INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 37 [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 wit... [ Continue Reading ]
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 s... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Psalms 90:5; and so the wicked prosper and flourish for a while, and then they perish with all their hono... [ Continue Reading ]
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 th... [ Continue Reading ]
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 h... [ Continue Reading ]
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 every... [ Continue Reading ]
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 J... [ Continue Reading ]
REST IN THE LORD,.... Or "be silent to the Lord" p; 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 th... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Prove... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH,.... Psalms 37:9; of this character Psalms 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 t... [ Continue Reading ]
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, Psalms 35:16; and Stephen's, Acts 7:54.... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Psalms 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... [ Continue Reading ]
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" q, which before lay hid in the scabbard: A... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Psalms... [ Continue Reading ]
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,... [ Continue Reading ]
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 fruitl... [ Continue Reading ]
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 day... [ Continue Reading ]
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 lit... [ Continue Reading ]
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,... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 th... [ Continue Reading ]
THE STEPS OF A [GOOD] MAN ARE ORDERED BY THE LORD,.... Or "of a man" w; 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 an... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 F... [ Continue Reading ]
[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 cap... [ Continue Reading ]
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; Psalms 34:14; AND DWELL FOR EVERMORE; or "t... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE LORD LOVETH JUDGMENT,.... Righteousness, or righteous actions, when done according to his will, from love, in faith, and to his glory; see Psalms 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... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL INHERIT THE LAND,.... Psalms 37:9 and Psalms 37:11; AND DWELL THEREIN FOR EVER; Psalms 37:27.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MOUTH OF THE RIGHTEOUS SPEAKETH WISDOM,.... Or "meditateth wisdom" a; that is, utters the wisdom he has been meditating upon; see Psalms 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... [ Continue Reading ]
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; wh... [ Continue Reading ]
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 unde... [ Continue Reading ]
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 t... [ Continue Reading ]
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, Psalms 73:16; and in a providential way, for the performance of his promises, in which he never fails; and patiently bear whate... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 f... [ Continue Reading ]
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 perf... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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;... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]