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Psalm 34:21
Evil shall kill the wicked. Those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20He protects all of his bones. Not one of them is broken.
21Evil shall kill the wicked. Those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
22The LORD redeems the soul of his servants. None of those who take refuge in him shall be condemned.
Notice
Evil ends in death here, and hatred of the righteous ends in condemnation, a severe warning when wrongdoing seems to carry no cost.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
What troubles or steadies you in the claim that evil will kill the wicked?
Write on thisHow does the refuge described in verse 22 shape your reading of this warning?
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Where else Scripture says this
12 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
Psalm 94:23He has brought on them their own iniquity, and will cut them off in their own wickedness. The LORD, our God, will cut them off.Both passages link the destruction of the wicked with evil, and Psalm 94 names the LORD as the one who acts.
Isaiah 3:11Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them, for the deeds of their hands will be paid back to them.Both announce disaster for the wicked, with Isaiah describing it as repayment for what their own hands have done.
Psalm 18:39For you have armed me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.Both passages describe opposition, though Psalm 18 speaks of victory in battle and Psalm 34 declares condemnation.
Proverbs 24:16for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.Both distinguish the righteous from the wicked and describe a destructive outcome for the wicked.
Psalm 140:11An evil speaker won’t be established on the earth. Evil will hunt the violent man to overthrow him.Both portray evil as bringing down those who practice it: killing the wicked here and hunting the violent man in Psalm 140.
2 Thessalonians 1:9who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might,Both announce destructive judgment; Thessalonians specifies an eternal penalty, while the psalm names death and condemnation.
Psalm 37:12–15The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth.Both name hostility toward the righteous, with Psalm 37 describing the wicked person's plotting and rage.
1 Kings 22:8The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he does not …Hatred is explicit in both texts: Psalm 34 names hatred of the righteous, while Israel’s king names hatred of Micaiah.
Luke 19:14But his citizens hated him, and sent an envoy after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to reign over us.’Both texts name hatred; Luke describes citizens rejecting a ruler, while the psalm speaks of hatred toward the righteous.
Luke 19:27But bring those enemies of mine who didn’t want me to reign over them here, and kill them before me.’”Both speak of death for opponents, though Luke presents a ruler’s command and the psalm declares the fate of the wicked.
1 Thessalonians 2:15–16who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and don’t please God, and are contrary to all men,Both describe hostility toward those who serve God; the psalm declares condemnation, while Paul names killing and expulsion.
1 Samuel 19:4–5Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Don’t let the king sin against his servant, against David; because he has not sinned against …Both concern hostility toward someone who has done good, though Jonathan pleads against harm while the psalm announces condemnation.
Where this verse fits
Injustice and anger. fear for the future.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
These words announce judgment; they give no permission to harm an enemy. The surrounding lines acknowledge the righteous person's afflictions and name YHWH as their redeemer.
Now put it in your words.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).