Psalms 37

This wisdom psalm provides a series of divine injunctions and observations aimed at correcting the believer's perspective on the prosperity of the wicked, urging trust in God's sovereignty over temporal circumstances.

• The Psalmist warns against envy and commands trust in the Lord (vv. 1-11).
• The text depicts the inevitable demise of the wicked in contrast to the sustenance of the righteous (vv. 12-22).
• The Psalmist testifies to God's providence and the steadfast preservation of the righteous (vv. 23-33).
• The final exhortation calls for patient waiting and observation of God's ultimate justice (vv. 34-40).

• Repeated use of the metaphor of 'grass' and 'fading' to describe the fleeting nature of the wicked.
• The recurring promise that the meek shall 'inherit the earth' (ארץ).
• The contrast between being 'cut off' (כרת) and being upheld.
• David's personal testimony reflecting on his lifetime of observing God's faithful care.

It grounds the believer in a theology of divine justice, providing a framework for responding to societal injustice and personal suffering without resorting to sinful resentment.

The believer's responsibility is to trust and obey, as the administration of justice belongs entirely to the Lord.

The poem functions as a didactic argument, alternating between commands to be patient and descriptions of the differing ultimate ends of the righteous and the wicked.

• The Lord will bring forth the righteousness of the faithful as the light (v. 6).
• The meek shall inherit the earth (v. 11).
• The Lord will uphold the righteous (v. 17).
• The Lord will not leave the righteous in the hands of the wicked (v. 33).

• Fret not thyself because of evildoers (v. 1).
• Trust in the Lord, and do good (v. 3).
• Delight thyself also in the Lord (v. 4).
• Commit thy way unto the Lord (v. 5).
• Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him (v. 7).
• Depart from evil, and do good (v. 27).

• Do not be envious against the workers of iniquity (v. 1).
• Fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (v. 8).
• The seed of the wicked shall be cut off (v. 28).

• Attributed to David, likely reflecting his maturity and his lifelong observations of God's dealings with the righteous and the unrighteous.
• The cultural context involves the agricultural lifestyle of ancient Israel, where land ownership (inheritance) was tied to God's covenant blessing.

• The concept of 'inheritance' (nachalah) in Israel was foundational to family identity and survival, making the threat of being 'cut off' (כרת) a severe judgment.
• The 'fretting' described reflects the natural human reaction to witnessing injustice, a universal experience in ancient Near Eastern monarchies where the powerful often exploited the poor.

• This is a wisdom poem, often identified as an acrostic (alphabetical) psalm, designed to teach ethical behavior and theological perspective.
• It shares themes with Proverbs, emphasizing the contrast between the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked.

• The promise that the 'meek shall inherit the earth' is directly echoed by Jesus in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:5), signaling the New Testament's expansion of this promise to the Kingdom of God.
• Matthew Henry observes that the command to 'Commit thy way unto the Lord' is literally 'roll thy way upon the Lord,' which involves a conscious decision to offload the burden of our cares and anxieties regarding the future entirely onto His providence.

• Psalm 37:11 ('the meek shall inherit the earth') is cited by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:5).

• Fret (חָרָה H2734): Literally means to glow or grow warm; figuratively, it describes the internal agitation of anger or envy that consumes the soul.
• Trust (בָּטַח H982): To lean upon or to have firm confidence, implying a security that is anchored outside of oneself.
• Wait (קוָה H6960): To bind together, suggesting an expectation that is active and taut, like a rope under tension, rather than passive waiting.
• Cut off (כָּרַת H3772): To cut or sever; in a covenantal context, it implies total destruction or exclusion from the covenant community.

• The Psalm distinguishes between 'fretting' (a sinful reaction to circumstances) and 'waiting' (a godly response to God's sovereignty).
• David clarifies that God's providence is not always immediate; the believer is often called to wait until the end to see the final resolution.

• There is theological tension regarding the promise of 'inheriting the land' (אֶרֶץ). While historically applied to the Promised Land of Canaan for Israel, the New Testament application to the 'earth' indicates a broader, eschatological hope for the people of God that transcends temporal, geographic boundaries.