (WEB, KJV) while others read 'for a blessing' (YLT, Darby), but this is an interpretive choice about the preposition's force, not a textual discrepancy.
Reception History
This verse has been a source of comfort for generations of parents. Early Christian writers saw it as confirming that God's covenant care extends to the households of the faithful. In the medieval period, it was used in moral exhortations about generosity and almsgiving. Reformation commentators like Calvin emphasized that such promises are part of God's general providence but must be understood in light of the cross, the righteous may face temporary hardship. Modern scholarship (represented here by Keil and Delitzsch) has noted the tension between the promise and observable reality, interpreting it as a proverbial principle rather than a universal guarantee. It remains a favorite verse for those seeking to leave a spiritual legacy for their children, often quoted in parenting resources and sermons on generational faithfulness.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- A constant character, 'All day long' shows generosity is not occasional but woven into life. The Hebrew participle chonen reinforces this as a habit.
- A concrete expression, 'Lends' means practical help, not just sentiment. This reflects trust that God will provide enough to share.
- A covenantal legacy, The blessing on offspring is a gift of God's faithfulness, not a human achievement. It points to the enduring effect of a godly life.
Five-point outline
- The righteous are defined by mercy and compassion (v.26a).
- Their mercy is expressed in practical lending (v.26a).
- Such generosity flows from confidence in God, not from surplus alone (Deuteronomy 15:10).
- The blessing extends to children as a general principle of God's covenant care, not as a formula that always holds in the short term.
- The ultimate fulfillment is in Christ, who gave everything and became a blessing to all nations (Galatians 3:14).
Illustration hooks
- A gardener who plants seeds every year, trusting the harvest even when a late frost kills some crops. The habit of planting yields fruit over time.
- A family known for opening their home to others, their children often grow up with the same generous spirit, carrying that blessing forward.
- The contrast between two neighbors: one who borrows but never repays (v.21) and another who lends a tool without expecting anything back. The lender's reputation becomes a blessing to his children.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If I am generous but my children struggle financially, does that mean I lack righteousness?
- How can I trust this promise when I see good parents with wayward children?
- Does 'blessed' only mean material prosperity, or does it include character, spiritual strength, and covenant relationship?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 37:26 presents a striking picture: the righteous person is so generous that his children are blessed. But life does not always feel that way. This verse comes in the middle of a psalm written to prevent us from envying the wicked. It is not a simple formula but a principle rooted in God's covenant faithfulness. In this study, we will explore what the verse actually says and what it does not promise, and how we can hold onto God's care even when circumstances seem to contradict it.
Discussion questions
- Read the verse aloud. What stands out about how the righteous person acts 'all day long'? Why is the emphasis on constancy important?
- How does this verse connect to verse 21, where the wicked borrow and do not pay back? What contrast is the psalmist drawing?
- The Hebrew phrase for 'his offspring is blessed' can also be read 'his offspring is for a blessing' (like Genesis 12:2). How does that nuance change your understanding of the promise?
- What Old Testament promises about land and descendants might David have had in mind (see Deuteronomy 15:8-10, Psalm 37:22)?
- How does the New Testament's emphasis on suffering and the cross (Philippians 3:10, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10) affect the way we interpret this verse today?
- Think of a person you know who is 'ever merciful and lends.' In what ways have you seen their generosity bless their family or community?
- This verse can feel discouraging to a parent whose child is not living in obvious blessing. How can we speak truth and hope to such a person without offering false promises?
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)
| Deuteronomy 15:8 | but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, which he lacks. |
| Deuteronomy 15:10 | You shall surely give, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because it is for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand to. |
| Psalms 37:21 | The wicked borrow, and don’t pay back, but the righteous give generously. |
| Psalms 112:5 | It is well with the man who deals graciously and lends. He will maintain his cause in judgment. |
| Psalms 112:9 | He has dispersed, he has given to the poor. His righteousness endures forever. His horn will be exalted with honor. |
| Psalms 147:13 | For he has strengthened the bars of your gates. He has blessed your children within you. |
| Proverbs 20:7 | A righteous man walks in integrity. Blessed are his children after him. |
| Jeremiah 32:39 | I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their good and the good of their children after them. |
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
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes that the righteous man's mercy is not occasional but constant, his habitual character. He contrasts this with the wicked man, who borrows and fails to repay. The blessing of the righteous man's generosity passes to his children as a lasting inheritance.
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
The commentator emphasizes that God never permanently abandons the righteous or leaves their children homeless beggars, though temporary hardship is not excluded. The righteous not only have abundance but also know how to use it generously.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note stresses that the righteous person is not merely generous but perpetually merciful and willing to lend. This consistent character brings God's blessing not only upon him but also upon his descendants, so his children enjoy the fruit of his faithful generosity.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that the "seed" being blessed can mean two things: either the merciful man's charitable deeds themselves, which God blesses, or his children, who are blessed because of his generosity. He draws this double meaning from the Jewish commentator Jarchi and from Paul's teaching on sowing and reaping.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB reads the phrase "his seed is blessed" as a settled principle of God's economy, not just a past promise. They connect it directly to the New Testament teaching that godliness carries benefit for both this life and the life to come.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch note that the Psalm confronts the doubt caused by God's seemingly unjust circumstances by contrasting what is permanent with what is temporary, yet it does not resolve the tension through any final judgment in a future world. The solution only becomes clear in the light of the New Testament, which the outlook of Ecclesiastes already begins to anticipate.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry stresses that failing to repay what one has borrowed is not merely shameful but a sinful, wicked act. He grounds this in the broader biblical call to do justice and give each person what is owed, making repayment a matter of conscience before God.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Blessed - Not only with spiritual, but with temporal blessings.