| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
Psalm Thirty-seven
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO Psalm 37
cf15I A Psalm of David. This psalm, it is very probable,
was written at the same time, and upon the same occasion, with the former; and
describes the different states of good and bad men; and is full of exhortations,
instructions, and advice to the people of God; intermixed with various
encouraging promises. A late learned writerF8Delaney's Life of King
David, vol. 2. p. 219. thinks it was written for Mephibosheth's consolation
under Ziba's calumny.
Psalm 37:1 Do
not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
YLT
1By David. Do not fret
because of evil doers, Be not envious against doers of iniquity,
Fret not thyself because of evildoers,.... The
saints may be grieved at them and for them, because of their evil doings, and
may be angry with them for them; yet are not to show any undue warmth, at least
in an indecent way, by calling them opprobrious names; for the words may be
rendered, "do not show thyself warm" or "angry"F9תתחר "ne accendaris ira", Junius &
Tremellius; "ne exardescas", Gejerus, Michaelis. : in a sinful way;
or fret not at their outward prosperity, as it is explained Psalm 37:7. The
Targum adds, "to be like them", which agrees with Psalm 37:8;
neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity; that is, at
their present temporal happiness; see Psalm 73:3. The
Targum adds, as before, to be joined with them; which sense some parallel
places seem to incline to, Proverbs 3:31.
Psalm 37:2 2 For they shall soon be cut
down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.
YLT
2For as grass speedily they
are cut off, And as the greenness of the tender grass do fade.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the
green herb. Which in the morning looks green, pretty, and flourishing, and in
the evening is cut down, and then fades away; see Psalm 90:5; and so
the wicked prosper and flourish for a while, and then they perish with all
their honour, riches, and wealth; so that their happiness is a very short lived
one, and therefore need not be envied and fretted at.
Psalm 37:3 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell
in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
YLT
3Trust in Jehovah, and do
good, Dwell [in] the land, and enjoy faithfulness,
Trust in the Lord,.... Not in men, who are fading and perishing
like the green grass and tender herb; nor in riches, which are very uncertain
things; but in the Lord, in whom is everlasting strength; and with whom are
riches and honour, yea, durable riches and righteousness; trust in him both for
things temporal and spiritual, for soul and body, for time and eternity; the
way to have peace and quietness of mind under all dispensations is to exercise
faith on a promising God. The Targum is, "trust in the Word of the
Lord", in the essential Word of God, the promised Messiah;
and do good; in general, all good actions, in faith, and as the fruits and
effects of it, without trusting to them, but in the Lord; doing them in his
strength, and with a view to his glory; or in particular, acts of beneficence
to the poor, to which the encouragement follows;
so shalt thou dwell in the
land; either in the land of Canaan, a continuance in which depended
upon the obedience of the people of the Jews to the commands of God; see Isaiah 1:19; or
rather in the good land which is afar off, the heavenly and better country,
which those that trust in the Lord, and have that faith in Christ which works
by love, shall dwell in to all eternity;
and verily thou shalt be fed; either temporally, shall
have food and raiment, even all the necessaries of life; or spiritually, with
the word and ordinances, and with Christ the bread of life now; and hereafter
shall be fed by him, the Lamb in the midst of the throne, and by him led to
fountains of living water: some read the words as an exhortation, and render
them, "feed truth"F11רעה אמונה "pasce veritatem", Pagninus, Montanus. ,
that is, teach it, as Abraham taught his household, and as faithful pastors
feed with knowledge and understanding; or "feed by faith"F12"Pascere
fide", Junius & Tremellius, Cocceius. , as the just live by it; or, as
the Targum renders it, "be strong in faith", as Abraham was, Romans 4:20; or
rather, "feed upon truth"F13"Pasce te veritate",
Gejerus; "ut alimentum tuum", Gussetius, Ebr. Comment. p. 942.
"feed on faith", Ainsworth. , the word of truth, the Gospel of
salvation, and the several truths and doctrines of it, which are food for
faith, and nourish up to everlasting life.
Psalm 37:4 4 Delight yourself also in
the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
YLT
4And delight thyself on
Jehovah, And He giveth to thee the petitions of thy heart.
Delight thyself also in the Lord,.... In the persons in
God, Father, Son, and Spirit; in the perfections of God, his power, goodness,
faithfulness, wisdom, love, grace, and mercy; in his works of creation,
providence, and redemption; in his word, his Gospel, the truths and ordinances
of it; in his house, and the worship of it; and in his people, the excellent in
the earth, in whom was all the delight of the psalmist; and each of these
afford a field of delight and pleasure, to attend unto, contemplate, and
meditate upon;
and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart; such as are
according to the will of God, and for the good of his people; such as relate to
communion with him, and to the communication of more grace from him, and to the
enjoyment of eternal glory.
Psalm 37:5 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in
Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
YLT
5Roll on Jehovah thy way,
And trust upon Him, and He worketh,
Commit thy way unto the Lord,.... Or "thy
works", as in Proverbs 16:3; that
is, all the affairs and business of life, which are a man's ways in which he
walks; not that men should sit still, be inactive, and do nothing, and leave
all to be done by the Lord; but should seek direction of God in everything
engaged in, and for strength and assistance to perform it, and go on in it, and
depend upon him for success, and give him all the glory, without trusting to
any thing done by them: or, as some render the words, "reveal thy way unto
the Lord"F14גול αποκαλυψον, Sept. "revela", V. L. Junius & Tremellius,
Piscator; so the Targum, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis. ; not that God is
ignorant of the ways of men, and of their affairs, and of their wants and
necessities, but it is their duty to ask, and it is his delight to hear; they
may come and use freedom with him, and tell him their whole case, and leave it
with him, believing he will supply all their need: or, as others render it,
"roll thy way on the Lord"F15"Devolve super
Jehovam", Tigurine version. ; see Psalm 55:22;
meaning not the burden of sin, nor the weight of affliction, but any affair of
moment and importance that lies heavy upon the mind;
trust also in him; it is an ease to the mind to spread it
before the Lord, who sympathizes with his people, supports them under and
brings them through their difficulties;
and he shall bring it to pass; as he does
whatever he has appointed and determined shall be, and whatever he has
promised, and whatever will be for his own glory and his people's good.
Psalm 37:6 6 He shall bring forth your
righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.
YLT
6And hath brought out as
light thy righteousness, And thy judgment as noon-day.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light,.... That is,
the good man having committed his cause to him that judgeth righteously, he
will, in his own time, clearly make it appear that it is a righteous one, both
to himself and others, in whatsoever obscurity it may have lain;
and thy judgment as the noonday; the same as before,
unless rather the righteousness of Christ, which is the believer's by
imputation, and is a justifying one in the judgment of God, should be meant;
see Micah 7:9; and the
phrases may denote not barely the revelation of it in the Gospel, but the more
clear manifestation of it to the believer himself, from faith to faith; or as
it will be still more clearly revealed and declared at the day of judgment,
when those who are clothed with it shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of
their Father, and be clear of all those charges and imputations which they have
lain under in this life.
Psalm 37:7 7 Rest in the Lord, and wait
patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because
of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
YLT
7Be silent for Jehovah, and
stay thyself for Him, Do not fret because of him Who is making prosperous his
way, Because of a man doing wicked devices.
Rest in the Lord,.... Or "be silent to the Lord"F16דום ליהוה "tace
Domino", Pagninus, Montanus; "sile", Musculus, Piscator,
Tigurine version, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis; so Ainsworth. ; be still, and
know that he is God; quietly submit to his will, and acquiesce in all the
dispensations of his providence: it does not design a stupid indolence, or a
stoical apathy, that we should be like sticks and stones, without any concern
at the hand of God upon us; nor an entire silence under afflictions; we should
own that they are of God, and that we are deserving of them; we should pray to
him to sanctify them, to support under them, and deliver out of them; we should
bless his name that they are no worse, and that they are any ways useful to us;
and we should speak to others of the divine goodness experienced under them;
but this stands opposed to an arraigning or murmuring at the providence of God,
and intends a patient bearing the hand of God, and a resignation of will to his
will; for it follows,
and wait patiently for him: for the enjoyment of
him, help from him, and deliverance by him;
fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because
of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass; this explains the sense
of Psalm 37:1; it
being often an additional uneasiness to the people of God under affliction,
when they observe the prosperity of men that go on in a sinful way, and have
all or more than heart can wish; and whatever they contrive and devise, though
wicked and criminal.
Psalm 37:8 8 Cease from anger, and
forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.
YLT
8Desist from anger, and
forsake fury, Fret not thyself only to do evil.
Cease from anger,.... Either at these wicked men who are so
prosperous, or at God, who for the present suffers it; see Jonah 4:9, Proverbs 19:3;
and forsake wrath; which is anger wrought up to a greater
degree; and the rather to be shunned and avoided, as being very disagreeable to
the character of a good man;
fret not thyself in any wise to do evil; evil may be
done by fretting at the prosperity of wicked men, or by imitating them, doing
as they do, in hope of being prosperous as they are; from which the psalmist
dissuades by reasons following.
Psalm 37:9 9 For evildoers shall be cut
off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the
earth.
YLT
9For evil doers are cut off,
As to those waiting on Jehovah, they possess the land.
For evildoers shall be cut off,.... Though they flourish
for a while, they shall be cut down like the grass or flower of the field, or
they shall be cut off as branches from a flourishing tree; they shall be cut
off from the earth, and rooted out of it by death or some desolating judgment;
see Proverbs 2:22; and
therefore not to be envied and fretted at;
but those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth; such who
attend his word, worship, and ordinances; obey his commands, trust in his grace
and mercy; or, as the Targum, "trust in the word of the Lord"; who
wait upon him for the manifestations of himself, for the performance of his
promises, for answer of prayer, for supplies of grace, and live in the
expectation of the heavenly glory; these shall have for their inheritance, not
the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey, which the obedient Jews
enjoyed; but either this world and the necessaries of it, which such persons
have the promise of, a right unto through Christ, are heirs of, and do enjoy
what they do with a blessing; or else the new earth after this, in which only
righteous ones, those that wait upon the Lord, and trust in him, will dwell;
unless the heavenly country, the good land afar off, is meant, often called an
inheritance.
Psalm 37:10 10 For yet a little while and
the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for
his place, But it shall be no more.
YLT
10And yet a little, and the
wicked is not, And thou hast considered his place, and it is not.
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be,.... Not that
they shall be annihilated or reduced to nothing, because nonentities have no
place nor being any where; when they die they shall lift up their eyes in hell;
their bodies will rise again at the last day; they shall stand before the
judgment seat of Christ, and go into everlasting punishment; but they shall be
no more in the world, and in the same flourishing and prosperous circumstances
they were: and this their destruction will be in a short time, very quickly;
yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall
not be; his dwelling place, called after his own name, to perpetuate the
memory of him; see Job 7:10; an
instance of this the psalmist gives of his own knowledge, Psalm 37:35.
Psalm 37:11 11 But the meek shall inherit
the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
YLT
11And the humble do possess
the land, And they have delighted themselves In the abundance of peace.
But the meek shall inherit the earth,.... See Gill
on Psalm 37:9; of this
character See Gill on Psalm 22:26. Our
Lord seems to refer to this passage in Matthew 5:5;
and shall delight themselves is the abundance of peace; of spiritual
peace enjoyed in a way of believing, arising from a comfortable view of
interest in the blood, righteousness, and sacrifice of Christ; and of all
happiness and prosperity in the kingdom of Christ here on earth, at which time
there will be abundance of peace, Psalm 72:7; or of
eternal peace in the world to come, which will be a state of uninterrupted and
unspeakable peace; see Psalm 37:37; all
which afford inconceivable delight and pleasure; and therefore such have no
need to fret and be envious at the fading happiness of wicked men.
Psalm 37:12 12 The wicked plots against
the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth.
YLT
12The wicked is devising
against the righteous, And gnashing against him his teeth.
The wicked plotteth against the just,.... Forms
schemes to make him uneasy, uncomfortable, and unhappy:
and gnasheth upon him with his teeth: which
expresses his malice and hatred, as David's enemies did upon him, Psalm 35:16; and
Stephen's, Acts 7:54.
Psalm 37:13 13 The Lord laughs at him, For
He sees that his day is coming.
YLT
13The Lord doth laugh at him,
For He hath seen that his day cometh.
Verse 13
The Lord shall laugh at him,.... Have him and his
plots in derision, confound his schemes, and disappoint him of his designs,
bring him into calamity, and laugh at it; see Psalm 2:4;
for he seeth that his day is coming; either the day of the
Lord, which he has appointed to judge the world in, and which comes suddenly,
at unawares, as a thief in the night, and is known unto the Lord, though to
none else; or the day of the wicked man's ruin and destruction, to which he is
appointed, and which is the same; and so the Targum is, "the day of his
calamity": which the Lord observes is hastening on, when he will be for
ever miserable.
Psalm 37:14 14 The wicked have drawn the
sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those
who are of upright conduct.
YLT
14A sword have the wicked
opened, And they have trodden their bow, To cause to fall the poor and needy,
To slaughter the upright of the way.
The wicked have drawn out the sword,.... That is, out of the
scabbard; they drew upon the righteous, in order to sheath it in them; or they
sharpened the sword, as Aben Ezra observes some interpret the word; it may be
literally rendered, "opened the sword"F17חרב פתחו "aperuerunt
gladium", Gejerus. , which before lay hid in the scabbard:
and have bent their bow; having put the arrow in
it, in order to shoot. The former expression may design the more open, and this
the more secret way of acting against the righteous; and their view in both is
to cast down the poor and needy, who are so, both in a
temporal and spiritual sense; to cause such to fall either into sin, or into
some calamity or another:
and to slay such as be of
upright conversation; who walk according to the rule of the word of God, and as
becomes the Gospel of Christ: nothing less than the blood and life of these men
will satisfy the wicked; and it is an aggravation of their wickedness that they
should attempt to hurt men of such character who are poor and needy, holy,
harmless, inoffensive, and upright; and this points at the reason why they hate
them, and seek their ruin, because of the holiness and uprightness of their
lives; see John 15:19.
Psalm 37:15 15 Their sword shall enter
their own heart, And their bows shall be broken.
YLT
15Their sword doth enter into
their own heart, And their bows are shivered.
Their sword shall enter into their own heart,.... As Saul's
did into his, 1 Samuel 31:4;
and their bows shall be broken; the meaning is, that
their efforts shall be fruitless, and their attempts in vain; the mischief they
have contrived and designed for others shall fall upon themselves; see Psalm 7:15; and
therefore the saints should not be fretful and envious.
Psalm 37:16 16 A little that a righteous
man has Is better than the riches of many wicked.
YLT
16Better [is] the little of
the righteous, Than the store of many wicked.
A little that a righteous man hath,.... It is the portion of
the righteous, for the most part, to have but little of this world's goods;
some indeed have been rich, as Abraham, Lot, David, Joseph of Arimathea, and
others; but, generally speaking, the wicked have the largest share of worldly
things, and the righteous but little, and are as having nothing comparatively;
and yet their little
is better than the riches of
many wicked; not that a little is better than much, or that poverty is better
than riches, or a poor man better than a rich man; but the comparison is
between a righteous man and a wicked man; the emphasis lies there; and the
sense is, that a "righteous" man's "little" is better than
a "wicked" man's "much"; the righteous have a right to what
they have, through Christ, who is heir of all things, but not the wicked; they
have what they have in love and with a blessing, not so the wicked; they are
contented in their state and condition, when the wicked are never satisfied;
they possess and enjoy what they have, even all they have, when God oftentimes
does not give the wicked an heart to eat and drink of what they are possessed,
but a stranger eats it; they have the presence of God with them, and that makes
a little sweet, and to go a great way; and they live without any anxious,
distressing, burdensome care; not so the wicked; and before long the tables
will be turned, and they will have their good things, and the wicked their evil
things; see Proverbs 16:8;
wherefore they have no need to fret under present circumstances, nor envy the
happiness of wicked men. Arama interprets it, of a little help that a righteous
man has, better than the riches of many wicked; and GussetiusF18Ebr.
Comment. p. 213, 475. understands all this not of the smallness and largeness
of the substance of different persons, but of their numbers, the one small, the
other large; and Jarchi, that the sense is, that a few persons with the
righteous, which was the case of Abraham and Gideon, are better and succeed
more than the multitude of many wicked persons; and the church should be
content with a small number of believers, and not draw in a multitude of wicked
men into their communion.
Psalm 37:17 17 For the arms of the wicked
shall be broken, But the Lord
upholds the righteous.
YLT
17For the arms of the wicked
are shivered, And Jehovah is sustaining the righteous.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,.... That is,
their sword arm, with which they have drawn it; and so shall not be able to
strike with it; and with which they have bent their bows, but shall not be able
to shoot: and this proves, what is before suggested, that their efforts shall
be fruitless; or their substance shall be taken away from them, in which they
trusted, and wherein their strength lay; and this confirms what had been just
spoken, that the righteous man's little is better than the wicked man's much;
and which is further confirmed by what follows;
but the Lord upholdeth the righteous; both in a
providential way, by supporting them in their being, supplying their need,
preserving them from dangers, and bearing them up under all their afflictions;
and in a spiritual way, by maintaining the principle of grace and life in them,
by furnishing them with all spiritual blessings, by sustaining them in times of
temptation, and by securing them safe from their enemies; upholding them so as
that they stand in the grace of God now, and shall stand before Christ with
confidence hereafter; and shall not fall here finally and totally, nor in the
day of judgment. The Targum is, "the Word of the Lord upholdeth the
righteous".
Psalm 37:18 18 The Lord knows the days
of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever.
YLT
18Jehovah knoweth the days of
the perfect, And their inheritance is -- to the age.
The Lord knoweth the days of the upright,.... Not only
how long they shall live, and so fill up their days, the number of them, as
Aben Ezra interprets it; but the nature of their days, whether prosperous or
adverse; and causes both to work together for their good; and he knows the work
of their days, as Jarchi explains it, the actions done by them in faith and
love, and to his honour and glory, and which he approves and accepts of in
Christ; see Psalm 1:6;
and their inheritance shall be for ever; in heaven,
which is an eternal and never fading one, Hebrews 9:15; and therefore
they ought not to fret and be envious.
Psalm 37:19 19 They shall not be ashamed
in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
YLT
19They are not ashamed in a
time of evil, And in days of famine they are satisfied.
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,.... Of
affliction and persecution, or of old age, or in the day of judgment, when it
will go ill with others; see 1 John 2:28;
and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied: whether it is
understood figuratively of a famine of hearing the word, or literally of a
proper famine of bread and water: these God will provide for them, as he did
for Elijah, and they shall be sure unto them, and therefore let them not fret
nor envy.
Psalm 37:20 20 But the wicked shall
perish; And the enemies of the Lord, Like the splendor of the
meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away.
YLT
20But the wicked perish, and
the enemies of Jehovah, As the preciousness of lambs, Have been consumed, In
smoke they have been consumed.
But the wicked shall perish,.... In a time of famine,
in an evil day, and particularly at the day of judgment: for this is to be
understood, not merely of being in bodily distress and want; nor of perishing
by death, common to the righteous and the wicked; nor of being in a lost
perishing condition, as all men by nature are, but of eternal perdition in
hell;
and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs,
they shall consume; that is, either they shall consume away as the fat of lambs
burnt upon the altar, which evaporates, or as lambs fattened on purpose to be
killed, and so prepared for the day of slaughter; in like manner the wicked,
who have waxed fat and kicked, will be destroyed; they being the enemies of
God, yea, enmity to him, to Father, Son, and Spirit, to the Gospel and
ordinances of Christ, and to his people, and will be treated as such. Some
render the word, "like the excellency of pastures"F19כיקר כרים "sicut pretiosum
pratorum", Muis; so some in Piscator; "vel gloria", Michaelis. ;
the grass of the field, which is cut down and withers presently; see Psalm 37:2;
into smoke shall they consume away, or "with"F20בעשן "cum fumo", Gejerus, Tigurine version; so
Ainsworth. it; that is, as it; see Psalm 68:1; or
"in smoke"F21"In fumo", Montanus, Musculus,
Michaelis. ; in the smoke of eternal torments, or hell, as the Targum.
Psalm 37:21 21 The wicked borrows and
does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives.
YLT
21The wicked is borrowing and
repayeth not, And the righteous is gracious and giving.
The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again,.... While the
wicked live, they are scandalous; they live by borrowing, which was always
reckoned mean; see Deuteronomy 28:12;
and what is worse, as they borrow, they do not design to repay; they take no
care nor thought about that, but live upon what they borrow: for this either
expresses their incapacity that they cannot pay; or the evil disposition of
their mind, which rather seems to be the sense, that they will not pay;
but the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth; which not
only argues capacity and ability, but a kind, merciful, and tender spirit to
persons in distress, and is expressive of a generous action.
Psalm 37:22 22 For those blessed
by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut
off.
YLT
22For His blessed ones do
possess the land, And His reviled ones are cut off.
For such as be blessed of him,.... Not of
the righteous man; for he blesses them that curse and persecute him, and
despitefully use him; but of the Lord, as the Syriac version expresses it; or
by the Word of the Lord, as the Targum; both in a providential way, for it is
the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, and puts into a capacity to give to
others; and in a way of grace, with an interest in God as a covenant God in
Christ; and with the blessings of grace in him, with a justifying
righteousness, pardon of sin, and a right to eternal glory. The Septuagint
version, and those that follow that, render the words actively, "such as
bless him"; either such as bless the righteous, who are blessed also, Genesis 12:3; or
rather such as bless the Lord, as the righteous do, for all their blessings
temporal and spiritual they receive from him; these
shall inherit the earth; See Gill on Psalm 37:9;
and they that be cursed of him; not of the
righteous man, but of the Lord, according to the tenor of his righteous law,
which they have broken:
shall be cut off; out of the land of the living; many of them
in the midst of their days, and shall everlastingly perish.
Psalm 37:23 23 The steps of a good
man are ordered by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.
YLT
23From Jehovah [are] the
steps of a man, They have been prepared, And his way he desireth.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,.... Or
"of a man"F23גבר
"hominis", Pagninus, Montanus, &c. ; such a man as is blessed of
the Lord; the steps which he takes in life are ordered by the Lord, both with
respect to things temporal and spiritual: his good conduct is not of himself,
it is a blessing of the Lord, who directs and keeps the feet of his saints, and
inclines them to take such steps, and pursue such methods, which he succeeds
and prospers;
and he delighteth in his way; which he knows and
approves of, guides and directs him in; see Psalm 1:6.
Psalm 37:24 24 Though he fall, he shall
not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with
His hand.
YLT
24When he falleth, he is not
cast down, For Jehovah is sustaining his hand.
Though he fall,.... Into temptation, and by it into sins,
and these very great ones; from a lively and comfortable exercise of grace, and
a degree of steadfastness in the doctrine of grace:
he shall not be utterly cast down; because he is in the
arms of everlasting love, and in the hands of Christ Jesus; is on him as the
sure foundation, and is kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation,
and so shall not perish, but have everlasting life;
for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand; with the
right hand of his righteousness, and keeps him from falling finally and
totally; see Isaiah 41:10; and
See Gill on Psalm 37:17.
Psalm 37:25 25 I have been young, and now
am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging
bread.
YLT
25Young I have been, I have
also become old, And I have not seen the righteous forsaken, And his seed
seeking bread.
I have been young, and now am old,.... The
psalmist makes mention of his age, which takes in the whole compass of his
life, to command attention to what he was about to say; which was founded upon
a long experience and observation of things, and was as follows;
yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken; though
afflicted of God, and persecuted by men, yet not forsaken; though poor and
needy, and often in necessitous circumstances, yet God in his providence
appeared for them in one way or another; and so as Apollinarius paraphrases it,
"I
never knew a just man entirely needy;'
for
such might be forsaken by men, and even by their dearest friends and relations,
yet not by the Lord: they might indeed, at times, think themselves forsaken of
him, and their enemies might conclude and say they were, and yet this was not
their case, Isaiah 49:14; and though
they may be forsaken by him for a while, yet not utterly; he will not leave
them and forsake them for ever, Isaiah 54:7;
nor his seed begging bread; they being righteous
also, which must be supposed; otherwise, as good men have wicked children,
these, through their wickedness, may come to poverty, to beggary, as they
sometimes do; though a distinction may be made between being poor and beggars;
the seed of the righteous may be the one, and not the other: besides, there is
a difference between asking bread of others, in some few instances, and
constantly begging bread from door to door, in which last sense the psalmist
must be understood here; for otherwise he himself in some cases, had asked
bread, as of Ahimelech at Nob, and of Nabal, &c. as did also Elijah of the
widow of Sarepta: and though there might have been instances of some of the
posterity of the righteous who got their bread by begging at the door, as in
the case of Lazarus; yet David had never observed any such instance during the
time of his life, which shows that such instances are very rare; whereas among
wicked men and their offspring the case is frequent and common. Again, it may
be observed, that the psalmist is speaking in the context of righteous men that
are liberal, and give to the poor freely and largely; and it is seldom if ever
known that they or their children come to want and poverty. Once more, the word
"forsaken" may be repeated in this clause, thus; "nor his seed
begging bread forsaken"F24"Justum non vidi derelictum, et
semen justi quaerens panem non vidi derelictum"; so Hopfnerus,
Titelmannus, Lorinus, Franzius apud Gejerum; "frustra quaerens panem, et
finalitur destitutum", Michaelis. ; or seeking it in vain, and finally
destitute of it; though they have been so reduced as to beg their bread, they
have not been forsaken; they have find it, bread sufficient to support life, as
Apollinarius paraphrases it; their bread has been given and their water sure;
see Isaiah 41:17. In an
ancient MidrashF25Vajikra Rabba, s. 35. fol. 175. 2. , or exposition
of the Jews, the sense is thus given:
"although
his seed and his sons are begging bread, yet I have not seen the righteous man,
their father, forsaken, because of his fear of the blessed God.'
Psalm 37:26 26 He is
ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed.
YLT
26All the day he is gracious
and lending, And his seed [is] for a blessing.
He is ever merciful,
and lendeth,.... He sympathizes with the poor in distress, and shows mercy to
miserable objects; not only by words, but deeds: and this is his constant
disposition and conduct; of which his lending, as well as giving to persons in
necessity, is an instance; and which shows capacity, and is a proof of the
observation of the psalmist, that such are never forsaken, nor left to beg
their bread: so far from it, that they have to lend and give to others;
and his seed is blessed; either his seed sown,
his alms deeds, which are blessed to him and his, and to them to whom he
ministers, as Jarchi explains it; see 2 Corinthians 9:6;
or rather his offspring, who are blessed of God with things temporal for his
sake; and are blessed by men, who say of them, these are the posterity of such
and such liberal persons.
Psalm 37:27 27 Depart from evil, and do
good; And dwell forevermore.
YLT
27Turn aside from evil, and
do good, and dwell to the age.
Depart from evil, and do good,.... Depart from
evildoers, and their evil ways; join not with them, nor fret and be envious at
them; but do acts of beneficence, and all good works; since righteous men, and
their seed, are not forsaken, but blessed of God; See Gill on Psalm 34:14;
and dwell for evermore; or "thou shalt
dwell for evermore"F26ושכן לעולם "et habitabis in seculum", Pagninus,
Vatablus, Piscator; so Aben Ezra & Kimchi. ; see Psalm 37:3; that
is, in everlasting habitations, in the house not made with hands, eternal in
the heavens, Luke 16:9. The
Targum is, "that thou mayest dwell in everlasting life".
Psalm 37:28 28 For the Lord loves justice,
And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the
descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
YLT
28For Jehovah is loving
judgment, And He doth not forsake His saintly ones, To the age they have been
kept, And the seed of the wicked is cut off.
For the Lord loveth judgment,.... Righteousness, or
righteous actions, when done according to his will, from love, in faith, and to
his glory; see Psalm 11:7; or to
minister judgment to the people, and to render to every man according to his
works;
and forsaketh not his saints; his Holy Ones, who are
called with an holy calling, are created in righteousness and true holiness,
and have principles of grace and holiness wrought in them; or whom he
prosecutes with his favour and goodness, with his everlasting love and mercy,
with spiritual blessings, with the blessings of justification, pardon,
adoption, and a right to eternal life: these he never forsakes, not their
persons, neither in life nor at death, nor at judgment; nor does he ever
forsake the work of his own hands in them; but performs it until the day of
Christ: nor will he ever so forsake them, as that they shall perish through the
strength of sin, the temptations of Satan, or the snares of the world;
they are preserved for ever; from the dominion and
damning power of sin, from being devoured by Satan, from a total and final
falling away, and from being hurt of the second death: they are preserved in
Christ, in whose hands they are; and by the power of God, safe to his kingdom
and glory, into which they shall have an abundant entrance;
but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off; out of the
earth, in the midst of their days, like withered branches; and be cast into
everlasting burnings.
Psalm 37:29 29 The righteous shall
inherit the land, And dwell in it forever.
YLT
29The righteous possess the
land, And they dwell for ever on it.
The righteous shall inherit the land,.... See Gill
on Psalm 37:9 and See
Gill on Psalm 37:11;
and dwell therein for ever; See Gill on Psalm 37:27.
Psalm 37:30 30 The mouth of the righteous
speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice.
YLT
30The mouth of the righteous
uttereth wisdom, And his tongue speaketh judgment.
The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom,.... Or
"meditateth wisdom"F1יהגה μελετησει, Sept. "meditabitur", V. L. so Musculus: Junius &
Tremellius, Piscator, Michaelis. ; that is, utters the wisdom he has been
meditating upon; see Psalm 69:3; he
meditates and speaks of the wisdom of God, which appears in the works of
creation, providence, and grace; and of Christ, who is wisdom itself, and the
wisdom of God essentially; and who, as Mediator, has the spirit of wisdom
resting on him, the treasures of wisdom hid in him, and is made wisdom to his
people: and righteous men meditate upon and speak of the glories of his person,
the fulness of his grace, and the works of his hands; as also of the Gospel,
which is the wisdom of God, mysterious, hidden, ancient wisdom, ordained before
the world for their glory; and likewise of that internal wisdom, and experience
of divine grace, the Lord has made them to know in the hidden part; which lies
in the knowledge of themselves, and in a spiritual, experimental, and saving
knowledge of Christ, and the way of salvation by him; and his mouth delivers
out wise sayings, and useful instructions, fetched out of the word of God, and
founded on experience and observation;
and his tongue talketh of judgment; of the judgment which
the righteous God ordinarily ministers in a providential way; and of his
extraordinary and awful judgments, which have been or are in the earth; these
he takes notice of for his own use, and observes them to others for their
instruction; and also of the last judgment, the judgment to come, which he
speaks of as sure and certain, as universal and inevitable, and at which he
must appear before God: and he talks of judgment or righteousness; that is, of
the righteousness of Christ; he makes mention of this only as his justifying
righteousness before God; he rejoices and glories in it, and desires to be
found in it living and dying, and at judgment; and whatsoever things are
honest, just, pure, and of good report, he thinks and speaks of them, and
instructs his family, his children and servants, in them, that they may do
them; see Genesis 18:19.
Psalm 37:31 31 The law of his God is
in his heart; None of his steps shall slide.
YLT
31The law of his God [is] his
heart, His steps do not slide.
The law of his God is in his heart,.... Which may
be understood of the moral law, which was written in the heart of Adam an his
creation, and continued there during his state of innocence, but was greatly
obliterated by sin: there are some remains of it in fallen man, even in the
very Gentiles; who, though without the law, do some things contained in it,
which shows the work of it to be written in them; though in some it is scarcely
legible, having lost all distinction between good and evil: but in regeneration
the law of God is reinscribed, according to the promise of the covenant of
grace, Jeremiah 31:33; and
such have a real knowledge of the spirituality and perfection of it; of the
impossibility of justification by it; and of Christ being the fulfilling end of
it: and they have a strong affection for it; they love it; and delight in it
after the inward man, and serve it with their minds; in which lies part of
their conformity to Christ, and is a branch of their character as good men; see
Psalm 40:8;
moreover, the word תורת, here used, signifies any
doctrine or instruction, and is sometimes used for the doctrine of the Gospel, Isaiah 2:3, and may
have this sense here, and the meaning be, that that has a place in the hearts
or righteous men, dwells richly there, and works effectually in them; and
particularly the doctrine of grace which relates to covenant interest in God;
for it is the law or doctrine of "his God" that is in his heart;
none of his steps shall slide; not that he shall never
slip nor fall; for that is supposed Psalm 37:24; but he
shall never finally and totally go out of the paths of truth, holiness, and
righteousness: the Lord keeps the feet of his saints, and orders their steps,
and directs them in the way they should go, and preserves them in it; and
enables them to walk uprightly, according to the rule of the divine word, and
in all his commandments and ordinances; and to hold on and out unto the end: or
the clause may be rendered, "it", the law, "shall not cause his
steps to slide"F2תמעד אשריו "non vacillat gressus ejus", Cocceius. ;
neither the law of God, nor the Gospel of Christ, but shall guide him in the
right way, and be a lamp unto his feet, and a light unto his path.
Psalm 37:32 32 The wicked watches the
righteous, And seeks to slay him.
YLT
32The wicked is watching for
the righteous, And is seeking to put him to death.
The wicked watcheth the righteous,.... All his motions and
steps, his works and actions; he watches for his halting, and to take all
opportunities and advantages against him; see Jeremiah 20:10;
and seeketh to slay him; murder his reputation,
destroy his substance, and take away his life: some understand it of the devil,
who watches the saints, observes their failings, accuses then, before the
throne, and seeks to devour them, 1 Peter 5:8.
Psalm 37:33 33 The Lord will not leave
him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged.
YLT
33Jehovah doth not leave him
in his hand, Nor condemn him in his being judged.
The Lord will not leave him in his hand,.... Or power;
but will in his own time deliver him from all the reproach, affliction, and
persecution endures by him; as he will also deliver him out of all the
temptations of Satan;
nor condemn him when he is judged; by the wicked man: he
will not join in the sentence, but reverse it, and condemn the tongue that
rises up in judgment against him, and save him from him; see Psalm 109:31; nor
will the Lord condemn him when he is judged by him at the hast judgment; but
will acquit him before men and angels, and introduce him into his kingdom and
glory.
Psalm 37:34 34 Wait on the Lord, And keep His
way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off,
you shall see it.
YLT
34Look unto Jehovah, and keep
His way, And He doth exalt thee to possess the land, In the wicked being cut
off -- thou seest!
Wait on the Lord,.... In the way of his appointments and
ordinances; where may be learned the design of his providences, and of the
prosperity of the wicked, and their end, Psalm 73:16; and in
a providential way, for the performance of his promises, in which he never
fails; and patiently bear whatever he is pleased to lay upon them; waiting for
a deliverance out of every affliction, which will be in his own time. The
Chaldee paraphrase
"trust
in the word of the Lord;'
and keep his way: which he has pointed out in his word, and
has directed his people to walk in; though tempted by Satan to turn aside to
the right hand or the left; though wicked men reproach, persecute, and seek to
pervert it; and though a narrow and rough way, yet keep constantly in it, in
which there are both pleasure and profit; good comes of it, and in it peace is
had, and the presence of God enjoyed;
and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: that is,
shall raise out of a low and uncomfortable situation of life to a more
comfortable one; or however, hereafter, to dwell in the new heavens and new earth,
to reign with Christ upon his throne, and to enjoy the eternal inheritance;
when the wicked are cut off; as in Psalm 37:9;
thou shall see it; with joy and pleasure;
not as exulting: in the destruction of the wicked, simply considered; but as
the glory of divine justice is displayed therein; see Psalm 52:5.
Psalm 37:35 35 I have seen the wicked in
great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree.
YLT
35I have seen the wicked
terrible, And spreading as a green native plant,
I have seen the wicked in great power,.... Meaning
some particular person invested with great power, in great authority among men,
one of the spiritual wickednesses in high places; such a man as Haman in
Ahasuerus's court; and though the psalmist does not choose to mention his name,
he doubtless had him in his mind; as either Saul, or Doeg the Edomite, or
Ahithophel, or some such man, who was in an exalted station of life; and it may
be when he himself was in low and distressed circumstances: the word usedF3עדיץ "terrificam", Montanus, Vatablus;
"terribilem ant formidabilem", Gejerus, Michaelis; "daunting,
terrible", Ainsworth. signifies one formidable and terrible, striking
terror to all around; of whom others are afraid, as Aben Ezra interprets it, Isaiah 29:20;
and spreading himself like a green bay tree: or like one
that grows up out of the earth of itself, and is in its native soil, and very
flourishing: and the metaphor denotes an increase of riches and honour, and a
seemingly settled state in the enjoyment of such outward felicity; so Jarchi
interprets it משריש, "taking root"; as well
as such a man's glorying in and boasting of his affluence and fulness; see Psalm 73:12. Aben
Ezra explains it of a wicked man's openly committing iniquity, declaring his
sin as Sodom, and glorying in his shame; but rather it denotes a man in great
authority and esteem, as a man crowned with laurels, and in a very exalted and
triumphant state.
Psalm 37:36 36 Yet he passed away,[a] and
behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be
found.
YLT
36And he passeth away, and
lo, he is not, And I seek him, and he is not found!
Yet he passed away,.... At once, on a sudden; either his riches
and honour, which, in one hour, came to nought, by one providence or another;
or he himself by death; in the midst of all his prosperity, and while blessing
himself in it, his soul was required of him; and so the Targum is, "he
ceased from the world"; he went out of it unawares: the laurel, or bay
tree, very quickly grows oldF4"Senescit velociter", Plin.
Nat. Hist. l. 16. c. 44. ;
and, lo, he was not; he was not reduced to
nothing; he did not become a nonentity, though he might wish himself to be so;
it being better for him if he had never been born; but he was not in the land
of the living, in hell he lifted up his eyes;
yea, I sought him, but he could not be found; in the place
where he formerly was, that knowing him no more; he could not be found on
earth, from whence he was gone; nor in heaven, where no place is found for such
wicked men; he was gone to his own place, as is said of Judas, and of whom
Jerom interprets the whole of this passage.
Psalm 37:37 37 Mark the blameless man,
and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace.
YLT
37Observe the perfect, and
see the upright, For the latter end of each [is] peace.
Mark the perfect man,.... None are so in
themselves, not the most holy man upon earth; for though all grace is implanted
at once in regeneration, the seed of grace of every kind is cast into the heart
at once; yet it opens and spreads, and gradually increases; nor is any grace in
its exercise perfect; not faith, nor hope, nor love: sin is in the best of men,
and all stand in need of fresh supplies of grace. None of the saints ever
affirmed that they had arrived to perfection, but have disclaimed it: one saint
may indeed attain to a greater degree of grace and knowledge than another, and
in a comparative sense be perfect; and there is a perfection of parts, though
not of degrees, in all; the new man is formed in all its parts, though these
are not grown to their full perfection: and whereas perfection often denotes
truth and sincerity, such may be said to be perfect, that is, sincere, who have
received the grace of God in truth, have the, truth and root of the matter in
them; so Noah, Job, and others, are said to be perfect men; but not simply and
absolutely in themselves, but as in Christ Jesus; who has obtained complete
redemption, perfectly fulfilled the law for them, fully expiated their sins,
procured the entire pardon of them, and brought in an everlasting
righteousness, by which they are justified from all sin, and are perfectly
comely, and a perfection of beauty, through the comeliness of Christ put upon
them;
and behold the upright; the man that is upright
in heart and conversation, who has a right spirit renewed in him, and the
uprightness of Christ showed unto him; or, in other words, who has the truth of
grace within him, and the righteousness of Christ upon him: such men are to be
marked, observed, viewed, and considered, as rare and uncommon men; and to be
imitated and followed in the exercise of grace and discharge of duty; and
especially the end of such persons is to be marked and beheld, as follows;
for the end of that man is peace: such a man
now enjoys a conscience peace, which passes the understanding of worldly men;
and which he possesses in Christ, and from him, amidst a variety of
tribulations, arising from a view of interest in his blood and righteousness;
and, generally speaking, goes off the stage of life, if not triumphing, yet
resigned to the will of God, and in a serene and tranquil frame of spirit, and
even desiring to be gone, and to be with Christ, and to have leave, with good
old Simeon, to depart in peace; and as soon as they are departed they enter
into peace, into the joy of their Lord, into his presence, where is fulness of
joy, and pleasures for evermore; see Numbers 23:10.
Psalm 37:38 38 But the transgressors
shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off.
YLT
38And transgressors were
destroyed together, The latter end of the wicked was cut off.
But the transgressors shall be destroyed together,.... This is
to be understood of obstinate and continued transgressors, who live and die in
their transgressions; see Proverbs 11:3;
otherwise all men are transgressors in Adam, and sinned and fell with him in
his transgression; and are justly called transgressors from the womb; and are
guilty of actual transgressions, nor are any clear from them; and are
arraigned, convinced, and judged by the law as transgressors; and for many of
these Christ died, and makes intercession; and who are converted, and turned
from their transgressions; and these are pardoned, and saved, and not
destroyed: but stubborn and perverse transgressors are destroyed; not only with
a temporal destruction of their substance, and of their names, and they
themselves are rooted out of the earth; but with an everlasting destruction
from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power; for this seems to
refer to the day of judgment, when all the wicked will be "together";
and shall in a body stand at Christ's left hand, and be bid to go, "ye
cursed into everlasting fire", Matthew 25:41, and
shall be turned into hell at once, and together;
the end of the wicked shall be cut off; meaning
either their posterity, as the word is rendered in Psalm 109:13; or
their hope and expectation of good things here and hereafter; when the
righteous man receives the end of his faith, hope, and expectation, even the
salvation of his soul; but these shall be disappointed and frustrated of their
end; see Proverbs 23:18; or
their last end is cutting off from the presence and sight of God, utter ruin
and destruction; and so it stands opposed to the end of the perfect and upright
man, which is eternal peace and happiness.
Psalm 37:39 39 But the salvation of the
righteous is from the Lord; He is their
strength in the time of trouble.
YLT
39And the salvation of the
righteous [is] from Jehovah, Their strong place in a time of adversity.
But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord,.... Both
their temporal, spiritual, and eternal salvation; particularly the latter,
which is originally of the Lord, and springs from the thoughts, purposes, and
resolutions of his heart: it is of him freely, of his rich grace and abundant
mercy; and it is of him fully and completely; it is an entire salvation of soul
and body; includes all blessings of grace and glory in it; it is to the
uttermost, and from all sin, and every enemy; and it is of him only; there is
no salvation in any other; and the glory of it is to be ascribed to him, even
to Jehovah, Father, Son, and Spirit; for all the three divine Persons have a
concern in it: the determination, contrivance, and settlement of it, is of
Jehovah the Father; the impetration or effecting of it is of Jehovah the Son;
and the application of it is of Jehovah the Spirit; See Gill on Psalm 3:8;
he is their strength
in the time of trouble; by reason of the hidings of God's face, the temptations of
Satan, the prevalence of corruptions, the weakness of grace, and the many
afflictions that befall them from God and men; the Lord he is their strong hold
and munition of rocks, whither they, betake themselves, and find help,
protection, and safety; he puts underneath everlasting arms, bears them up, and
upholds them with the right hand of his righteousness; and is the strength of
their hearts, of their lives, and of their salvation.
Psalm 37:40 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.
YLT
40And Jehovah doth help them
and deliver them, He delivereth them from the wicked, And saveth them, Because
they trusted in Him!
And the Lord shall help them,.... In their distress,
and out of their troubles, when none else can, and they themselves cannot; and
that seasonably, and sometimes with means, and sometimes without;
and deliver them; out of all their afflictions, which he does
sooner or later; if not in life, yet at death;
he shall deliver them from the wicked; this is
repeated both for confirmation and explanation sake, showing who they are the
Lord will deliver his people from, even from wicked and unreasonable men; he
will not leave them in their hands now to do with them as they shall think fit;
and he will free them from them to all eternity in the other world, where they
shall cease from giving them any trouble;
and save them, because they trust in him; not that
there is any saving virtue in faith, or in trusting in the Lord; the saving
virtue is in the Lord, the object of faith and trust; but inasmuch as the Lord
has appointed salvation to be through faith, or has made that the means of
receiving and enjoying salvation, and the blessings of it, and has declared
that he that believeth shall be saved, he does accordingly save all such
persons; wherefore blessed are they that trust in him. The Chaldee paraphrase
is,
"he
shall redeem them because they trust in his Word.'
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)