or let them be condemned under judgment
This part of the verse highlights God's role as the ultimate judge who ensures justice for the righteous. In the cultural and historical context of ancient Israel, legal systems were often biased against the poor and the righteous, who could be unjustly accused or condemned. The psalmist reassures believers that God will not allow unjust condemnation to prevail. This is consistent with the biblical narrative where God vindicates His people, as seen in the story of Esther, where the Jews are delivered from Haman's plot (Esther 9). Theologically, this points to the ultimate judgment where believers are justified through faith in Christ, who bore the condemnation on their behalf (Romans 8:1).

Psalm 37 opens by contrasting the righteous with evildoers, and here the spotlight lands on the covenant God Himself.

• He is personal and present—“The LORD is holding his hand” (Psalm 37:24).

• He is steadfast—“The LORD loves justice and will not forsake His faithful ones” (Psalm 37:28).

• He is Redeemer—“The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned” (Psalm 34:22).

Because the verse begins with “the LORD,” every promise that follows rests on His unchanging character.

The righteous may stumble, but abandonment is never on God’s agenda.

• Deuteronomy 31:6 assures, “He will never leave you nor forsake you”, a pledge echoed in Hebrews 13:5.

• Jesus echoes the certainty: “No one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28).

• Paul testifies from prison, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed” (2 Timothy 4:18).

Each verse reinforces that God’s grip outlasts every threat and season.

“Power” points to the grasp of the wicked—courts, conspiracies, cultural pressures. Yet God sets boundaries.

• David celebrates, “You have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy” (Psalm 31:8).

• Daniel walks free because “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths” (Daniel 6:22).

• Jesus reminds Pilate, “You would have no power over Me if it were not given to you from above” (John 19:11).

Opposition may feel overwhelming, but authority ultimately answers to the Lord.

Condemnation refers to a judicial verdict of guilt. God pledges that His own will never hear that sentence.

• “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

• “Whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment” (John 5:24).

• Psalm 37:6 says He “will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn”—public vindication, not censure.

The Judge who could condemn has already provided the acquittal through the cross.

The phrase seals the promise: even at the final bar of God’s justice, the righteous stand secure.

• John 3:18 clarifies, “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned”.

• Believers will face evaluation, not wrath—“We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10), a rewards tribunal, not a criminal trial.

• By contrast, the “second death” of Revelation 20:11-15 is reserved for those outside Christ.

For God’s people, judgment has shifted from a threat to a moment of confirmation and reward.

Psalm 37:33 promises that the covenant-keeping LORD personally safeguards His people: He never abandons them, never hands them over to hostile power, never allows a guilty verdict, and never subjects them to the condemning judgment reserved for the wicked. Trusting Him means living under divine protection today and eternal vindication tomorrow.