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Psalms 37

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Do Not Fret, But Trust the Lord 1–6

1
A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. ​
2
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. ​
3
Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. ​
4
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. ​
5
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. ​
6
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. ​

Rest in the Lord and Wait Patiently 7–11

7
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. ​
8
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. ​
10
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. ​

The Short-Lived Triumph of the Wicked 12–20

12
The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13
The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming. ​
14
The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
15
Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16
A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. ​
17
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
18
The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. ​
19
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20
But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. ​

The Security and Provision of the Righteous 21–33

21
The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. ​
22
For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
23
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. ​
24
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
25
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. ​
26
He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
27
Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
28
For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. ​
29
The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
30
The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. ​
31
The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. ​
32
The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
33
The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

Wait on the Lord and Observe His Justice 34–40

34
Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. ​
35
I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
36
Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
37
Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. ​
38
But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
39
But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. ​
40
And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Psalms 37

Verse 1

Fret not thyself — Charah, to glow or grow hot, used of anger and jealousy; it returns in vv.7–8. 'Envious' is qana, to be zealous in a bad sense. Prov 24:19 has the same warning, 'Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked'; Ps 73:3 confesses the envy.

Verse 2

soon be cut down like the grass — Mehera is 'quickly'; 'cut down' is namal, to clip, the mowing of grass. The same image of the short-lived is in Ps 90:5–6 ('in the evening it is cut down, and withereth') and James 1:10–11.

Verse 3

Trust in the LORD, and do good — Batach, to trust, to take refuge. 'Verily' is emunah, firmness or faithfulness; 'fed' is ra'ah, the shepherd's verb, to tend and pasture a flock. Christ gives the same order: 'seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you' (Matt 6:33).

Verse 4

Delight thyself also in the LORD — Anag, to be soft or pliable, to take dainty pleasure; the same verb is used in v.11 of the meek delighting 'in the abundance of peace'. 'Desires' is mish'alah, a request, from the verb 'to ask'. Isa 58:14 gives the pattern: 'Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD'.

Verse 5

Commit thy way — Galal, to roll: the way (derek, course of life) is rolled onto the LORD. Ps 55:22 says the same, 'Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee', and Peter takes it up: 'Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you' (1 Pet 5:7). 'Bring it to pass' is asah, to do.

Verse 6

thy righteousness as the light — 'Bring forth' is yatsa, to cause to go out. 'Judgment' is mishpat, a verdict, so the verdict in his favour is brought into the open; 'noonday' is tsohar, double light. Christ says the same of the end: 'Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun' (Matt 13:43).

Verse 7

Rest in the LORD — Damam, to be silent or still; the rest is a hush before God. 'Wait patiently' is chul, whose root sense is to twist or whirl, so waiting is an exercise, not idleness. The call is repeated in 'Wait on the LORD' (Ps 27:14) and 'Be patient therefore, brethren' (James 5:7).

Verse 9

inherit the earth — Yarash, to take possession; erets means both 'earth' and 'land'. The promise is repeated in vv.11, 22, 29 and 34; in vv.9, 22 and 34 it is set against the wicked being 'cut off' (karath). 'Wait' is qavah, to look for with tension, as in v.34.

Verse 11

the meek shall inherit the earth — Anav, humble, lowly, one bowed low in circumstance or mind. Christ gives the line to his disciples: 'Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth' (Matt 5:5). 'Abundance of peace' is rob shalom, fullness of well-being.

Verse 13

The Lord shall laugh at him — The title is Adonay, sovereign Lord; sachaq is to laugh, to deride. Ps 2:4 shows the same: 'He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.' 'His day' is the day of the wicked man's reckoning, as in 1 Sam 26:10, 'his day shall come to die'.

Verse 16

A little that a righteous man hath — Me'at, a small amount, against the hamon of the wicked, a word for a crowd or tumult that also means wealth. Proverbs says the same: 'Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith' (Prov 15:16).

Verse 18

The LORD knoweth the days of the upright — Yada, to know; the 'upright' are tamim, whole, without blemish. Ps 1:6 has the same thought: 'the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous'. 'Inheritance' is nachalah, an allotted estate, here held 'for ever' (olam).

Verse 20

as the fat of lambs — The Hebrew reads yeqar (precious, costly) of a kar, a full-grown ram; the picture is of the choicest thing burning away. 'Consume' (kalah) is said twice, ending 'into smoke'. Ps 68:2 uses the same figure: 'As smoke is driven away, so drive them away'.

Verse 21

The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again — Lavah, to borrow; its causative is 'lendeth' in v.26. 'Sheweth mercy' is chanan, to stoop in kindness, the verb of 'merciful' in v.26. Ps 112:5 describes the same man: 'A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth'.

Verse 23

The steps of a good man — Mitsad, a step; 'good man' is geber, a strong man; 'ordered' is kun, to set firm or establish. Prov 16:9 states the same: 'A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps'; Ps 119:133 prays, 'Order my steps in thy word'.

Verse 25

I have been young, and now am old — Na'ar and zaqen, youth and age. 'Forsaken' is azab, to leave, the verb of 'forsaketh not his saints' in v.28. 'Begging' is baqash, to seek. Heb 13:5 gives the promise in the New Testament: 'I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee'.

Verse 28

forsaketh not his saints — 'Saints' is chasid, from the root of chesed (covenant kindness), the devout who receive it. 'Loveth judgment' is mishpat, justice; 'preserved' is shamar, guarded. The verse closes by setting 'the seed of the wicked' beside the righteous man's seed of v.25.

Verse 30

speaketh wisdom — Hagah, to murmur or ponder: wisdom is turned over in the mouth, not just spoken. Chokmah is wisdom; 'judgment' is mishpat, as in vv.6 and 28. Christ states the root: 'out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things' (Matt 12:35).

Verse 31

The law of his God is in his heart — Torah, instruction. The inward law is promised in the new covenant, 'I will put my law in their inward parts' (Jer 31:33), and professed in Ps 40:8. 'Slide' is ma'ad, to waver or slip.

Verse 34

Wait on the LORD, and keep his way — Qavah, to wait with expectation, as in v.9; 'keep' is shamar, to guard, as in v.28. 'Exalt' is rum, to lift up. Waiting and obeying go together: 'Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart' (Ps 27:14).

Verse 37

Mark the perfect man — 'Mark' is shamar, to watch closely; 'perfect' is tam, complete, morally sound. 'End' is acharit, the last part, which can also mean posterity; the same word is the 'end of the wicked' in v.38. 'Peace' is shalom, as in Isa 57:2, 'He shall enter into peace'.

Verse 39

the salvation of the righteous — Teshuah, deliverance. 'Strength' is ma'oz, a fortress, and 'trouble' is tsarah, literally tightness. Ps 9:9 has the same refuge, 'a refuge in times of trouble', and Ps 3:8 the same source, 'Salvation belongeth unto the LORD'.