1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13 The LORD shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
18 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
33 The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
34 Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
40 And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
1 [[A Psalm of David.]] H1732 Fret H2734 not thyself because of evildoers, H7489 neither be thou envious H7065 against the workers H6213 of iniquity. H5766
2 For they shall soon H4120 be cut down H5243 like the grass, H2682 and wither H5034 as the green H3418 herb. H1877
3 Trust H982 in the LORD, H3068 and do H6213 good; H2896 so shalt thou dwell H7931 in the land, H776 and verily H530 thou shalt be fed. H7462
4 Delight H6026 thyself also in the LORD; H3068 and he shall give H5414 thee the desires H4862 of thine heart. H3820
5 Commit H1556 thy way H1870 unto the LORD; H3068 trust H982 also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. H6213
6 And he shall bring forth H3318 thy righteousness H6664 as the light, H216 and thy judgment H4941 as the noonday. H6672
7 Rest H1826 in the LORD, H3068 and wait patiently H2342 for him: fret H2734 not thyself because of him who prospereth H6743 in his way, H1870 because of the man H376 who bringeth H6213 wicked devices H4209 to pass. H6213
8 Cease H7503 from anger, H639 and forsake H5800 wrath: H2534 fret H2734 not thyself in any wise H389 to do evil. H7489
9 For evildoers H7489 shall be cut off: H3772 but those that wait H6960 upon the LORD, H3068 they shall inherit H3423 the earth. H776
10 For yet a little while, H4592 and the wicked H7563 shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider H995 his place, H4725 and it shall not be.
11 But the meek H6035 shall inherit H3423 the earth; H776 and shall delight H6026 themselves in the abundance H7230 of peace. H7965
12 The wicked H7563 plotteth H2161 against the just, H6662 and gnasheth H2786 upon him with his teeth. H8127
13 The Lord H136 shall laugh H7832 at him: for he seeth H7200 that his day H3117 is coming. H935
14 The wicked H7563 have drawn out H6605 the sword, H2719 and have bent H1869 their bow, H7198 to cast down H5307 the poor H6041 and needy, H34 and to slay H2873 such as be of upright H3477 conversation. H1870
15 Their sword H2719 shall enter H935 into their own heart, H3820 and their bows H7198 shall be broken. H7665
16 A little H4592 that a righteous man H6662 hath is better H2896 than the riches H1995 of many H7227 wicked. H7563
17 For the arms H2220 of the wicked H7563 shall be broken: H7665 but the LORD H3068 upholdeth H5564 the righteous. H6662
18 The LORD H3068 knoweth H3045 the days H3117 of the upright: H8549 and their inheritance H5159 shall be for ever. H5769
19 They shall not be ashamed H954 in the evil H7451 time: H6256 and in the days H3117 of famine H7459 they shall be satisfied. H7646
20 But the wicked H7563 shall perish, H6 and the enemies H341 of the LORD H3068 shall be as the fat H3368 of lambs: H3733 they shall consume; H3615 into smoke H6227 shall they consume away. H3615
21 The wicked H7563 borroweth, H3867 and payeth not again: H7999 but the righteous H6662 sheweth mercy, H2603 and giveth. H5414
22 For such as be blessed H1288 of him shall inherit H3423 the earth; H776 and they that be cursed H7043 of him shall be cut off. H3772
23 The steps H4703 of a good man H1397 are ordered H3559 by the LORD: H3068 and he delighteth H2654 in his way. H1870
24 Though he fall, H5307 he shall not be utterly cast down: H2904 for the LORD H3068 upholdeth H5564 him with his hand. H3027
25 I have been young, H5288 and now am old; H2204 yet have I not seen H7200 the righteous H6662 forsaken, H5800 nor his seed H2233 begging H1245 bread. H3899
26 He is ever H3117 merciful, H2603 and lendeth; H3867 and his seed H2233 is blessed. H1293
27 Depart H5493 from evil, H7451 and do H6213 good; H2896 and dwell H7931 for evermore. H5769
28 For the LORD H3068 loveth H157 judgment, H4941 and forsaketh H5800 not his saints; H2623 they are preserved H8104 for ever: H5769 but the seed H2233 of the wicked H7563 shall be cut off. H3772
29 The righteous H6662 shall inherit H3423 the land, H776 and dwell H7931 therein for ever. H5703
30 The mouth H6310 of the righteous H6662 speaketh H1897 wisdom, H2451 and his tongue H3956 talketh H1696 of judgment. H4941
31 The law H8451 of his God H430 is in his heart; H3820 none of his steps H838 shall slide. H4571
32 The wicked H7563 watcheth H6822 the righteous, H6662 and seeketh H1245 to slay H4191 him.
33 The LORD H3068 will not leave H5800 him in his hand, H3027 nor condemn H7561 him when he is judged. H8199
34 Wait H6960 on the LORD, H3068 and keep H8104 his way, H1870 and he shall exalt H7311 thee to inherit H3423 the land: H776 when the wicked H7563 are cut off, H3772 thou shalt see H7200 it.
35 I have seen H7200 the wicked H7563 in great power, H6184 and spreading H6168 himself like a green H7488 bay tree. H249
36 Yet he passed away, H5674 and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought H1245 him, but he could not be found. H4672
37 Mark H8104 the perfect H8535 man, and behold H7200 the upright: H3477 for the end H319 of that man H376 is peace. H7965
38 But the transgressors H6586 shall be destroyed H8045 together: H3162 the end H319 of the wicked H7563 shall be cut off. H3772
39 But the salvation H8668 of the righteous H6662 is of the LORD: H3068 he is their strength H4581 in the time H6256 of trouble. H6869
40 And the LORD H3068 shall help H5826 them, and deliver H6403 them: he shall deliver H6403 them from the wicked, H7563 and save H3467 them, because they trust H2620 in him.
1 Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, Neither be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in Jehovah, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on `his' faithfulness.
4 Delight thyself also in Jehovah; And he will give thee the desires of thy heart.
5 Commit thy way unto Jehovah; Trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass.
6 And he will make thy righteousness to go forth as the light, And thy justice as the noon-day.
7 Rest in Jehovah, and wait patiently for him: Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, Because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: Fret not thyself, `it tendeth' only to evil-doing.
9 For evil-doers shall be cut off; But those that wait for Jehovah, they shall inherit the land.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and he shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plotteth against the just, And gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13 The Lord will laugh at him; For he seeth that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay such as are upright in the way.
15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, And their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is a little that the righteous hath Than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken; But Jehovah upholdeth the righteous.
18 Jehovah knoweth the days of the perfect; And their inheritance shall be for ever.
19 They shall not be put to shame in the time of evil; And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20 But the wicked shall perish, And the enemies of Jehovah shall be as the fat of lambs: They shall consume; In smoke shall they consume away.
21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again; But the righteous dealeth graciously, and giveth.
22 For such as are blessed of him shall inherit the land; And they that are cursed of him shall be cut off.
23 A man's goings are established of Jehovah; And he delighteth in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For Jehovah upholdeth him with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his seed begging bread.
26 All the day long he dealeth graciously, and lendeth; And his seed is blessed.
27 Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell for evermore.
28 For Jehovah loveth justice, And forsaketh not his saints; They are preserved for ever: But the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell therein for ever.
30 The mouth of the righteous talketh of wisdom, And his tongue speaketh justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide.
32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, And seeketh to slay him.
33 Jehovah will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged.
34 Wait for Jehovah, and keep his way, And he will exalt thee to inherit the land: When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
35 I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil.
36 But one passed by, and, lo, he was not: Yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; For there is a `happy' end to the man of peace.
38 As for transgressors, they shall be destroyed together; The end of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is of Jehovah; He is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40 And Jehovah helpeth them, and rescueth them; He rescueth them from the wicked, and saveth them, Because they have taken refuge in him. Psalm 38 A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.
1 By David. Do not fret because of evil doers, Be not envious against doers of iniquity,
2 For as grass speedily they are cut off, And as the greenness of the tender grass do fade.
3 Trust in Jehovah, and do good, Dwell `in' the land, and enjoy faithfulness,
4 And delight thyself on Jehovah, And He giveth to thee the petitions of thy heart.
5 Roll on Jehovah thy way, And trust upon Him, and He worketh,
6 And hath brought out as light thy righteousness, And thy judgment as noon-day.
7 Be silent for Jehovah, and stay thyself for Him, Do not fret because of him Who is making prosperous his way, Because of a man doing wicked devices.
8 Desist from anger, and forsake fury, Fret not thyself only to do evil.
9 For evil doers are cut off, As to those waiting on Jehovah, they possess the land.
10 And yet a little, and the wicked is not, And thou hast considered his place, and it is not.
11 And the humble do possess the land, And they have delighted themselves In the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked is devising against the righteous, And gnashing against him his teeth.
13 The Lord doth laugh at him, For He hath seen that his day cometh.
14 A sword have the wicked opened, And they have trodden their bow, To cause to fall the poor and needy, To slaughter the upright of the way.
15 Their sword doth enter into their own heart, And their bows are shivered.
16 Better `is' the little of the righteous, Than the store of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked are shivered, And Jehovah is sustaining the righteous.
18 Jehovah knoweth the days of the perfect, And their inheritance is -- to the age.
19 They are not ashamed in a time of evil, And in days of famine they are satisfied.
20 But the wicked perish, and the enemies of Jehovah, As the preciousness of lambs, Have been consumed, In smoke they have been consumed.
21 The wicked is borrowing and repayeth not, And the righteous is gracious and giving.
22 For His blessed ones do possess the land, And His reviled ones are cut off.
23 From Jehovah `are' the steps of a man, They have been prepared, And his way he desireth.
24 When he falleth, he is not cast down, For Jehovah is sustaining his hand.
25 Young I have been, I have also become old, And I have not seen the righteous forsaken, And his seed seeking bread.
26 All the day he is gracious and lending, And his seed `is' for a blessing.
27 Turn aside from evil, and do good, and dwell to the age.
28 For Jehovah is loving judgment, And He doth not forsake His saintly ones, To the age they have been kept, And the seed of the wicked is cut off.
29 The righteous possess the land, And they dwell for ever on it.
30 The mouth of the righteous uttereth wisdom, And his tongue speaketh judgment.
31 The law of his God `is' his heart, His steps do not slide.
32 The wicked is watching for the righteous, And is seeking to put him to death.
33 Jehovah doth not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him in his being judged.
34 Look unto Jehovah, and keep His way, And He doth exalt thee to possess the land, In the wicked being cut off -- thou seest!
35 I have seen the wicked terrible, And spreading as a green native plant,
36 And he passeth away, and lo, he is not, And I seek him, and he is not found!
37 Observe the perfect, and see the upright, For the latter end of each `is' peace.
38 And transgressors were destroyed together, The latter end of the wicked was cut off.
39 And the salvation of the righteous `is' from Jehovah, Their strong place in a time of adversity.
40 And Jehovah doth help them and deliver them, He delivereth them from the wicked, And saveth them, Because they trusted in Him!
1 {[A Psalm] of David.} Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, and be not envious of them that work unrighteousness;
2 for they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and fade as the green herb.
3 Confide in Jehovah, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on faithfulness;
4 and delight thyself in Jehovah, and he will give thee the desires of thy heart.
5 Commit thy way unto Jehovah, and rely upon him: he will bring [it] to pass;
6 and he will bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in Jehovah, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him that prospereth in his way, because of the man that bringeth mischievous devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not thyself: it [would be] only to do evil.
9 For evil-doers shall be cut off; but those that wait on Jehovah, they shall possess the land.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked is not; and thou considerest his place, but he is not.
11 But the meek shall possess the land, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of prosperity.
12 The wicked plotteth against the righteous, and gnasheth his teeth against him.
13 The Lord laugheth at him; for he seeth that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the afflicted and needy, to slay those that are upright in [the] way:
15 their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 The little that the righteous hath is better than the abundance of many wicked;
17 for the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but Jehovah upholdeth the righteous.
18 Jehovah knoweth the days of the perfect; and their inheritance shall be for ever:
19 they shall not be ashamed in the time of evil, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20 For the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of Jehovah shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume, like smoke shall they consume away.
21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again; but the righteous is gracious and giveth:
22 for those blessed of him shall possess the land, and they that are cursed of him shall be cut off.
23 The steps of a man are established by Jehovah, and he delighteth in his way:
24 though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for Jehovah upholdeth his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old, and I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed seeking bread:
26 all the day he is gracious and lendeth, and his seed shall be a blessing.
27 Depart from evil, and do good, and dwell for evermore;
28 for Jehovah loveth judgment, and will not forsake his saints: They are preserved for ever; but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall possess the land, and dwell therein for ever.
30 The mouth of the righteous proffereth wisdom, and his tongue speaketh judgment;
31 the law of his God is in his heart; his goings shall not slide.
32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him:
33 Jehovah will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
34 Wait for Jehovah, and keep his way, and he will exalt thee to possess the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see [it].
35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading like a green tree in its native soil:
36 but he passed away, and behold, he was not; and I sought him, but he was not found.
37 Mark the perfect, and behold the upright, for the end of [that] man is peace;
38 but the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is of Jehovah: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
40 And Jehovah will help them and deliver them: he will deliver them from the wicked, and save them; for they trust in him.
1 > Don't fret because of evil-doers, Neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in Yahweh, and do good. Dwell in the land, and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Also delight yourself in Yahweh, And he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to Yahweh. Trust also in him, and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteousness go forth as the light, And your justice as the noon day sun.
7 Rest in Yahweh, and wait patiently for him. Don't fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who makes wicked plots happen.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath. Don't fret, it leads only to evildoing.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off, But those who wait for Yahweh shall inherit the land.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more. Yes, though you look for his place, he isn't there.
11 But the humble shall inherit the land, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord will laugh at him, For he sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To kill those who are upright in the way.
15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart. Their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is a little that the righteous has, Than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, But Yahweh upholds the righteous.
18 Yahweh knows the days of the perfect. Their inheritance shall be forever.
19 They shall not be disappointed in the time of evil. In the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20 But the wicked shall perish. The enemies of Yahweh shall be like the beauty of the fields. They will vanish-- Vanish like smoke.
21 The wicked borrow, and don't pay back, But the righteous give generously.
22 For such as are blessed by him shall inherit the land. Those who are cursed by him shall be cut off.
23 A man's goings are established by Yahweh. He delights in his way.
24 Though he stumble, he shall not fall, For Yahweh holds him up with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his children begging for bread.
26 All day long he deals graciously, and lends. His seed is blessed.
27 Depart from evil, and do good; Live securely forever.
28 For Yahweh loves justice, And doesn't forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, But the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land, And live in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous talks of wisdom. His tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart. None of his steps shall slide.
32 The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to kill him.
33 Yahweh will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged.
34 Wait for Yahweh, and keep his way, And he will exalt you to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
35 I have seen the wicked in great power, Spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil.
36 But he passed away, and, behold, he was not. Yes, I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the perfect man, and see the upright, For there is a future for the man of peace.
38 As for transgressors, they shall be destroyed together. The future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is from Yahweh. He is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40 Yahweh helps them, and rescues them. He rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, Because they have taken refuge in him.
1 <Of David.> Do not be angry because of the wrongdoers, or have envy of the workers of evil.
2 For they will quickly be cut down like grass, and become dry like the green plants.
3 Have faith in the Lord, and do good; be at rest in the land, and go after righteousness.
4 So will your delight be in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires.
5 Put your life in the hands of the Lord; have faith in him and he will do it.
6 And he will make your righteousness be seen like the light, and your cause like the shining of the sun.
7 Take your rest in the Lord, waiting quietly for him; do not be angry because of the man who does well in his evil ways, and gives effect to his bad designs.
8 Put an end to your wrath and be no longer bitter; do not give way to angry feeling which is a cause of sin.
9 For the evil-doers will be cut off: but those who have faith in the Lord will have the earth for their heritage.
10 For in a short time the evil-doer will be gone: you will go searching for his place, and it will not be there.
11 But the gentle will have the earth for their heritage; they will take their delight in peace without measure.
12 The sinner has evil designs against the upright, lifting up the voice of wrath against him.
13 He will be laughed at by the Lord, who sees that his day is coming.
14 The evil-doers have taken out their swords, their bows are bent; for crushing the poor, and to put to death those who are upright in their ways.
15 But their swords will be turned into their hearts, and their bows will be broken.
16 The little which the good man has is better than the wealth of evil-doers.
17 For the arms of the evil-doers will be broken: but the Lord is the support of the good.
18 The days of the upright are numbered by the Lord, and their heritage will be for ever.
19 They will not be shamed in the evil time, and in the days when all are in need of food they will have enough.
20 But the wrongdoers will come to destruction, and the haters of the Lord will be like the fat of lambs, they will be burned up; they will go up in smoke, and never again be seen.
21 The sinner takes money and does not give it back; but the upright man has mercy, and gives to others.
22 Those who have his blessing will have the earth for their heritage; but those who are cursed by him will be cut off.
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he takes delight in his way.
24 Even if he has a fall he will not be without help: for the hand of the Lord is supporting him.
25 I have been young, and now am old, but I have not seen the good man without help, or his children looking for bread.
26 All the day he is ready to have mercy and to give; his children are a blessing.
27 Be turned from evil, and do good; and your place will be for ever.
28 For the Lord is a lover of righteousness, and takes care of his saints; they will be kept safe for ever; but the seed of the evil-doers will be cut off.
29 The upright will have the earth for their heritage, and will go on living there for ever.
30 The mouth of the good man says words of wisdom; the talk of his tongue is of righteousness.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; he will never make a false step.
32 The sinners are watching the upright man, desiring to put him to death.
33 The Lord will not give him into their hands, or be against him when he is judged.
34 Be waiting for the Lord, and keep his way; and you will be lifted up, and have the land for your heritage: when the evil-doers are cut off, you will see it.
35 I have seen the evil-doer in great power, covering the earth like a great tree.
36 But he came to an end, and there was no sign of him; I made a search for him and he was not there.
37 Give attention to the good man, and take note of the upright; because the end of that man is peace.
38 But as for the sinners, they will be cut off together; the end of the wrongdoers is destruction.
39 But the Lord is the saviour of the upright: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
40 And the Lord will be their help, and keep them safe: he will take them out of the hands of the evil-doers, and be their saviour, because they had faith in him.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 37
Commentary on Psalms 37 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
The Seeming Prosperity of the Wicked, and the Real Prosperity of the Godly
The bond of connection between Psalms 36:1-12 and 37 is their similarity of contents, which here and there extends even to accords of expression. The fundamental thought running through the whole Psalm is at once expressed in the opening verses: Do not let the prosperity of the ungodly be a source of vexation to thee, but wait on the Lord; for the prosperity of the ungodly will suddenly come to an end, and the issue determines between the righteous and the unrighteous. Hence Tertullian calls this Psalm providentiae speculum ; Isodore, potio contra murmur ; and Luther, vestis piorum, cui adscriptum: Hic Sanctorum patientia est (Revelation 14:12). This fundamental thought the poet does not expand in strophes of ordinary compass, but in shorter utterances of the proverbial form following the order of the letters of the alphabet, and not without some repetitions and recurrences to a previous thought, in order to impress it still more convincingly and deeply upon the mind. The Psalm belongs therefore to the series Ps 9 and Psalms 10:1, Psalms 25:1, Psalms 34:1, - all alphabetical Psalms of David, of whose language, cheering, high-flown, thoughtful, and at the same time so easy and unartificial, and withal elegant, this Psalm is fully worthy. The structure of the proverbial utterances is almost entirely tetrastichic; though ד , כ , and ק are tristichs, and ח (which is twice represented, though perhaps unintentionally), נ , and ת are pentastichs. The ע is apparently wanting; but, on closer inspection, the originally separated strophes ס and ע are only run into one another by the division of the verses. The ע strophe begins with לעולם , Psalms 37:28 , and forms a tetrastich, just like the ס . The fact that the preposition ל stands before the letter next in order need not confuse one. The ת , Psalms 37:39, also begins with ותשׁועת . The homogeneous beginnings, זמם רשׁע , לוה רשׁע , צופה רשׁע , Psalms 37:12, Psalms 37:21, Psalms 37:32, seem, as Hitzig remarks, to be designed to give prominence to the pauses in the succession of the proverbial utterances.
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 התחרה , to grow hot or angry (distinct from תּחרה , to emulate, Jeremiah 12:5; Jeremiah 22:15), alternates קנּא , 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, Proverbs 24:19, cf. Proverbs 23:17; Proverbs 24:1; Proverbs 3:31; and in general we may remark that this Psalm is one of the Davidic patterns for the Salomonic gnome system. The form ימּלוּ is, according to Gesenius, Olshausen, and Hitzig, fut. Kal of מלל , cognate אמל , they wither away, pausal form for ימּלוּ like יתּממוּ , Psalms 102:28; but the signification to cut off also is secured to the verb מלל by the Niph . נמל , Genesis 17:11, whence fut . ימּלוּ = ימּלּוּ ; vid., on Job 14:2; Job 18:16. ירק דּשׁא is a genitival combination: the green ( viror ) of young vigorous vegetation.
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 Psalms 37:3 , since there are two of them (cf. Psalms 37:27) and the first is without any conjunctive Waw , have the appearance of being continued admonitions, not promises; and consequently אמוּנה is not an adverbial accusative as in Psalms 119:75 (Ewald), but the object to רעה , to pasture, to pursue, to practise (Syriac רדף , Hosea 12:2); cf. רעה , רע , one who interests himself in any one, or anything; Beduin râ‛â = ṣâḥb , of every kind of closer relationship ( Deutsch. Morgenländ. Zeitschr. v. 9). In Psalms 37:4, ויתן is an apodosis: delight in Jahve (cf. Job 22:26; Psalms 27:10; Isaiah 58:14), so will He grant thee the desire ( משׁאלת , as in Psalms 20:5) of thy heart; for he who, entirely severed from the creature, finds his highest delight in God, cannot desire anything that is at enmity with God, but he also can desire nothing that God, with whose will his own is thoroughly blended in love, would refuse him.
The lxx erroneously renders גּול (= גּל , Psalms 22:9) by ἀποκάλυψον instead of ἐπίῤῥιψον , 1 Peter 5:7 : roll the burden of cares of thy life's way upon Jahve, leave the guidance of thy life entirely to Him, and to Him alone, without doing anything in it thyself: He will gloriously accomplish (all that concerns thee): עשׂה , as in Ps 22:32; 52:11; cf. Proverbs 16:3, and Paul Gerhardt's Befiehl du deine Wege , “Commit thou all thy ways,” etc. The perfect in Psalms 37:6 is a continuation of the promissory יעשׂה . הוציא , as in Jeremiah 51:10, signifies to set forth: He will bring to light thy misjudged righteousness like the light (the sun, Job 31:26; Job 37:21, and more especially the morning sun, Proverbs 4:18), which breaks through the darkness; and thy down-trodden right ( משׁפּטך is the pausal form of the singular beside Mugrash ) like the bright light of the noon-day: cf. Isaiah 58:10, as on Psalms 37:4, Isaiah 58:14.
The verb דּמם , with its derivatives (Psalms 62:2, Psalms 62:6; Lamentations 3:28), denotes resignation, i.e., a quiet of mind which rests on God, renounces all self-help, and submits to the will of God. התחולל (from הוּל , to be in a state of tension, to wait) of the inward gathering of one's self together in hope intently directed towards God, as in B. Berachoth 30b is a synonym of התחונן , and as it were reflexive of חלּה of the collecting one's self to importunate prayer. With Psalms 37:7 the primary tone of the whole Psalm is struck anew. On Psalms 37:7 compare the definition of the mischief-maker in Proverbs 24:8.
On הרף (let alone), imper. apoc. Hiph ., instead of הרפּה , vid., Ges. §75, rem. 15. אך להרע is a clause to itself (cf. Proverbs 11:24; Psalms 21:5; Psalms 22:16): it tends only to evil-doing, it ends only in thy involving thyself in sin. The final issue, without any need that thou shouldst turn sullen, is that the מרעים , like to whom thou dost make thyself by such passionate murmuring and displeasure, will be cut off, and they who, turning from the troublous present, make Jahve the ground and aim of their hope, shall inherit the land (vid., Psalms 25:13). It is the end, the final and consequently eternal end, that decides the matter.
The protasis in Psalms 37:10 is literally: adhuc parum ( temporis superest ) , עוד מעט ו , as e.g., Exodus 23:30, and as in a similar connection מעט ו , Job 24:24. והתבּוננתּ also is a protasis with a hypothetical perfect, Ges. §155, 4, a . This promise also runs in the mouth of the Preacher on the Mount (Matthew 5:5) just as the lxx renders Psalms 37:11 : οἱ δὲ πρᾳεῖς κληρονομήσουσι γῆν . Meekness, which is content with God, and renounces all earthly stays, will at length become the inheritor of the land, yea of the earth. Whatever God-opposed self-love may amass to itself and may seek to acquire, falls into the hands of the meek as their blessed possession.
The verb זמם is construed with ל of that which is the object at which the evil devices aim. To gnash the teeth (elsewhere also: with the teeth) is, as in Psalms 35:16, cf. Job 16:9, a gesture of anger, not of mockery, although anger and mockery are usually found together. But the Lord, who regards an assault upon the righteous as an assault upon Himself, laughs (Psalms 2:4) at the enraged schemer; for He, who orders the destinies of men, sees beforehand, with His omniscient insight into the future, his day, i.e., the day of his death (1 Samuel 26:10), of his visitation (Psalms 137:7, Obadiah 1:12, Jeremiah 50:27, Jeremiah 50:31).
That which corresponds to the “treading” or stringing of the bow is the drawing from the sheath or unsheathing of the sword: פּתח , Ezekiel 21:28, cf. Psalms 55:22. The combination ישׁרי־דּרך is just like תמימי־דוך , Psalms 119:1. The emphasis in Psalms 37:14 is upon the suffix of בלבּם : they shall perish by their own weapon. קשּׁתותם has (in Baer) a Shebâ dirimens , as also in Isaiah 5:28 in correct texts.
With Psalms 37:16 accord Proverbs 15:16; Proverbs 16:8, cf. Tobit 12:8. The ל of לצּדּיק is a periphrastic indication of the genitive (Ges. §115). המון is a noisy multitude, here used of earthly possessions. רבּים is not per attract . (cf. Psalms 38:11, הם for הוּא ) equivalent to רב , but the one righteous man is contrasted with many unrighteous. The arms are here named instead of the bow in Psalms 37:15 . He whose arms are broken can neither injure others nor help himself. Whereas Jahve does for the righteous what earthly wealth and human power cannot do: He Himself upholds them.
The life of those who love Jahve with the whole heart is, with all its vicissitudes, an object of His loving regard and of His observant providential care, Psalms 1:6; Psalms 31:8, cf. Psalms 16:1-11. He neither suffers His own to lose their heritage nor to be themselves lost to it. The αἰώνιος κληρονομία is not as yet thought of as extending into the future world, as in the New Testament. In Psalms 37:19 the surviving refers only to this present life.
With כּי the preceding assertion is confirmed by its opposite (cf. Psalms 130:4). כּיקר בּרים forms a fine play in sound; יקר is a substantivized adjective like גּדל ekil evitcejda , Exodus 15:16. Instead of בעשׁן , it is not to be read כּעשׁן , Hosea 13:3; the ב is secured by Psalms 102:4; Psalms 78:33. The idea is, that they vanish into smoke, i.e., are resolved into it, or also, that they vanish in the manner of smoke, which is first thick, but then becomes thinner and thinner till it disappears (Rosenmüller, Hupfeld, Hitzig); both expressions are admissible as to fact and as to the language, and the latter is commended by בּהבל , Psalms 78:33, cf. בּצלם , Psalms 39:7. בעשׁן belongs to the first, regularly accented כּלוּ ; for the Munach by בעשׂן is the substitute for Mugrash , which never can be used where at least two syllables do not precede the Silluk tone (vid., Psalter ii. 503). The second כּלוּ has the accent on the penult . for a change (Ew. §194, c ), i.e., variation of the rhythm (cf. למה למה , Psalms 42:10; Psalms 43:2; עורי עורי , Judges 5:12, and on Psalms 137:7), and in particular here on account of its pausal position (cf. ערוּ , Psalms 137:7).
It is the promise expressed in Deuteronomy 15:6; Deuteronomy 28:12, Deuteronomy 28:44, which is rendered in Psalms 37:21 in the more universal, sententious form. לוה signifies to be bound or under obligation to any one = to borrow and to owe ( nexum esse ). The confirmation of Psalms 37:22 is not inappropriate (as Hitzig considers it, who places Psalms 37:22 after Psalms 37:20): in that ever deeper downfall of the ungodly, and in that charitableness of the righteous, which becomes more and more easy to him by reason of his prosperity, the curse and blessing of God, which shall be revealed in the end of the earthly lot of both the righteous and the ungodly, are even now foretold. Whilst those who reject the blessing of God are cut off, the promise given to the patriarchs is fulfilled in the experience of those who are blessed of God, in all its fulness.
By Jahve ( מן , ἀπό , almost equivalent to ὑπό with the passive, as in Job 24:1; Ecclesiastes 12:11, and in a few other passages) are a man's steps made firm, established; not: ordered or directed (lxx, Jerome, κατευθύνεται ), which, according to the extant usage of the language, would be הוּכנוּ (passive of הכין , Proverbs 16:9; Jeremiah 10:23; 2 Chronicles 27:6), whereas כּוננוּ , the Pulal of כּונן , is to be understood according to Psalms 40:3. By גּבר is meant man in an emphatic sense (Job 38:3), and in fact in an ethical sense; compare, on the other hand, the expression of the more general saying, “Man proposes, and God disposes,” Proverbs 16:9; Proverbs 20:24; Jeremiah 10:23. Psalms 37:23 shows that it is the upright man that is meant in Psalms 37:23 : to the way, i.e., course of life, of such an one God turns with pleasure ( יחפּץ pausal change of vowel for יחפּץ ): supposing he should fall, whether it be a fall arising from misfortune or from error, or both together, he is not prostrated, but Jahve upholds his hand, affords it a firm point of support or fulcrum (cf. תּמך בּ , Psalms 63:9, and frequently), so that he can raise himself again, rise up again.
There is an old theological rule: promissiones corporales intelligendae sunt cum exceptione crucis et castigationis . Temporary forsakenness and destitution the Psalm does not deny: it is indeed even intended to meet the conflict of doubt which springs up in the minds of the God-fearing out of certain conditions and circumstances that are seemingly contradictory to the justice of God; and this it does, by contrasting that which in the end abides with that which is transitory, and in fact without the knowledge of any final decisive adjustment in a future world; and it only solves its problem, in so far as it is placed in the light of the New Testament, which already dawns in the Book of Ecclesiastes.
Psalms 37:27-28
The round of the exhortations and promises is here again reached as in Psalms 37:3. The imperative שׁכן , which is there hortatory, is found here with the ו of sequence in the sense of a promise: and continue, doing such things, to dwell for ever = so shalt thou, etc. ( שׁכן , pregnant as in Ps 102:29, Isaiah 57:15). Nevertheless the imperative retains its meaning even in such instances, inasmuch as the exhortation is given to share in the reward of duty at the same time with the discharge of it. On Psalms 37:28 compare Psalms 33:5.
Psalms 37:28-29
The division of the verse is wrong; for the ס strophe, without any doubt, closes with חסדיו , and the ע eht dna strophe begins with לעולם , so that, according to the text which we possess, the ע of this word is the acrostic letter. The lxx, however, after εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα φυλαχθήσονται has another line, which suggests another commencement for the ע strophe, and runs in Cod. Vat ., incorrectly, ἄμωμοι ἐκδικήσονται , in Cod. Alex ., correctly, ἄνομοι δὲ ἐκδιωχθήσονται (Symmachus, ἄνομοι ἐξαρθήσονται ). By ἄνομος the lxx translates עריץ in Isaiah 29:20; by ἄνομα , עולה in Job 27:4; and by ἐκδιώκειν , הצמית , the synonym of השׁמיד , in Psalms 101:5; so that consequently this line, as even Venema and Schleusner have discerned, was עוּלים נשׁמדוּ . It will at once be seen that this is only another reading for לעולם נשׁמרו ; and, since it stands side by side with the latter, that it is an ancient attempt to produce a correct beginning for the ע strophe, which has been transplanted from the lxx into the text. It is, however, questionable whether this reparation is really a restoration of the original words (Hupfeld, Hitzig); since עוּל ( עויל ) is not a word found in the Psalms (for which reason Böttcher's conjecture of עשׁי עולה more readily commends itself, although it is critically less probable), and לעולם נשׁמרו forms a continuation that is more naturally brought about by the context and perfectly logical.
The verb הגה unites in itself the two meanings of meditating and of meditative utterance (vid., Psalms 2:1), just as אמר those of thinking and speaking. Psalms 37:31 in this connection affirms the stability of the moral nature. The walk of the righteous has a fixed inward rule, for the Tôra is to him not merely an external object of knowledge and a compulsory precept; it is in his heart, and, because it is the Tôra of his God whom he loves, as the motive of his actions closely united with his own will. On תּמעד , followed by the subject in the plural, compare Psalms 18:35; Psalms 73:2 Chethîb .
The Lord as ἀνακρίνων is, as in 1 Corinthians 4:3., put in contrast with the ἀνακρίνειν of men, or of human ἡμέρᾳ . If men sit in judgment upon the righteous, yet God, the supreme Judge, does not condemn him, but acquits him (cf. on the contrary Psalms 109:7). Si condemnamur a mundo , exclaimed Tertullian to his companions in persecution, absolvimur a Deo .
Let the eye of faith directed hopefully to Jahve go on its way, without suffering thyself to be turned aside by the persecution and condemnation of the world, then He will at length raise thee out of all trouble, and cause thee to possess ( לרשׁת , ut possidas et possideas ) the land, as the sole lords of which the evil-doers, now cut off, conducted themselves.
עריץ (after the form צדּיק ) is coupled with רשׁע , must as these two words alternate in Job 15:20 : a terror-inspiring, tyrannical evil-doer; cf. besides also Job 5:3. The participle in Psalms 37:35 forms a clause by itself: et se diffundens , scil. erat . The lxx and Jerome translate as though it were כארז הלבנן , “like the cedars of Lebanon,” instead of כאזרח רענן . But אזרח רענן is the expression for an oak, terebinth, or the like, that has brown from time immemorial in its native soil, and has in the course of centuries attained a gigantic size in the stem, and a wide-spreading overhanging head. ויּעבר does not mean: then he vanished away (Hupfeld and others); for עבר in this sense is not suitable to a tree. Luther correctly renders it: man ging vorüber , one (they) passed by, Ges. §137, 3. The lxx, Syriac, and others, by way of lightening the difficulty, render it: then I passed by.
תּם might even be taken as neuter for תּם , and ישׂר for ישׁר ; but in this case the poet would have written רעה instead of ראה ; שׁמר is therefore used as, e.g., in 1 Samuel 1:12. By כּי that to which attention is specially called is introduced. The man of peace has a totally different lot from the evil-doer who delights in contention and persecution. As the fruit of his love of peace he has אחרית , a future, Proverbs 23:18; Proverbs 24:14, viz., in his posterity, Proverbs 24:20; whereas the apostates are altogether blotted out; not merely they themselves, but even the posterity of the ungodly is cut off, Amos 4:2; Amos 9:1; Ezekiel 23:25. To them remains no posterity to carry forward their name, their אחרית is devoted to destruction (cf. Psalms 109:13 with Numbers 24:20).
The salvation of the righteous cometh from Jahve; it is therefore characterized, in accordance with its origin, as sure, perfect, and enduring for ever. מעוּזּם is an apposition; the plena scriptio serves, as in 2 Samuel 22:33, to indicate to us that מעוז is meant in this passage to signify not a fortress, but a hiding-place, a place of protection, a refuge, in which sense Arab. ma'âd‛llh (the protection of God) and m‛âḏwjh‛llh (the protection of God's presence) is an Arabic expression (also used as a formula of an oath); vid., moreover on Psalms 31:3. The moods of sequence in Psalms 37:40 are aoristi gnomici . The parallelism in Psalms 37:40 is progressive after the manner of the Psalms of degrees. The short confirmatory clause kichā'subo forms an expressive closing cadence.