PSALM XXXVII _Godly directions for those who are in adversity not to envy the_ _prosperity of the wicked, because it is superficial, and of_ _short duration_, 1-22; _to put their confidence in God, and live to his glory, as this_ _is the sure way to be happy in this life, and in that which is_... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:2. _FOR THEY SHALL SOON BE CUT DOWN_] They have their portion in this life; and their enjoyment of it cannot be long, for their breath is but a vapour that speedily vanishes away. They fall before death, as the _greensward_ does before the _scythe_ of the _mower_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:3. _DWELL IN THE LAND_] Do not flee to foreign climes to escape from that providence which, for thy own good, denies thee affluence in thy own country. _AND VERILY THOU SHALT BE FED._] God will provide for thee the _necessaries_ of life: its _conveniences_ might damp thy intellect i... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:4. _DELIGHT THYSELF ALSO IN THE LORD_] Expect all thy happiness _from_ him, and seek it _in_ him. _THE DESIRES OF THINE HEART._] משאלות _mishaloth_, the _petitions._ The godly man never indulges a _desire_ which he cannot form into a _prayer_ to God.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:5. _COMMIT THY WAY UNTO THE LORD_] גול על יהוה _gol al_ _Yehovah_, _ROLL thy way upon the Lord_: probably, a metaphor taken from the _camel_, who lies down till his load be _rolled_ upon him. _HE SHALL BRING_ IT _TO PASS._] יעשה _yaaseh_, "He will _work_." Trust God, and he will wor... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:6. _THY RIGHTEOUSNESS AS THE LIGHT_] As God said in the beginning, "Let there be light, and there was light;" so he shall say, Let thy innocence appear, and it will appear as suddenly and as evident as the _light_ was at the beginning.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:7. _REST IN THE LORD_] דום _dom_, "be silent, be _dumb_." Do not find fault with thy Maker; he does all things well for others, he will do all things well for thee. _AND WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIM_] והתחולל לו _vehithcholel lo_, and _set thyself_ to expect him; and be _determined_ to ex... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:9. _THEY SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH._] The word ארץ _arets_, throughout this Psalm, should be translated _land_, not _earth_; for it is most probable that it refers to the _land of Judea_; and in this verse there is a promise of their _return_ thither.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:10. _FOR YET A LITTLE WHILE, AND THE WICKED_ SHALL _NOT_ BE] A prediction of the destruction of Babylon. This empire was now in its splendour; and the captives lived to see it totally overturned by Cyrus, so that even the shadow of its power did not remain. _THOU SHALT DILIGENTLY CO... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:11. _BUT THE MEEK_] ענוים _anavim_, the _afflicted_, the poor Jewish captives. _SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH_] ארץ _arets_, the _land_ of _Judea_, given by God himself as an _inheritance_ to their fathers, and to their posterity for ever. See Psalms 37:9.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:13. _HE SEETH THAT HIS DAY IS COMING._] The utter desolation of your oppressors is at hand. All this may be said of every _wicked man_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:14. _THE WICKED HAVE DRAWN OUT THE SWORD_] There is an irreconcilable enmity in the souls of sinners against the godly; and there is much evidence that the idolatrous Babylonians _whetted_ _their tongue like a sword, and shot out their arrows, even bitter_ _words_, to malign the poor... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:15. _THEIR SWORD SHALL ENTER INTO THEIR OWN HEART_] All their execrations and maledictions shall fall upon themselves, and their power to do mischief shall be _broken_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:16. _A LITTLE THAT A RIGHTEOUS MAN HATH_] This is a solid _maxim_. Whatever a good man has, has God's blessing in it; even the _blessings_ of the wicked are _cursed_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:17. _THE ARMS OF THE WICKED_] Their power to do evil. Of this they are often deprived. _Talents_ lent and abused shall be resumed, and the misuser called to a severe account by the Lord of the talents.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:18. _THE LORD KNOWETH THE DAYS OF THE UPRIGHT_] He is acquainted with all his _circumstances, severings_, and _ability_ to bear them; and he will either _shorten his trials_ or _increase his_ _power_. The Lord also _approves_ of the man and his concerns; and his _inheritance shall be... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:19. _THEY SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED_] They have expressed strong confidence in the Lord; and he shall so work in their behalf that their enemies shall never be able to say, "Ye have trusted in your God, and yet your enemies have prevailed over you." No; for even _in the days of famine the... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:20. _THE ENEMIES OF THE LORD_ SHALL BE _AS THE FAT OF LAMBS_] This verse has given the critics some trouble. Several of the Versions read thus: "But the enemies of the Lord, as soon as they are exalted to honour, shall vanish; like smoke they vanish." If we follow the _Hebrew_, it in... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:21. _THE WICKED BORROWETH_] Is often reduced to _penury_, and is obliged to become debtor to those whom he before despised. _AND PAYETH NOT AGAIN_] May _refuse_ to do it, because he is a _wicked man_; or be _unable_ to do it, because he is reduced to _beggary_. _BUT THE RIGHTEOUS S... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:22. _SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH_] ארץ _arets_ the _land_, as before. See Psalms 37:11. _SHALL BE CUT OFF._] A _wicked Jew_ shall meet with the same fate as a _wicked Babylonian_; and a _wicked Christian_ shall fare no better.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:23. _THE STEPS OF A GOOD MAN ARE ORDERED BY THE LORD_] There is nothing for _good_ in the text. גבר _geber_ is the original word, and it properly signifies _a strong man_, a _conqueror_ or _hero_; and it appears to be used here to show, that even the _most powerful_ must be supported... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:24. _THOUGH HE FALL, HE SHALL NOT BE UTTERLY CAST DOWN_] The original is short and emphatic כי יפל לא יוטל _ki yippol, lo yutal_, which the _Chaldee_ translates, "Though he should fall into sickness, he shall not die;" for which the reason is given, because _the Lord sustains by his... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:25. _I HAVE BEEN YOUNG, AND_ NOW _AM OLD_] I believe this to be literally true in all cases. I am now grey-headed myself; I have travelled in different countries, and have had many opportunities of seeing and conversing with religious people in all situations in life; and I have not,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:26. He is _EVER MERCIFUL AND LENDETH_] כל היום חונן _kol_ _haiyom chonen_, "all the day he is compassionate." He is confirmed in the habit of godliness: he feels for the distresses of men, and is ready to divide and distribute to all that are in necessity. _AND HIS SEED_ IS _BLESSED... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:27. _DEPART FROM EVIL, AND DO GOOD_] Seeing the above is so, _depart from all evil_-avoid all sin; and let not this be sufficient, _do good_. The grace of God ever gives this _two-fold_ _power_ to all who receive it; strength to _overcome evil_, and strength to _do that which is righ... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:28. _FORSAKETH NOT HIS SAINTS_] את חטידיו _eth chasidaiv, his_ _merciful_ or _compassionate ones_; those who, through love to him and all mankind, are ever ready to give of their substance to the poor. _BUT THE SEED OF THE WICKED SHALL BE CUT OFF._] The children who follow the wicke... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:29. _THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL INHERIT THE LAND_] If this be not another promise of return to their own land, from that of their captivity, it must be spiritually understood, and refer to their eternal dwelling with God in glory.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:30. _THE MOUTH OF THE RIGHTEOUS SPEAKETH WISDOM_] Foolish and corrupt conversation cannot come out of their mouth. They are taught of God, and they speak according to the wisdom that is from above.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:31. _THE LAW OF HIS GOD_ IS _IN HIS HEART_] The Lord promised that a time should come in which he would make a _new covenant_ with the house of Israel; he would put his laws in their minds, and in their hearts he would write them. This is fulfilled in the case above. _NONE OF HIS ST... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:32. _THE WICKED WATCHETH THE RIGHTEOUS, AND SEEKETH TO SLAY_ _HIM._] Similar to what is said Psalms 37:8: "The wicked plotteth against the righteous." But it is added, Psalms 37:33: "The Lord will not leave him in his hands;" he will confound his devices, and save his own servants.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:34. _WAIT ON THE LORD, AND KEEP HIS WAY_] This is the _true_ _mode of waiting on God_ which the Scripture recommends; _keeping_ _God's way_-using all his ordinances, and living in the spirit of obedience. He who _waits_ thus is sure to have the farther blessings of which he is in pur... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:35. _I HAVE SEEN THE WICKED IN GREAT POWER, AND SPREADING_ _HIMSELF LIKE A GREEN BAY-TREE._] Does not this refer to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and to the _vision_ he had of the _great tree which was in the midst of the earth, the head of_ _which reached up to heaven_? See Danie... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:36. _YET HE PASSED AWAY_] Both _Nebuchadnezzar_ and his wicked successor, _Belshazzar_; and on the destruction of the latter, when God had _weighed him in the balance, and found him wanting,_ _numbered his days_, and consigned him to death, his _kingdom was_ _delivered to the Medes a... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:37. _MARK THE PERFECT MAN_] Him who is described above. Take notice of him: he is _perfect in his soul_, God having saved him from all sin, and filled him with his own _love_ and _image_. And he is _upright_ in his _conduct_; and his _end_, die when he may or where he may, is peace,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:39. _THE SALVATION OF THE RIGHTEOUS IS OF THE LORD_] It is the Lord who made them _righteous_, by blotting out their sins, and infusing his Holy Spirit into their hearts; and it is by his grace they are continually sustained, and finally brought to the kingdom of glory: "He is their... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Psalms 37:40. _THE LORD - SHALL DELIVER THEM_] For they are always exposed to trials, and liable to fall. _BECAUSE THEY TRUST IN HIM._] They keep faith, prayer, love, and obedience in continual exercise. They continue to _believe_ in, _love_, and _obey God_; and he continues to _save them_.... [ Continue Reading ]