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Psalm 37 · a question people ask

"He will give you the desires of your heart" (37:4). Does God give whatever you want?

In the text

The verse doesn't say whatever. It joins the promise to what comes before it: "Also delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (37:4). Delight yourself is anag (tap delight), and the psalm has it once more, of the humble, who "shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace" (37:11). Desires is mishalah, which Brown-Driver-Briggs gives as "request, petition" (tap desires); the Hebrew Bible has it only here and in "May the LORD grant all your requests" (Psalm 20:5). The next verses go on: "Commit your way to the LORD. Trust also in him, and he will do this: he will make your righteousness shine out like light, and your justice as the noon day sun" (37:5-6). The psalm doesn't list what the desires are or say when they are given, and these notes don't add to its words.

The verses

“Also delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD. Trust also in him, and he will do this: he will make your righteousness shine out like light, and your justice as the noon day sun.”
Psalm 37:4-6 · World English Bible
“But the humble shall inherit the land, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”
Psalm 37:11 · World English Bible
“We will triumph in your salvation. In the name of our God, we will set up our banners. May the LORD grant all your requests.”
Psalm 20:5 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Psalm 37

Psalm 37: Don't fret

"Don’t fret" comes three times in Psalm 37, and the third time says where fretting leads: "it leads only to evildoing" (37:8). In Hebrew evildoing is the verb of the first warning, "Don’t fret because of evildoers" (37:1).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions