What is the meaning of Psalm 92:7? Though the wicked sprout like grass “Though the wicked sprout like grass…” (Psalm 92:7a) paints a vivid picture everyone can recognize. Grass shoots up quickly, giving the impression of lush strength, yet its very speed exposes its fragility. Scripture consistently uses this imagery to underscore the temporary nature of evil prosperity: • Psalm 37:1-2 reminds us that evildoers “will wither quickly like the grass.” • Isaiah 40:6-8 declares, “All flesh is grass… the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever,” reinforcing that God’s Word—not the appearance of wicked success—sets the ultimate reality. • James 1:10-11 echoes the thought, noting that the rich man “will pass away like a flower of the field.” Taking the words literally, the verse affirms that wicked people can and do spring up in every generation. Their rapid rise, like grass, signals how little substance supports their apparent strength. And all evildoers flourish The phrase “and all evildoers flourish” (Psalm 92:7b) acknowledges what we often see with our own eyes: injustice sometimes seems to win. Yet Scripture repeatedly clarifies that visible success is not the same as lasting security. • Jeremiah 12:2 observes of the unrighteous, “You are always on their lips… You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit.” The prophet is troubled by it, just as we may be. • Job 21:7-13 raises the same tension—“Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?”—yet the overall biblical narrative answers that their prosperity is a test, not a triumph. • Psalm 73:3-12 records Asaph’s near-stumble over this issue until he entered God’s sanctuary and saw “their end.” By stating plainly that evildoers “flourish,” the psalmist is not questioning God’s justice but preparing to reveal its fuller timetable. The flourishing is real, but only for the present age. They will be forever destroyed The verse concludes, “…they will be forever destroyed” (Psalm 92:7c). Here the Spirit-inspired writer shifts our gaze from the present to eternity. Literal, final judgment awaits every unrepentant sinner. • Psalm 37:20 contrasts the wicked’s fate with God’s steadfast love: “But the wicked will perish… they will vanish—like smoke.” • 2 Thessalonians 1:9 affirms everlasting consequences: “They will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction.” • Revelation 20:11-15 portrays the Great White Throne, where those outside Christ face the second death. Notice the word “forever.” The psalm is not speaking of a temporary setback or a corrective timeout; it speaks of irreversible ruin. This certainty of judgment undergirds the believer’s confidence that God’s timeline extends far beyond what we see now. summary Psalm 92:7 assures us that the seeming success of the wicked is fleeting. Like fast-growing grass, their prosperity is shallow and short-lived. Though evildoers may flourish for a season, God’s unchanging Word guarantees that unrepentant wickedness ends in everlasting destruction. The passage calls believers to steady trust in the Lord’s righteous timetable and to anchor hope in His eternal, unfailing justice. |