Translations
F.O.G.MPrimary
F.O.G MessageI once watched a wicked man — brutal and imposing — spreading out like a wild, untameable tree growing in its native soil.
F.O.GSecondary
The F.O.GI have seen a wicked man — ruthless and towering — spreading himself like a lush, deeply-rooted native tree.
KJV
King James VersionI have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
BSB
Berean Standard BibleI have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,
Footnotes
This verse contains two of the most disputed words in the psalm. מִתְעָרֶה (mitʿāreh) is uncertain: possibly Hitpael of עָרָה (ʿārâ, 'to lay bare/strip'), or from a different root meaning 'to spread out luxuriantly' — the latter is preferred by most modern translators given the tree image. The word אֶזְרָח (ʾezrāḥ) means 'native-born citizen' or 'indigenous plant,' implying a deep-rootedness in one's native soil — the tree belongs here, has always belonged here, seems invincible. The KJV's famous 'green bay tree' follows the LXX rather than the MT. FOG reads 'deeply-rooted native tree' to stay with the MT and preserve its image of entrenched, organic permanence; FOG Message adds 'wild, untameable' to anticipate the shock of v. 36 — this apparently permanent fixture simply disappears.