PSALM 37 COMMETARYEDITED BY GLE PEASE

ITRODUCTIO

SPURGEO, "Title. Of David. There is but this word to denote the authorship; whether it was a song or a meditation we are not told. It was written by David in his old age Psalms 37:25, and is the more valuable as the record of so varied an experience.Subject. The great riddle of the prosperity of the wicked and the affliction of the righteous, which has perplexed so many, is here dealt with in the light of the future; and fretfulness and repining are most impressively forbidden. It is a Psalm in which the Lord hushes most sweetly the too common repinings of his people, and calms their minds as to his present dealings with his own chosen flock, and the wolves by whom they are surrounded. It contains eight great precepts, is twice illustrated by autobiographical statements, and abounds in remarkable contrasts.Division. The Psalm can scarcely be divided into considerable sections. It resembles a chapter of the book of Proverbs, most of the verses being complete in themselves. It is an alphabetical Psalm: in somewhat broken order, the first letters of the verses follow the Hebrew alphabet. This may have been not only a poetical invention, but a help to memory. The reader is requested to read the Psalm through without comment before he turns to our exposition.

ELLICOTT, "This psalm is mainly composed of quotations and adaptations from older writings, especially the Book of Proverbs (see notes passim), which are strung together with no other art than that suggested by the alphabetical arrangement, all having one end, to comfort the pious Israelite under the spectacle of successful wickedness, confirming him in his trust in Jehovah, and warning him neither to envy the prospects of the impious, nor to despair of his own state. It is by no means a speculative poem. It does not treat the perplexing problems of life philosophically. The poet has one answer, and only one, for the questions handled so pathetically and profoundly in the Book of Job. The happiness of the wicked cannot endure, and the justice of Jehovah will assuredly re-establish the right, punishing the godless and recompensing the patience and fidelity of the godly. This one convictionsincere expression of the religious faith of Israel at any period before the captivityis repeated many times, but never departs from the form of simple assertion. o argument is used, for none is felt to be required. Such conviction as the poets only needs affirmation. The time of the exile when the hope of regaining the Promised Land was the consolation of the pious, probably produced the psalm.

COSTABLE, "This wisdom psalm advances the thought of Psalm 36. ote the

mention of doers of iniquity in Psalm 36:12 and the reference to evildoers in Psalm 37:1. Here David urged the righteous not to let the prosperity of the wicked upset them but to continue to trust in God"s justice. Similar encouragements characterize Psalm 49 , 73. Here the psalmist used several proverbial expressions to convey his exhortation.

"In a moving way the psalmist deals with the issues of life and death, wisdom and folly, and reward and punishment. He is most sensitive to the question of the future and its rewards and sufferings. The psalmist affirms that the Lord will sustain the righteous and that they will fully enjoy the blessings promised to them. The sage sets before the reader or hearer the highway of Wisdom of Solomon , even as our Lord called on his followers to learn from him the way that pleases our Father in heaven ( Matthew 5:2-10)." [ote: VanGemeren, p297.]

This is also an acrostic Psalm , but in this case each strophe (every other verse) begins with the succeeding letter of the Hebrew alphabet. A strophe is a logical unit determined by either the subject matter or the structure of the poem.

"This is the most obviously sapiential [having, providing, or expounding wisdom] of all the psalms. Indeed it is a collection of sayings that might easily be found in the book of Proverbs. It appears to be a rather random collection of sayings without any order or development. However, there is an important qualification to that statement, for this psalm is acrostic and so is crafted with pedagogical purpose. That carefully ordered arrangement corresponds to the claim made for the substance of the psalm; that Isaiah , the world is exceedingly well ordered, and virtue is indeed rewarded." [ote: Brueggemann, p42.]

1 Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong;

BARES, "Fret not thyself - The Hebrew word here means properly to burn, to be kindled, to be inflamed, and is often applied to anger, as if under its influence we become heated: Gen_31:36; Gen_34:7; 1Sa_15:11; 2Sa_19:43. Hence, it means to fret oneself, to be angry, or indignant. Compare Pro_24:19. We should perhaps express the same idea by the word worrying or chafing. The state of mind is that where we are worried, or envious, because others are prosperous and successful, and we are not. The idea is, therefore, closely allied with that in the other part of the verse, neither be thou envious.

Because of evil-doers - Wicked men:

(a) at the fact that there are wicked men, or that God suffers them to live;

(b) at their numbers;

(c) at their success and prosperity.

Neither be thou envious - Envy is pain, mortification, discontent, at the superior excellence or prosperity of others, accompanied often with some degree of malignant feeling, and with a disposition to detract from their merit. It is the result of a comparison of ourselves with others who are more highly gifted or favored, or who are more successful than we are ourselves. The feeling referred to here is that which springs up in the mind when we see persons of corrupt or wicked character prospered, while we, endeavoring to do right, are left to poverty, to disappointment, and to tears.

CLARKE, "Fret not thyself because of evil doers - It is as foolish as it is wicked to repine or be envious at the prosperity of others. Whether they are godly or ungodly, it is God who is the dispenser of the bounty they enjoy; and, most assuredly, he has a right to do what he will with his own. To be envious in such a case, is to arraign the providence of God. And it is no small condescension in the Almighty to reason with such persons as he does in this Psalm.

GILL, "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" (i): in a sinful way; or fret not at their outward prosperity, as it is explained Psa_37:7. The Targum adds, "to be like them", which agrees with Psa_37:8;

neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity; that is, at their present temporal happiness; see Psa_73:3. The Targum adds, as before, to be joined with them; which sense some parallel places seem to incline to, Pro_3:31.

HERY 1-2, "The instructions here given are very plain; much need not be said for the exposition of them, but there is a great deal to be done for the reducing of them to practice, and there they will look best.

I. We are here cautioned against discontent at the prosperity and success of evil-doers (Psa_37:1, Psa_37:2): Fret not thyself, neither be thou envious. We may suppose that David speaks this to himself first, and preaches it to his own heart (in his communing with that upon his bed), for the suppressing of those corrupt passions which he found working there, and then leaves it in writing for instruction to others that might be in similar temptation. That is preached best, and with most probability of success, to others, which is first preached to ourselves. Now, 1. When we look abroad we see the world full of evil-doers and workers of iniquity, that flourish and prosper, that have what they will and do what they will, that live in ease and pomp themselves and have power in their hands to do mischief to those about them. So it was in David's time; and therefore, if it is so still, let us not marvel at the matter, as though it were some new or strange thing. 2. When we look within we find ourselves tempted to fret at this, and to be envious against these scandals and burdens, these blemishes and common nuisances, of this earth. We are apt to fret at God, as if he were unkind to the world and unkind to his church in permitting such men to live, and prosper, and prevail, as they do. We are apt

to fret ourselves with vexation at their success in their evil projects. We are apt to envy them the liberty they take in getting wealth, and perhaps by unlawful means, and in the indulgence of their lusts, and to wish that we could shake off the restraints of conscience and do so too. We are tempted to think them the only happy people, and to incline to imitate them, and to join ourselves with them, that we may share in their gains and eat of their dainties; and this is that which we are warned against: Fret not thyself, neither be thou envious. Fretfulness and envy are sins that are their own punishments; they are the uneasiness of the spirit and the rottenness of the bones; it is therefore in kindness to ourselves that we are warned against them. Yet that is not all; for, 3. When we look forward with an eye of faith we shall see no reason to envy wicked people their prosperity, for their ruin is at the door and they are ripening apace for it, Psa_37:2. They flourish, but as the grass, and as the green herb, which nobody envies nor frets at. The flourishing of a godly man is like that of a fruitful tree (Psa_1:3), but that of the wicked man is like grass and herbs, which are very short-lived. (1.) They will soon wither of themselves. Outward prosperity is a fading thing, and so is the life itself to which it is confined. (2.) They will sooner be cut down by the judgments of God. Their triumphing is short, but their weeping and wailing will be everlasting.

JAMISO, "Psa_37:1-40. A composed and uniform trust in God and a constant course of integrity are urged in view of the blessedness of the truly pious, contrasted in various aspects with the final ruin of the wicked. Thus the wisdom and justice of Gods providence are vindicated, and its seeming inequalities, which excite the cavils of the wicked and the distrust of the pious, are explained. Davids personal history abundantly illustrates the Psalm.

The general sentiment of the whole Psalm is expressed. The righteous need not be vexed by the prosperity of the wicked; for it is transient, and their destiny undesirable.

K&D, "Olshausen observes, The poet keeps entirely to the standpoint of the old Hebrew doctrine of recompense, which the Book of Job so powerfully refutes. But, viewed in the light of the final issue, all God's government is really in a word righteous recompense; and the Old Testament theodicy is only inadequate in so far as the future, which adjusts all present inconsistencies, is still veiled. Meanwhile the punitive justice of God does make itself manifest, as a rule, in the case of the ungodly even in the present world; even their dying is usually a fearful end to their life's prosperity. This it is which the poet means here, and which is also expressed by Job himself in the Book of Job,

Job_27:1. With , to grow hot or angry (distinct from , to emulate, Jer_12:5;

Jer_22:15), alternates , to get into a glow, excandescentia, whether it be the restrained heat of sullen envy, or the incontrollable heat of impetuous zeal which would gladly call down fire from heaven. This first distich has been transferred to the Book of Proverbs, Pro_24:19, cf. Pro_23:17; Pro_24:1; Pro_3:31; and in general we may remark that this Psalm is one of the Davidic patterns for the Salomonic gnome system. The form

they , cognate , is, according to Gesenius, Olshausen, and Hitzig, fut. Kal of

wither away, pausal form for like , Psa_102:28; but the signification to cut off

also is secured to the verb by the Niph. , Gen_17:11, whence fut. = ; vid.,

on Job_14:2; Job_18:16. is a genitival combination: the green (viror) of young vigorous vegetation.

SBC, "I. None who can honestly say they are trying to serve Christ will make such a mistake as to hold up before their own eyes earthly reward as the fit end of spiritual work, and to look upon it as an unheard-of and monstrous thing that a good man should be less successful in this world than a worldly man. The danger is, not that we shall turn atheists or unbelievers, but that we shall be disheartened, not that we shall lose all faith, but that we shall find our faith weakened.

II. The fact is that even when we have learnt what it is that Christ puts before us, there still remains the hope that He will give more than He promises, and that we shall get the best of both worlds. There are men, no doubt, who utterly fail of success in both worlds, for while their want of faith, and truth, and love makes them no servants of Christ, their want of self-control and of common-sense robs them of all chance in this world. But, on the other hand, the thorough-going servant of this world will succeed in this world better than the Christian. And the Christian cannot learn it too soon.

III. What then follows? This follows: that the service of Christ demands a generous devotion. Christians who wish to serve God shall be rewarded, not by His loveno, for that they have always hadbut by being enabled to love Him, for that is the highest of all blessings.

Bishop Temple, Rugby Sermons, 2nd series, p. 267.

Psalms 37:1-2

We need words of soothing such as are breathed in the text. There is enough in society, both profane and professedly religious, to vex the spirit and trouble it with bitterest grief. The slanderers foul tongue is ever ready to attack a holy character. Envys cruel hand is continually outstretched to purloin the crown and the sceptre which would never rightfully fall to its lot. The Psalmist teaches us:

I. That there has ever been a generation of evil-doers. He refers to this generation with the utmost familiarity. All ages have been blackened with the shadow of evil-doers. Notice the terrible energy implied in the designation "workers of iniquity." Reference is not made to men who make a pastime of iniquity, or who occasionally commit themselves to its service, but to those who toil at it as a business.

II. That the servants of God are not to be moved from their course by the generation of the unrighteous. The meaning which the Psalmist conveys is this, that however obscure or trying may be the secular position of the godly, they are not to murmur against the social government of God because the unrighteous are surrounded with all the luxuries which the most extravagant ambition can desire.

III. That a terrible doom awaits the generation of evil-doers. There are three facts which call for the attention of Christians: (1) Your fretfulness is an imputation on the Divine government. (2) Your fretfulness falsifies your attachment to Christian principles. (3) Your fretfulness gives society an erroneous idea of the Gospel.

Parker, The Cavendish Pulpit, p. 193.

CALVI, "1.Fret not thyself because of the wicked. David lays down this as a general principle, that the prosperity of the wicked, in which they greatly rejoice,

should on no account vex or disquiet the children of God, because it will soon fade away. On the other hand, although the people of God are afflicted for a time, yet the issue of their afflictions shall be such, that they have every reason to be contented with their lot. ow all this depends upon the providence of God; for unless we are persuaded that the world is governed by him in righteousness and truth, our minds will soon stagger, and at length entirely fail us. David then condemns two sinful affections of the mind, which are indeed closely allied, and the one of which is generated by the other. He first enjoins the faithful not to fret on account of the wicked; and, secondly, that they should not indulge an envious spirit towards them. For, in the first place, when they see the wicked enjoying prosperity, from which it might naturally be supposed that God regards not the affairs of men, there is a danger lest they should shake off the fear of God, and apostatise from the faith. Then another temptation follows, namely, that the influence of the example of the wicked excites in them a desire to involve themselves in the same wickedness with them. This is the natural sense. The Hebrew words, - , al-tithechar, which we have rendered, Fret not thyself, are by some translated, Do not mingle thyself with. (16) But this interpretation is too forced, and may be disproved by the context; for in the eighth verse, where mention is expressly made of wrath and anger, it would surely be absurd to interpret in another sense the same verb which immediately follows these two words, and which is there used in the same sense and for the same end as in this first verse. In the second place, the order which David observes is very natural; for when the prosperity of the wicked has irritated our minds, we very soon begin to envy them their happiness and ease. First, then, he exhorts us to be on our guard, lest a happiness which is only transitory, or rather imaginary, should vex or disquiet us; and, secondly, lest envy should lead us to commit sin. The reason by which he enforces this exhortation is added in the following verse: for if the wicked flourish to-day like the grass of the field, to-morrow they shall be cut down and wither. We need not wonder that this similitude is often to be met with in the sacred writings, since it is so very appropriate; for we see how soon the strength of the grass decays, and that when cast down by a blast of wind, or parched with the heat of the sun, even without being cut by the hand of man, it withers away. (17) In like manner, David tells us that the judgment of God, like a scythe in the hand of man, shall cut down the wicked, so that they shall suddenly perish.

SPURGEO, "Ver. 1. The Psalm opens with the first precept. It is alas! too common for believers in their hours of adversity to think themselves harshly dealt with when they see persons utterly destitute of religion and honesty, rejoicing in abundant prosperity. Much needed is the command, Fret not thyself because of evildoers. To fret is to worry, to have the heartburn, to fume, to become vexed. ature is very apt to kindle a fire of jealousy when it sees lawbreakers riding on horses, and obedient subjects walking in the mire: it is a lesson learned only in the school of grace, when one comes to view the most paradoxical providences with the devout complacency of one who is sure that the Lord is righteous in all his acts. It seems hard to carnal judgments that the best meat should go to the dogs, while loving children pine for want of it. either be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. The same advice under another shape. When one is poor, despised, and in deep trial, our old Adam

naturally becomes envious of the rich and great; and when we are conscious that we have been more righteous than they, the devil is sure to be at hand with blasphemous reasonings. Stormy weather may curdle even the cream of humanity. Evil men instead of being envied, are to be viewed with horror and aversion; yet their loaded tables, and gilded trappings, are too apt to fascinate our poor half opened eyes. Who envies the fat bullock the ribbons and garlands which decorate him as he is led to the shambles? Yet the case is a parallel one; for ungodly rich men are but as beasts fattened for the slaughter.EXPLAATORY OTES AD QUAIT SAYIGSWhole Psalm. The righteous are preserved in Christ with a special preservation, and in a peculiar safety. In the thirty-seventh Psalm this point is excellently and largely handled, both by direct proof, and by answer to all the usual objections against their safety. That they shall be preserved is affirmed, Psalms 37:3; Psalms 37:17; Psalms 37:23; Psalms 37:25; Psalms 37:32. The objections answered are many.Objection 1. Wicked men flourish. Solution. A righteous man should never grieve at that, for "they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb." Psalms 37:2.Objection 2. Righteous men are in distress. Solution Psalms 37:6. The night of their adversity will be turned into the light of prosperity; and as surely as they can believe when it is night that it shall be day, so surely may they be persuaded when crosses are upon them, that comfort and deliverance shall come.Objection 3. But there are great plots laid against the righteous, and they are pursued with great malice, and their intended ruin is come almost to the very issue. Solution Psalms 37:12-15. The Lord sees all the plots of wicked men, and laughs at their spiteful and foolish malice; while they are busy to destroy the righteous, and hope to have a day against them, "The Lord seeth that their own day is coming upon them, even a day of destruction, a day of great judgment and eternal misery; "their bow shall be broken, and the sword that they have drawn shall enter into their own heart.Objection 4. But the just have but small means. Solution Psalms 37:16-17. "A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous."Objection 5. Heavy times are like to befall them. Solution Psalms 37:19. "They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall have enough."Objection 6. But the wicked wax fatter and fatter, and they prevail in vexing the righteous. Solution Psalms 37:20. Indeed the wicked are fat, but it is but "the fat of lambs, "their prosperity shall soon melt; and as they be like smoke in vexing the godly, so shall they be like smoke in vanishing away.Objection 7. But the righteous do fall. Solution Psalms 37:24. Though he do fall, yet he falls not finally, nor totally, for he "is not utterly cast down; "and besides, there is an upholding providence of God in all the falls of the righteous.Objection 8. We see some wicked men that do not so fall into adversity, but rather are in prosperity to their dying days. Solution Psalms 37:28. Though they do, yet, "their seed shall be cut off."Objection 9. But some wicked men are strong yet, and in their seed spread also. Solution Psalms 37:35-36. ote also that these "spreading bay trees" many times

"soon pass away; "and they and their houses are sometimes "utterly cut off."Objection 10. But upright men are under many and long crosses. Solution Psalms 37:37. Yet "his end is peace."Objection 11. But nobody stands for the godly when they come into question. Solution Psalms 37:39-40. "Their salvation is of the Lord; "he is their strength, he will help them and deliver them, etc.But if we would be thus delivered, observe: 1. That we must not unthankfully fret at God's providence Ps 37:1. 2. We must "trust in the Lord and do good" Ps 37:3. 3. We must "delight ourselves in the Lord, "and not place our contentment on earthly things Ps 37:4. 4. We must "commit our ways to God" Ps 37:5. 5. We must get patience and humble affections Ps 37:7-11. 6. We must be of upright conversation Ps 37:14. 7. We must be merciful Ps 37:25-26. 8. We must "speak righteous things, "and get "the law into our hearts" Ps 37:30-31. 9. We must "keep our way, "and "wait on God" and not use ill means. icolas Byfield.Whole Psalm. This Psalm may well be styled, The good man's cordial in bad times; a sovereign plaister for the plague of discontent; or, a choice antidote against the poison of impatience. athaniel Hardy, in a Funeral Sermon, 1649.Whole Psalm. This Psalm very much reminds one in its construction of the sententious and pithy conciseness of the Book of Proverbs. It does not contain any prayer, nor any direct allusion to David's own circumstances of persecution or distress. It is rather the utterance of sound practical wisdom and godliness from the lips of experience and age, such as we might suppose an elder of the church, or a father of a family, to let fall as he sat with his household gathered around him, and listening to his earnest and affectionate admonitions. Barton Bouchier.Whole Psalm. The present Psalm is one of the alphabetical Psalms, it is called "Providentiae speculum, "by Tertullian; "Potio contra murmur, "by Isidore; "Vestis piorum, "by Luther. Christopher Wordsworth.Ver. 1. Fret, or, inflame not, burn not thyself with anger or grief. John Diodati.Ver. 1. either be thou envious, etc. Queen Elizabeth envied the milkmaid when she was in prison; but if she had known what a glorious reign she should have had afterwards for forty-four years, she would not have envied her. And as little needeth a godly man, though in misery, to envy a wicked man in the ruff of all his prosperity and jollity, considering what he hath in hand, much more what he hath in hope. John Trapp.Ver. 1. Would it not be accounted folly in a man that is heir to many thousands per annum that he should envy a stage player, clothed in the habit of a king, and yet not heir to one foot of land? who, though he have the form, respect, and apparel of a king or nobleman, yet he is, at the same time, a very beggar, and worth nothing? Thus, wicked men, though they are arrayed gorgeously, and fare deliciously, wanting nothing, and having more that heart can wish, yet they are but only possessors: the godly Christian is the heir. What good doth all their prosperity do them? It does but hasten their ruin, not their reward. The ox that is the labouring ox is the longer lived than the ox that is in the pasture; the very putting of him there doth but hasten his slaughter; and when God puts the wicked men into fat pastures, into places of honour and power, it is but to hasten their ruin. Let no man, therefore, fret himself because of evil doers, nor be envious at the prosperity of the wicked; for the candle of the wicked shall be put into everlasting darkness; they

shall soon be cut off, and wither as a green herb. Ludovic de Carbone, quoted by John Spencer.

COFFMA, "RIGHTEOUS REWARDED; WICKED PUISHED

This interesting acrostic psalm has long been a popular reservoir for the selection of memory verses. Hymns have been written on some of the statements here, notably, the one, "John Wesley translated from the German, `Commit Thou All Thy Griefs,' or (in some hymnals) `Put Thou Thy Trust in God.'"[1] Also Felix Mendelssohn's "O Rest in the Lord" (in the Oratorio `Elijah') is based upon this chapter.

There is no sufficient grounds for setting aside the assignment of the psalm to David in the superscription; and, if indeed, he wrote it, it seems likely that it is one of the psalms from his old age, based upon Psalms 37:25.

"The theme of the Psalm is stated in the very first line, `Fret not thyself because of the wicked.' This is repeated in Psalms 37:7b and Psalms 37:8."[2]

The design or the purpose of the psalm was described by Rawlinson:

"The object of this poem is to reassure men whose minds are disturbed by the fact of the frequent prosperity of the wicked, and to convince them that in every case retribution will overtake the ungodly man at the last, and to impress upon men that the condition of the righteous, even when they suffer, is far preferable to that of the wicked, what ever prosperity they may enjoy."[3]For purposes of this study, we shall break the forty verses of this chapter down into these paragraphs, as suggested by Leupold.[4]

(1) Counsel against irritation over evil-doers (Psalms 37:1-2). (2) The need of trust in the Lord (Psalms 37:3-7). (3) Further reasons for avoiding irritation (Psalms 37:8-11). (4) The futility of the wrongdoers' activity (Psalms 37:12-15). (5) The righteous and the wicked contrasted (Psalms 37:16-22). (6). The blessings enjoyed by the righteous (Psalms 37:23-28). (7) Further marks of the righteous (Psalms 37:29-34). (8). Final contrast between the righteous and the wicked (Psalms 37:35-40).

FRET OT THYSELF OVER EVIL-DOERS

Psalms 37:1-2

"Fret not thyself because of evil-doers.

either be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness.

For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,

And wither as the green herb."

"Fret not thyself, etc." (Psalms 37:1). This entire verse is quoted almost verbatim in Proverbs 24:19; and there's also an obvious reference to it in Proverbs 23:17.

Some have deplored the fact that David in his dealings with the problem of the prosperity of the wicked did not have the advantage of the ew Testament teaching regarding the ultimate rewards of the righteous in heaven and the eternal punishment of the wicked following the Final Judgment.

Of course, it must be admitted that Old Testament writers indeed had much less information than Christians about such things; but the psalmist's words as they appear in this chapter are fully adequate. "His faith that infinite love rules the universe, that righteousness is always gain, and that wickedness is always loss is grandly and eternally true."[5]

Also, it should be pointed out that faith in the resurrection of the dead belonged to "all the Old Testament saints." The writer of Hebrews noted all of the things that so many of those saints suffered, and `Why did they do it'? The answer is, "That they might obtain a better resurrection"! (Hebrews 11:35).

DeHoff's commentary on this is that, "This psalm teaches that the prosperity of the wicked is superficial and temporary, and that those who trust in God may be certain that, finally, they will be the ones who are blessed,"[6]

COKE, "David persuadeth to patience and confidence in God, by the different estate of the godly and the wicked.

A Psalm of David.

Title. ledavid. This Psalm was made by David in his old age; and it is an excellent hymn on the equal providence of God, at that time exercised towards the Jews; see the note on Psalms 1:4. It contains an exhortation to good men to persevere in a religious course of life: and David assured them, that if they did so, they should see, as he himself had done, that the prosperity of the wicked should not last long; and that God would certainly reward those who with meekness and patience would continue to trust in, and rely upon him. Dr. Delaney conjectures upon this Psalm, that when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, perceived, upon David's return after the rebellion of Absalom, that the king had conceived an ill opinion of him, through the false suggestions of his servant Ziba, (2 Samuel 16:1-4; 2 Samuel 19:24-30.) it is natural to suppose the generous and upright heart of Mephibosheth to be distressed, dejected, and uneasy to the last degree, and taking rash and repining resolutions to banish himself from a country where he had found such treacherous treatment, &c. And what could be more natural, and more consoling under these circumstances, than for the good king to entreat him to forego those rash resolutions; to admonish him, that if he bore his present low estate with

patience and resignation to the divine will, he should soon see it bettered; to remind him that the prosperity of the wicked was short, &c. And in what words could all this have been conveyed more strongly, than in those of this Psalm? See Life of David, b. i. c. 14, &c. It should be observed, that this Psalm is alphabetical at every other verse; or, more properly, they are made two verses, which should be but one long one; as Lamentations 1:2.

PETT, "This Psalm is another one that is based on the Hebrew alphabet, with each stanza beginning with a different letter commencing at aleph, and follows a 6 6 5 5 pattern (22 letters). Exceptions are Psalms 37:28 b and 39 where in the MT a Lamed precedes the Ayin and a Waw precedes the Tau.

In the Psalm the Psalmist speaks almost as a wisdom teacher as he encourages Gods people to have full trust in YHWH in the confidence that all will then finally turn out for good. If they find themselves in the midst of puzzlement and despair because the unrighteous appear to triumph let that not turn them aside from themselves trusting in YHWH and doing good. For if they do trust Him and continue to do good then they will enjoy His blessing indeed.

The Psalm split up into a number of sections:

1) The Wise Man Does ot Fret When The Unrighteous Appear To Prosper, But Rather Trusts in YHWH, Rolls His Way On Him And Rests in Him (Aleph to Waw - Psalms 37:1-11).2) The Triumphs Of The Unrighteous Are Temporary, And For Them Retribution Will Come, While In Contrast The Righteous Have An Eternal Inheritance To Be Enjoyed Both ow And In The Future (Zayin to Lamed - Psalms 37:12-22).3) The Reward Of The Righteous Is Sure And Abiding (Mem to Pe -Psalms 37:23-31).4) The Contrast Between The Behaviour And Destinies Of The Righteous and The Unrighteous (Tsade to Tau - Psalms 37:32-40).Verses 1-91). The Wise Thing To Do Is ot To Fret When The Wicked Appear To Prosper, But Rather To Trust And Rest In YHWH (Aleph to Waw -Psalms 37:1-9).

Those who are wise will not allow fretting or anger to possess them in the face of the behaviour of the unrighteous, but will instead trust in

YHWH, commit their way to Him, and then confidently rest in Him, for they can know that what they have is permanent, while what the unrighteous have is temporary and will pass away (compare Matthew 6:19-20).

Psalms 37:1-2

A Do not fret yourself because of evildoers,or be you envious against those who work unrighteousness.For they will soon be cut down like the grass,And wither as the green herb.It is often so easy to look around at the prosperity of evildoers and find it a great burden on the heart. It all seems so strange. Why do the wicked prosper, and the good suffer? Why does evil appear to triumph? However, the Psalmist tells us not to fret at such things, nor to be envious of those who work unrighteousness. Rather than fretting we are to turn to trusting prayer, rather than being envious we are to consider all the blessings that are ours in God.

For he reminds us that the unrighteous are not really to be envied. We should remember that their time is but short in the light of eternity. They may appear to be prospering, but the truth is that they will soon be cut down like mown grass, and will wither like the green herb subjected to the burning sun. For them there is no future, and their blessings are but temporary. After that before them lies only darkness and

BI 1-12, "Fret not thyself because of evil-doers.

Fret not

There are many who suppose that it is well-nigh impossible to pass the time of our sojourning here without some degree of anxiety and depression of spirit. I grant you these feelings will come to us, but we are not obliged to welcome them. Luther quaintly said that, whereas we cannot prevent the birds from hovering over and flying round about our heads, we can prevent them from building their nests in our hair. The Lord will net hold us accountable for the suggestions that the devil makes, or our own evil hearts produce, but He does hold us responsible for yielding to those suggestions, and nourishing them.

I. A description of the complaint. Worrying, murmuring, or fretting, is certainly a malady. It must not be regarded as a mere circumstance that afflicts us from without. It is a deep-seated complaint that reigns within. One of the old Puritans says, of one who was always complaining, that he was sick of the frets. He recognized that it was an inward ailment, affecting both soul and body. The root of the mischief was in the

rebellious heart.

1. What is the nature of this complaint? It is of the nature of a fever. Fret not thyself, or as it might be read, Do not grow hot, inflame net thyself, because of evil-doers. Leave to the sea to fret, and fume, and rage, and roar. Leave to the wicked, of whom the troubled sea is so apt an emblem, to toss to and fro, and cast up mire and dirt. Leave to the caged bird, that has no wisdom, to beat itself against the bars and make its incarceration still more unendurable; but for you who are already Gods, who have such a Father and Friend, and such a home, to which you are each moment coming nearer, for you to fret is clean contrary to the spirit of the Gospel; and to the grace which is in Christ Jesus.

2. What are the causes of this complaint?

(1) The prosperity of the wicked. I do not know of anything more likely to contribute to envywhich is nearly always an accompaniment of frettingthan a view of the prosperity of the wicked, that is if that view is a one-sided and short-sided one, as it generally is. The wicked spreads himself like a green bay tree, everything seems to go well with him. But he is a stranger to the one thing needful. He is altogether unacquainted with the joys we know, and what shall his end be? Have you ever found it in your heart to envy the apparent riches of the stage king, who struts his little hour behind the footlights with crown, and robes, and sceptre, and I know not what?

(2) The care that seems inseparable from daily life. So long as we dwell in the land there must be the question of being fed and clothed. I had almost said that religion is a farce and a fraud unless it stoops with me to such matters as these. It does so.

(3) There is another matter that mightily troubles some people, viz. the safeguarding of their reputation. Well, but let not this give rise to fretting and to distrust of God (Psa_37:5-6). What reputation we have is due to Gods grace. If He has made it, He will keep it. Your reputation is not of half so much account as are Gods cause, etc.

3. What are the symptoms of this disease.

(1) It is generally accompanied by envyneither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. Be on the look-out against that green-eyed monster jealousy, for it works havoc in the heart, and havoc everywhere.

(2) It is accompanied also by loss of appetite that is, for the things of God. If we give way to repining, we shall not care for Gods Word, prayer will become almost impossible, the Gospel itself will lose its zest.

(3) Accompanying this fever there is, of course, a very high temperature. It is very easy, when you are in this state of mind, to get angry, and very difficult to cease from wrath.

(4) There is a consuming thirst with this fretting fever, a longing for something one has not got, a parching of the tongue and a drying of the lip, almost unbearable.

(5) The vision is impaired; we do not see things clearly.

(6) There is loss of memory, for we forget the mercies which have gone before, a recollection of which would help us to bear the troubles of the present.

II. The prescription.

1. The first item is trust in the Lord. Faith cures fretting. I believe in the faith curenot as some administer it, but as God administers it. It is the only cure for worrying. If thou trustest all shall be well.

2. Do good. This is the second ingredient in the prescription. Do not give up, do not yield to fear. Do good; get to some practical work for God; continue in the path of daily duty, take spiritual exercise.

8. Diet is a very important matter in fever cases. It reads in the original, Thou shelf be fed with truth. Oh, the patient begins to get better at once, if he is fed on faithfulness. If you eat Gods truth and live on His Word, and drink in His promises, recovery is sure.

4. Delight thyself also in the Lord. Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit. God writes straight on crooked lines; delight in Him if you cannot delight in anybody else; delight in Him if you find no joy in yourself.

5. Commit thy way unto the Lord. Not merely petition the King and then go on worrying, but roll the burden upon the Lord. Then the matter becomes His rather than yours; He accepts the responsibility which is too heavy for you. Too often we shoulder the load again.

6. Rest in the Lord. Any doctor will prescribe rest in a case of fever; without it the patient is not likely to pull through. You must have rest; be still and see the salvation of the Lord, sit silent before God. Rubbing the eye is not likely to bring the mote out. Even if it does it will only inflame the optic more, and fretting is something like rubbing the eyesit only increases the inflammation. Do not strive and struggle.

7. Wait patiently for Him. The buds of His purposes must not be torn rudely open. They will unfold of themselves if you will let them. If you try to expedite matters you will spoil the whole business. Gods time is the best time.

8. Cease from anger and forsake wrath. Ah, I have heard of some people down with the fever who have been foolish enough to do things and to take things which are only calculated to add fuel to the fire. You cannot give up fretting until you begin to forgive. (T. Spurgeon.)

Fretting

1. Fretting in many cases supposes envy. Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, neither be thou envious, etc. Asaph did this, and ha forcibly describes this painful and injurious process in the seventy-third psalm. It became too painful for him. He questioned the rectitude of Providence and the wisdom of God. Just then he was stopped; like Job, he said, Once have I spoken, but I will proceed no further; he fell on his face, confessing, I am foolish, I was envious! and soon the scene changed from darkness to light, from complaining to communion, from fretting to rest in God.

2. While the fretting mood lasts, while we are troubled because God withholds certain things from us which He gives so abundantly to others, expectation from God is excluded. Hope pines when the heart frets, and peace flutters outside that soul which care corrodes, and which complainings fill with discord.

3. Yet many excuses are often made for this line of conduct; and the more it is indulged in, the more it is justified. Wherefore should a living man complain? If a sinner, he has no right to do so; if a saint, no reason: for a sinner deserves hell at any moment, and a saint, though most unworthy, is on his way to a glorious heaven; and his very trials and deprivations are a means of preparing and training him for that better world. (John Cox.)

Fretting

I. The sin. Fretfulness is a sin against,

1. Ourselves. Destroys peace of mind; the mother of bitterness, harshness, fault-finding.

2. Others. Robs homes of their happiness.

3. God. John Wesley once said, I dare no more fret than curse and swear. To have persons at my ears murmuring and fretting at everything, is like tearing the flesh from my bones. By the grace of God I am discontented at nothing. I see God sitting on His throne, and ruling all things.

II. The causes.

1. Envy.

2. Covetousness.

3. Want of faith in God. I have read that one of Cromwells friends was a fretting Christian, to whom everything went wrong. On a certain occasion, when unusually fretful, his sensible servant said, Master, dont you think that God governed the world very well before you came into it? Yes; but why do you ask? Master, dont you think God will govern the world very well after you go out of it? Of course I do. Well, then, cant you trust Him to govern it for the little time you are in it?

III. The cure.

1. Look on the bright side of things.

2. Look not merely at the present, but think of the future.

3. Have faith in God. Then you will welcome whatever comes, knowing that He can help, even by adverse circumstances. (J. Scilley.)

The cure for care

1. Fret not thyself. Do not get into a perilous heat about things. Keep cool! Even in a good cause fretfulness is not a wise helpmeet. Fretting only heats the bearings, it does not generate the steam. It is no help to a train for the axles to get hot; their heat is only a hindrance; the best contributions which the axles can make to the progress of the train is to keep cool.

2. How, then, is fretfulness to be cured? The psalmist brings in the heavenly to correct the earthly. The Lord is the refrain of almost every verse, as though it were only in the power of the heavenly that this dangerous fire could be subdued.

(1) Trust in the Lord. Trust! It is, perhaps, helpful to remember that the word

which is here translated trust is elsewhere in the Old Testament translated careless. Be careless in the Lord! Instead of carrying a load of care let care be absent t It is the carelessness of little children running about the house in the assurance of their fathers providence and love.

(2) Delight thyself in the Lord. How beautiful the phrase! The literal significance is this, Seek for delicacies in the Lord. Yes, and if we only set about with ardent purpose to discover the delicacies of the Lords table, we should have no time and no inclination to fret. But this is just what the majority of us do not do. The delicacies of music are not found in the first half-dozen lessons; it is only in the later stages that we come to the exquisite. And so it is in art, and so it is in literature, and so it is with the things of the Lord. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. Let us be ambitious for the excellent! God has not yet given to us of His best. He always keeps the best wine until the last. When we sit at the table of the Lord, tasting of His delicacies, fretfulness will be unable to breathe.

(3) Commit thy way unto the Lord. Thy way! What is that? Any pure purpose, any worthy ambition, any duty, anything we have got to do, any road we have got to tread, all our outgoings. Commit thy way unto the Lord. Let us commit our beginnings unto Him, before we have gone wrong., let us have His companionship from the very outset of the journey. If I am going out alone, fretfulness will encounter me before I have gone many steps in the way; if I go out in the company of Jesus I shall have the peace that passeth understanding, and the heat of my life will be the ardour of an intense devotion:

(4) Rest in the Lord. Having done all this, and doing it all, trusting in the Lord, delighting in the Lord, committing my way unto the Lord, let me now just rest. Dont worry. Whatever happens, just refer it to the Lord! If it be anything injurious he will suppress it. If it be anything containing helpful ministry He will adapt it to our need. This is the cure for care. (J. H. Jowett, M. A.)

Discontent

David was peculiarly qualified to admonish the righteous as to their demeanour in relation to the ungodly. Never, perhaps, had man hotter conflicts with evil-doers and workers of iniquity, and never were more signal triumphs gained over malignant hosts. We need words of soothing such as are breathed in the text. There is enough in society, both profane and professedly religious, to vex the spirit and trouble it with bitterest grief.

I. That there has ever been a generation of evil-doers. All ages have been blackened with the shadow of evil-doers. Not a single century has been permitted to complete its revolution without being marred by their deadly presence! I ask you to mark the terrible energy implied in the designation workers of iniquity. Reference is not made to men who make a pastime of iniquity, or who occasionally commit themselves to its service, but to those who toil at it as a business. As the merchantman is industrious in commerce, as the philosopher is assiduous in study, as the artist is indefatigable in elaboration, so those slaves of iniquity toil in their diabolic pursuits with an ardour which the most powerful remonstrance seldom abates! They are always ready to serve their master.

II. That the servants of God are not to be moved from their course by the generation of the unrighteous. Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, etc. This language does not sanction carelessness as to the moral condition and destiny of the parties indicated. We need to mourn over it. But we are not to fret over evil-doers, though it be natural to do so, when we think of the terrible harm they do. You punish such men more severely by taking no notice of their malignitythey would rejoice in provoking retaliation. And these evil-doers are often prosperous in their way, whilst the good are often exposed to social hardships. Imagine not that secular prosperity is a pledge of Divine favour.

III. That a terrible doom awaits the generation of evildoers. For they shall soon be cut down, etc. Know ye of any such miserable spectacle as that of a human being cut down? As travellers have wandered over the ruins of classic temples, they have mourned their departed glory, but what are such ruins compared to the ruins of manhood? The heart that might have expanded with holiest emotionwasted! The image of God an irrecoverable wreck! Imagination can paint no horrors so appalling. Though God uses not our chronometers in the measurement of time, yet the wicked themselves will have occasion to exclaim, We are soon cut down! You wrong your own souls in reasoning that to-morrow shall be as this day and more abundant. The hour of your fullest joy is the hour of highest danger. (J. Parker, D. D.)

Neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

Fretful envy

I. A painful passion. There may be fretfulness where there is no envy. One may fret because of the tardy advancement of a cause dear to his heart, or because of the troubles of those in whom he is interested. There is a great deal of fretfulness that is almost constitutional, and therefore innocent and free from all envy; but there can be no envy where there is not fretfulness. What is envy? It is not merely a desire to possess that good which another has: that is emulation. To crave after that which gives power, and worth, and happiness is a laudable ambition. We are commanded to covet earnestly the best gifts. But envy is a malicious desire to possess what others have: it means their deprivation. Jealousy is a dread lest another shall possess what we wish for ourselves; envy is a dislike for another because he actually possesses the good desired; and because it is so impregnated with the malign it is always fretful. It is a grudging, growling passion; it is never at rest.

II. It is a foolish passion. It is directed against the most unenviable of characters. The workers of iniquity will be cut down like the grass.

III. Envying the wicked. Shall the imperial eagle, whose undazzled eye drinks in the splendours of a cloudless sun, envy the worm that never rose an inch beyond its native dust? Shall the sun itself envy the flickering rush-light which the feeblest breeze can extinguish? Shall the heaving ocean, bearing on its bosom the richest merchandise, and reflecting from its deep blue eye the glories of the firmament, envy the little summer pool, which a passing cloud has poured into a foot-print? Sooner shall such envy be called into existence than the true child of God envy the workers of iniquity. (Homilist.)

2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

BARES, "For they shall soon be cut down like the grass - As the grass in the field is cut down by the mower; that is, however prosperous they may seem to be now, they are like the grass in the meadow which is so green and luxuriant, but which is soon to fall under the scythe of the mower. Their prosperity is only temporary, for they will

soon pass away. The idea in the word rendered soon - mehrh - is that of haste or speed: Psa_147:15; Num_16:46; Deu_11:17. The thought is not that it will be done immediately, but that when it occurs it will be a quick and rapid operation - as the grass falls rapidly before the mower.

And wither as the green herb - When it is cut down. That is, not as the dry and stinted shrub that grows in the desert of sand, but like the herb that grows in a garden, or in a marsh, or by the river, that is full of juices, and that needs abundant water to sustain it - like the flag or rush (compare Job_8:11) - and that withers almost instantly when it is cut down. The rapidity with which things wilt is in proportion to the rapidity of their growth, so the prosperity of a sinner is suddenly blasted, and he passes away. Compare Psa_90:5-6.

CLARKE, "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 vapor that speedily vanishes away. They fall before death, as the greensward does before the scythe of the mower.

GILL, "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 Psa_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.

CALVI, "SPURGEO, "Ver. 2. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass. The scythe of death is sharpening. Green grows the grass, but quick comes the scythe. The destruction of the ungodly will be speedy, sudden, sure, overwhelming, irretrievable. The grass cannot resist or escape the mower. And wither as the green herb. The beauty of the herb dries up at once in the heat of the sun, and so all the glory of the wicked shall disappear at the hour of death. Death kills the ungodly man like grass,

and wrath withers him like hay; he dies, and his name rots. How complete an end is made of the man whose boasts had no end! Is it worth while to waste ourselves in fretting about the insect of an hour, an ephemeral which in the same day is born and dies? Within believers there is a living and incorruptible seed which liveth and abideth for ever; why should they envy mere flesh, and the glory of it, which are but as grass, and the flower thereof?EXPLAATORY OTES AD QUAIT SAYIGSVer. 2. Cut down like the grass, with a scythe, and even at one blow. Thomas Wilcocks.Ver. 2. Wither. O bitter word, which will make the ears of them that hear it to tingle! O sentence intolerable, which deprives sinners of all good things, and bringeth them to all woe! The Lord sometime accursed the fig tree, and immediately, not only the leaves, but also the body and root were wholly withered: even so, that fearful curse of the last day shall be no less effectual; for on whomsoever it falleth is shall so scorch them, and shall so make them destitute of God's grace, that they shall never more be able to do, to speak, think, or to hope for any good thing. Thomas Tymme.Ver. 2. Green herb. We cannot gather riper fruit of patience from any tree than is found upon the low shrubs of man's short life; for if that fretting canker of envy at the prosperity of the wicked have overrun thy mind, a malady from which the saints have no shelter to be freed, out of this apothecary's shop take antidote; either thy time is short to behold it, or theirs shorter to enjoy is; "they are set in slippery places, and are suddenly destroyed, "Psalms 73:18; "They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave, " Job 21:13; They shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Edmund Layfield's Sermon, entitled "The Mappe of Man's Mortality and Vanity", 1630.Ver. 2. Sometimes the wicked, like the green herb, wither in their spring, they fall in their rise, they perish in the beginnings of their mischievous designs; but if they do come to a full growth, they grow but to harvest, the fit season of their cutting off. Robert Mossom.

EXPOSITORS DICTIOARY OF TEXTS, "Unto All ations

Psalm 37:2

A Church which is in no sense a Missionary Church is really dead.

I. The spiritual prosperity of the Church at home becomes a fountain to feed missions abroad. The Gospel in its essence is remedial. It claims to be the one means of healing for the common malady of human nature. We may say that all missions are medical missions. The Gospel contemplates the whole world as one vast hospital full of sick souls and wounded hearts, and warped and diseased wills.

II. And therefore this Catholic evangel claims all nations and kindreds and people and tongues for its inheritance. Too often indeed, we hamper its energies and retard its conquests because we assume that pure Christianity necessarily involves any of the external features of our own civilization. Yet surely Asiatics and Africans can

find "saving health" in the ew Testament, without being inoculated with the restless fever which we call "progress".

III. Those who look forward in faith to the fulfilment of God"s missionary promises and the victory of Christ"s Cross, anticipate a Church of the future which will certainly be no mere copy of the Church of the present. It is a strange and marvellous thing that "Christianity has for so long a period been confined mainly to the white people, but its mission is to mankind, and mankind is not in any large proportion white. And surely there are great neglected Christian ideas, ignored and forgotten truths and graces which will be recovered and come to their own in the fullness of time, when Hindu theologies and Chinese mystics and negro saints bring their own characteristic gifts to the Church"s common treasury.

T. H. Darlow, The Upward Galling, p321.

3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

BARES, "Trust in the Lord - Confide in him; rest on him. Instead of allowing the mind to be disturbed and sad, because there are wicked men upon the earth; because they are prosperous and apparently happy; because they may injure you in your person or reputation Psa_37:6, calmly confide in God. Leave all this in his hands. Feel that he rules, and that what he permits is wisely permitted; and that whatever may occur, it will all be overruled for his own glory and the good of the universe.

And do good - Be engaged always in some work of benevolence.

(a) If there are wicked men in the world, if wickedness abounds around us, there is the more reason for our endeavoring to do good. If others are doing evil, we should do good; if they are wicked, we cannot do a better work than to do good to them, for the best way of meeting the wickedness of the world is to do it good.

(b) The best way to keep the mind from complaining, chafing, and fretting, is to be always engaged in doing good; to have the mind always occupied in something valuable and useful. Each one should have so much of his own to do that he will have no thee to murmur and complain, to allow the mind to prey on itself, or to corrode for lack of employment.

So shalt thou dwell in the land - This would be more correctly translated as a command: Dwell in the land. That is, abide safely or securely in the land - referring, perhaps, to the land as the land of promise - the country given to the people of God. The idea is, that they should abide there calmly and securely; that they should not worry

themselves because there were wicked men upon the earth, and because they were successful, but that they should be thankful for their inheritance, and partake gratefully of the bounties which they receive from the hand of God. Compare the notes at Mat_5:5.

And verily thou shalt be fed - Margin, in truth or stableness. The literal meaning would be, Feed on truth. The word rendered fed is here in the imperative mood. It properly means to feed, as a flock; and then, to feed upon anything in the sense of delighting in, or taking pleasure in anything, as if we found our support or sustenance in it; and here it means, doubtless, Feed on truth; that is, seek after truth; find delight in it; let it be the food of your souls. The word here rendered verily means, as in the margin, truth: and the meaning is, that they should seek after truth, and find their support and comfort in that. There are, then, in this verse, four things prescribed as duty, in order to keep the mind calm in view of the fact that wickedness abounds in the world:

(1) to confide in God;

(2) to be actively employed in doing good;

(3) to abide calmly and gratefully in the land which God has given us;

(4) to seek after truth, or a true view of the character and government of God as the great Ruler.

If people would do these things, there would be little complaining and fretting in the world.

CLARKE, "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 in its inventions, and lead thee into idleness; and its superfluities would induce thee to pamper thy passions till the concerns of thy soul would be absorbed in those of the flesh and, after having lived an animal life, thou mightest die without God, and perish everlastingly.

The original, ureehemunah, might be translated, and feed by faith. The

Septuagint has 144, and thou shalt feed upon its riches. The Vulgate Ethiopic, and Arabic, are the same. The Syriac, seek faith. The Chaldee, be strong in the faith. The Anglo-Saxon, and feeded thou shalt be in its welfare. Old Psalter,

and thu sal be fed in ryches of it. But it is probable that emunah here signifies security. And thou shalt be fed in security.

Dr. Delaney supposed that the Psalm might have been written by David in the behalf of Mephibosheth, who, being falsely aecused by his servant Ziba, had formed the resolution to leave a land where he had met with such bad treatment. David, being convinced of his innocence, entreats him to dwell in the land, with the assurance of plenty and protection. It is more likely that it is addressed to the captives in Babylon; and contains the promise that they shall return to their own land, and again enjoy peace and plenty.

GILL, "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 Isa_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" (k), that is, teach it, as Abraham taught his household, and as faithful pastors feed with knowledge and understanding; or "feed by faith" (l), as the just live by it; or, as the Targum renders it, "be strong in faith", as Abraham was, Rom_4:20; or rather, "feed upon truth" (m), 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.

HERY, "II. We are here counselled to live a life on confidence and complacency in God, and that will keep us from fretting at the prosperity of evil-doers; if we do well for our own souls, we shall see little reason to envy those that do so ill for theirs. Here are three excellent precepts, which we are to be ruled by, and, to enforce them, three precious promises, which we may rely upon.

1. We must make God our hope in the way of duty and then we shall have a comfortable subsistence in this world, Psa_37:3. (1.) It is required that we trust in the Lord and do good, that we confide in God and conform to him. The life of religion lies much in a believing reliance on God, his favour, his providence, his promise, his grace, and a diligent care to serve him and our generation, according to his will. We must not think to trust in God and then live as we list. No; it is not trusting God, but tempting him, if we do not make conscience of our duty to him. Nor must we think to do good, and then to trust to ourselves, and our own righteousness and strength. No; we must both trust in the Lord and do good. And then, (2.) It is promised that we shall be well provided for in this world: So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.He does not say, So shalt thou get preferment, dwell in a palace, and be feasted. This is not necessary; a man's life consists not in the abundance of these things; but, Thou shalt have a place to live in, and that in the land, in Canaan, the valley of vision, and thou shalt have food convenient for thee. This is more than we deserve; it is as much as a good man will stipulate for (Gen_28:20) and it is enough for one that is going to heaven. Thou shalt have a settlement, a quiet settlement, and a maintenance, a comfortable maintenance: Verily thou shalt be fed. Some read it, Thou shalt be fed by faith, as the just are said to live by faith, and it is good living, good feeding, upon the promises.

Verily thou shalt be fed, as Elijah in the famine, with what is needful for thee. God himself is a shepherd, a feeder, to all those that trust in him, Psa_23:1.

JAMISO, "Trust sure of safety.

shalt thou dwell or, dwell thou; repose quietly.

verily ... fed or, feed on truth, Gods promise (Psa_36:5; compare Hos_12:1).

K&D 3-4, "The land is throughout this Psalm the promised possession (Heilsgut), viz., the land of Jahve's presence, which has not merely a glorious past, but also a future rich in promises; and will finally, ore perfectly than under Joshua, become the inheritance of the true Israel. It is therefore to be explained: enjoy the quiet sure habitation which God gives thee, and diligently cultivate the virtue of faithfulness. The two imperatives in Psa_37:3, since there are two of them (cf. Psa_37:27) and the first is without any conjunctive Waw, have the appearance of being continued admonitions, not

promises; and consequently is not an adverbial accusative as in Psa_119:75

(Ewald), but the object to , to pasture, to pursue, to practise (Syriac , Hos_12:2);

cf. ,, one who interests himself in any one, or anything; Beduin r = ;

contradictory to the express commands of God, the Christian man should always be found. "Dwell in the land." As the Christian is on the Lords Day, so must he be in the week: a God-fearing citizen as well as a God-fearing Christian, consistent, and at unity with himself.

IV. "Verily thou shalt be fed." Words cannot be plainer than these. The Psalmist himself evidently understood them literally. And to confirm us in this view, we have even a more express command and promise of our Lord Himself: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things" (meat, drink, and raiment) "shall be added to you."

H. Alford, Sermons, p. 213.

Psalms 37:3

I. There is something very significant in the order of thought in the text. It is, "Trust in the Lord, and do good," not Do good, and trust in the Lord. The Psalmist had his eye on the living root out of which all living goodness springs. Good deeds will have a living greenness and a boundless fertility when the root out of which they spring is planted by the river of the grace and the love of God.

II. But what is good? What are good deeds? The Churches are ready enough with their "Do this and live." But God goes at once to the root of the matter: Be good if you would do good. Good, beautiful, Christlike deeds are the effluence of a good, beautiful, Christlike life.

III. The promise, "So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." The Psalmist has no ideal meanings here; he means home and bread. Let a man live out fearlessly the Divine rule, and daily his life will grow richer in love, in honour, and in the supply of all his needs.

J. Baldwin Brown, The Sunday Afternoon, p. 344.

Reference: Psa_37:3-8.H. W. Beecher, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxvii., p. 93.

Psalms 37:3-9

God is building up a kingdom that is invisiblea kingdom of holy thoughts, of pure feelings, of faith, of hope, of righteousness. Gods kingdom is advancing surely, though it advances slowly, and though it is invisible to us. Here then is the foundation of our faith, our hope, our patient waiting. We are to rest on the fact that God is carrying on a work in this world; that He never forgets that work; that He never lets it lag or linger; that it is ever going forward, though we may not see it advance, and though it may seem to be receding.

I. Consider the folly of the discouragement which many feel because men are so imperfect, particularly those who go from a higher to a lower state of society. To such men the word is, Wait on the Lord, wait patiently, and by-and-bye He shall give you the desire of your heart.

II. Consider the folly of envying wicked men when they are in power, and thinking that perhaps it is worth while to be as wicked as they are. Their prosperity, says the Psalm in effect, is at the beginning, and not at the end. Wicked men do prosper for a little while; but in the end they shall have their just reward.

III. There is an application of the subject to those that are in trouble. We have no need to hurry. Wait patiently. Trust in God. Do not give up your faith.

H. W. Beecher, Sermons, 1870, p. 334.

CALVI, "3.Put thy trust in Jehovah, and do good. The inspired writer now goes on, in the second place, to say, that every thing in the end shall be well with the righteous, because they are under the protection of God. But as there is nothing better or more desirable than to enjoy the fostering and protecting care of God, he exhorts them to put their trust in him, and at the same time to follow after goodness and truth. It is not without good reason that he begins with the doctrine of faith, or trust in God; for there is nothing more difficult for men than to preserve their minds in a state of peace and tranquillity, undisturbed by any disquieting fears, whilst they are in this world, which is subject to so many changes. On the other hand, while they see the wicked becoming rich by unjust means, extending their influence, and acquiring power by unrestrained indulgence in sin, it is no less difficult for them steadily to persevere in a life of piety and virtue. or is it sufficient merely to disregard those things that are commonly sought after with the greatest eagerness. Some of the philosophers of antiquity were so noble-minded, that they despised riches unjustly acquired, and abstained from fraud and robbery; nay, they held up to ridicule the vain pomp and splendor of the wicked, which the common people look upon with such high admiration. But as they were destitute of faith, they defrauded God of his honor, and so it happened that they never knew what it was to be truly happy. ow, as David places faith first in order, to show that God is the author of all good, and that by his blessing alone prosperity is to be looked for; so it ought to be observed that he connects this with a holy life: for the man who places his whole confidence in God, and gives himself up to be governed by him, will live uprightly and innocently, and will devote himself to doing good.

Dwell in the land This language is much more expressive than if he had promised that the righteous should dwell securely in the land. (18) It is just as if he had led them to the place, and put them in possession of it. Moreover, by these words he declares that they shall long enjoy it. They are, it is true, only strangers or sojourners in this world, yet the hand of the Lord is stretched forth to protect them, so that they live in security and peace. This David again confirms by the following clause, Thou shalt be fed in truth Assured of the protection of God, he exhorts them to place entire and unsuspecting confidence in him. It is surprising to find how interpreters have wrested, and as it were mangled this clause, by the different meanings they have put upon it. Some take the verb to feed in an active signification; and others understand the expression to feed on faith as denoting to cherish within the heart the promises of God. Others are of opinion that David exhorts us to feed our brethren with faith by ministering to them the pure word of God, which is the spiritual food of the soul. Others render the term for faith in the

sense of sincerity, so that the expression to feed on faith would signify to behave in an upright and honest manner among men. But the scope and connection of the passage necessarily require, and it is quite in accordance with the nature of the Hebrew language, that the verb , re-eh, should be taken in a passive signification, Be fed This, too, is the opinion of the greater part of commentators, who, notwithstanding, afterwards differ in explaining its meaning. Some of them adopt the interpretation, that we are fed with faith, when the promises of God suffice us, and we are satisfied with them. Others give this explanation, Feed thyself with the fruit of faith, because God will indeed show that we have not believed his word in vain. Others explain it in this way, Let truth be thy food, and let nothing give thee greater pleasure than to converse sincerely and frankly with thy neighbors. There is still another interpretation which, although in some respects different, is similar to the preceding, namely, Live not upon spoil, but be content with lawful sustenance; that is to say, with that which is lawfully acquired. (19) It is certainly a shameful and disgraceful thing that so many learned men should have erred in a matter so plain and obvious. (20) Had not every one been led by his own ambition to seek for something new, the true and natural meaning of the prophet would have occurred at once, which is this, Dwell in the land, that thou mayest enjoy it in sure and lasting repose. The Hebrew word , emunah, not only signifies truth or faith, but also secure continuance for a long period. And who does not see that since the possession of the land was given to the righteous, this latter clause was added by way of exposition?

SPURGEO, "Ver. 3. Trust in the Lord. Here is the second precept, and one appropriate to the occasion. Faith cures fretting. Sight is cross-eyed, and views things only as they seem, hence her envy: faith has clearer optics to behold things as they really are, hence her peace. And do good. True faith is actively obedient. Doing good is a fine remedy for fretting. There is a joy in holy activity which drives away the rust of discontent. So shalt thou dwell in the land. In "the land" which floweth with milk and honey; the Canaan of the covenant. Thou shalt not wander in the wilderness of murmuring, but abide in the promised land of content and rest. "We which have believed do enter into rest." Very much of our outward depends upon the inward: where there is heaven in the heart there will be heaven in the house. And verily thou shalt be fed, or shepherded. To integrity and faith necessaries are guaranteed. The good shepherd will exercise his pastoral care over all believers. In truth they shall be fed, and fed on truth. The promise of God shall be their perpetual banquet; they shall neither lack in spirituals nor in temporals. Some read this as an exhortation, "Feed on truth; " certainly this is good cheer, and banishes for ever the hungry heart burnings of envy.EXPLAATORY OTES AD QUAIT SAYIGSVer. 3. ote well the double precept trust and do. This is the true order, the two must go together, the one produces, the other proves; the promise is to both. C. H. S.Ver. 3. So shall thou dwell in the land, etc. Thou shalt have a settlement, a quiet settlement, and a maintenance, a comfortable maintenance: Verily thou shalt be fed; some read it, Thou shalt be fed by faith, as the just are said to live by faith, and it is good living, good feeding upon the promises. Verily thou shalt be fed, as Elijah in the famine, with what is needful for thee. God himself is a shepherd, a feeder to all

those that trust in him, Psalms 23:1. Matthew Henry.Ver. 3. So shalt thou dwell in the land, etc. The land of Canaan was considered as the sum of earthly, and the type of heavenly felicity: to be provided for in the Lord's land, and there to dwell under his protection, near his ordinances, and among his people, was all that the genuine Israelite could desire. Thomas Scott (1744-1821) in loc.Ver. 3. Thou shalt be fed. A manner of speech taken from cattle feeding securely, under the conduct and keeping of a good shepherd. Henry Ainsworth.Ver. 3. Thou shalt be fed. Fed in plenty. Thomas Secker (Archbishop), 1768.Ver. 3. Fed in security. John Parkhurst.

BESO, "Psalms 37:3. Trust in the Lord Depend upon Gods promise for thy protection and support, for their infidelity is the root of their wickedness. And do good Continue in the practice of that which is good and well- pleasing to God. So shalt thou dwell in the land That is, upon this condition thou shalt dwell in safety and quietness in Canaan, as God had often promised. Hebrew, , dwell in the land, as if it were a command to abide in Canaan when troubles came, and not to flee to the Philistines or other heathen for shelter, as he had foolishly done. But it is rather a promise, as appears by comparing this with Psalms 37:27 ; Psalms 37:29, such promises being often expressed by imperative verbs put for futures. And verily thou shalt be fed Hebrew, , feed, or, thou shalt be fed, (that is, every way provided for,) in truth, that is, truly or assuredly; or with, or by faith, as this word signifies; that is, by thy trusting in the Lord: thou shalt live by faith, as is said Habakkuk 2:4 .

ELLICOTT, "(3) The alphabetic structure helps the poet to make an emphatic threefold exhortation to piety. Trust in Jehovah; commit thy way to Jehovah; rest in Jehovah.

So shalt thou dwell . . .The Authorised Version is quite right in taking the verbs in this clause as futures. (Comp. Psalms 37:11; Psalms 37:18; Psalms 37:22.) Emigration, when referred to by the prophets (Jeremiah 25:5; Jeremiah 35:15), is always represented as compulsory, and it was a promise of preservation from it, not a warning against it, that the pious Israelite needed.

And verily thou shalt be fed.Taken literally this promise may be addressed to the Levites, and may contain allusion to their precarious condition, dependent as they were on offerings and tithes, but the Hebrew may also have the meanings: (1) Thou shalt feed on (or enjoy) stability (or security). (Comp. Isaiah 33:6 : and wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times.) (2) Thou shalt pasture on faithfulness, i.e., be supported by Gods truth and righteousness as by a rich pasture. (Comp. Psalms 23:1, and, for the expression, Proverbs 15:14, feedeth on foolishness.) Possibly both were combined in the psalmists thought, for the faithfulness of God is the security of man.

COFFMA, "Verse 3

EED OF TRUST I THE LORD

"Trust in Jehovah, and do good;

Dwell in the land and feed on his faithfulness.

Delight thyself also in Jehovah;

And he will give thee the desires of thy heart.

Commit thy way unto Jehovah;

Trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass.

And he will make thy righteousness go forth as the light,

And the justice as the noonday.

Rest in Jehovah, and wait patiently for him:

Fret not thyself because of him that prospereth in his way,

Because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass."

That marvelous aria from Mendelssohn's Elijah, gives Psalms 37:7 here, along with Psalms 37:1, as the scriptural basis of the words of the aria, which are as follows:

"O rest in the Lord; wait patiently for Him.And He shall give thee thy heart's desires.

Commit thy ways unto Him, and trust in Him,

And fret not thyself because of evil-doers."SIZE>

Every Christian, at one time or another, has marvelled at the success and prosperity of men who are openly profane and wicked; and it is that problem with which the psalmist is dealing.

God's people are repeatedly warned not to "fret." That means not to become irritated, angry, disturbed, or upset by what must appear to many as an injustice. The caution is that we should, `wait,' `trust in the Lord,' `commit our way unto God,' and `rest' in Him. And what will God do? He will continue his `faithfulness' toward us; he will give us the desires of our hearts (according to the margin, this means the things we have prayed for); he will `bring it to pass'; and he will `make the righteous go forth as the light' and the justice of his saints to shine as the noon sun."

These are among the most magnificent promises in the Bible, and God's people can afford to trust them.

SIMEO, "COFIDECE I GOD RECOMMEDED

Psalms 37:3-6. Trust in the Lord, and do good: so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass: and he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noon-day.

IT might be supposed that God, the righteous Governor of the universe, would in this world distinguish his people from his enemies by his visible dispensations towards them: but he does not: he suffers all things to come alike to all; so that none can discern either love or hatred by all that is before them [ote: Ecclesiastes 9:1-2.]. This is often a stumbling-block to the righteous, who are apt to be discouraged, when they see the prosperity of the wicked, and are themselves suffering all manner of adversity. David was at one time greatly dejected, or rather, I should say, offended, at this very thing; and was led to imagine that he had served God for nought [ote: Psalms 73:1-14.]. To guard us against such mistaken views of providence, and against the feelings which they are wont to excite in the breast, he wrote this psalm. That we may not repine at the success of evil-doers, he teaches us to consider, how short their triumph is, and how awful will be their end. He then, in the words of our text, instructs us,

I. What we are to do for God

It is here taken for granted that we have many difficulties to contend with. But instead of being discouraged by them, our duty to God is,

1. To go on steadily in his service

[Trust thou in the Lord, and do good. It should be an established principle in our hearts, that duty is ours, and events are Gods; and that we should attend to our own concerns, and leave God to his. ow beyond all doubt our great concern is, to prosecute and finish the work which God has given us to do. We should not merely attend to good works in general, but consider what is that particular good which God is calling us to do: perhaps it is to exercise meekness and patience; or perhaps to put forth fortitude and firmness. In the event of persecution for righteousness sake, these graces must be cultivated with more than ordinary attention, and be called into action in a more than ordinary degree. We are not to be perplexing our minds with inquiries how we may avert the storm which is gathering around us, but be solely careful not to be shaken either in our principles or conduct, or in any respect to dishonour that God whom we profess to serve. Without this fidelity in the path of duty, all trust in God will be a delusion: but, combined with it, our trust in him is a most pleasing and acceptable service.]

2. To seek our happiness in his presence

[Fidelity itself would not be acceptable, if it proceeded from a principle of slavish fear: we must regard God as a Father, and delight ourselves in him. It is not a low measure of spirituality that we should aim at: we should aspire after such an enjoyment of God as David himself spake of, when he said, I will go unto God, my exceeding joy [ote: Psalms 43:4.]. In order to this, we should meditate upon all his glorious perfections, and especially on those perfections as displayed and magnified in the work of redemption. O! what wonders of love and mercy may we see in our incarnate, our redeeming God! In the contemplation of these we should exercise ourselves day and night, till the fire kindle in our bosoms, and we burst forth in acclamations and hosannahs to our adorable Emmanuel. Say, ye who have ever been so occupied, whether such meditations be not sweet; and whether your souls have not been satisfied as with marrow and fatness, when you have been so employed?]

3. To commit our every concern to his disposal

[Our duty in this respect may not unfitly be illustrated by the confidence which passengers in a ship place in a skilful pilot and an able commander. They trust their persons and their property to the pilot without any anxious cares or painful apprehensions. Conscious of their own incapacity to navigate the ship, they presume not to interfere in the management of the vessel, but leave the whole concern to those whose province it is to conduct it. Whatever storms may arise, they look to him who is at the helm to steer the vessel to its destined port. Thus does the believer commit his way unto the Lord. To God he looks as ordering every thing for his good, yea, as having, if we may so speak, a community of interest with him, and as pledged to bring him in safety to the harbour where he would be. If any anxious thought arise, he checks it; and casts all his care on Him, who careth for him. This we should do in reference to every concern whatever. In relation to temporal things, we should have no more anxiety than the fowls of the air, which subsist from day to day on the bounty of their Creator [ote: Matthew 6:25-34.]: and even in reference to the soul, the same entire confidence must be placed in God, who has engaged to carry on and perfect in his people the work he has begun [ote: Philippians 1:6.]. Let us not however be misunderstood to say, that we are to put away a jealous fear of ourselves: that we must retain even to the end of our lives: but an unbelieving fear of God, as either unable or unwilling to save us, we must cast it off with abhorrence, and be strong in faith, giving glory to God.]

The promises annexed to these several injunctions shew,

II. What God will do for us

Truly he will do exceeding abundantly for us above all that we can ask or think

1. He will supply our wants

[Great and urgent they may be, even like those with which Israel was oppressed on different occasions in the land of Canaan: but God will interpose for us in the hour of need, so that verily we shall be fed. Under the pressure of their troubles, many Jews deserted their own land, and sought for security or plenty among their heathen neighbours: thus they rather fled from trouble, than looked to God, as they should have done, to relieve them from it. We must not act thus: we must not desert our post because of difficulties which we meet with in it; but must expect from God all those supplies of grace and strength which we stand in need of. He that believeth, will not make haste: he will not presently despond, because he sees not how his wants are to be supplied; but will remember, that, as the earth, and the fulness thereof, is the Lords, so there is all fulness of spiritual blessings also treasured up for him in Christ, and he will look to Christ for daily communications, according as his necessities may require. The Lord did not give to Elijah a store of provision that should s