NASB

Security of Those Who Trust in the LORD, and Insecurity of the Wicked.
A Psalm of David.

Note: This psalm is in the form of an acrostic with every other line beginning with the succeeding letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

37:1 [cf. Prov. 24:19] Do not fret [worry, anxiety, distress; cf. 37:9; do not get heated] because of evildoers [cause anxiety and create fear],
Be not envious [jealousy is not a good character trait; one way to combat jealousy is to remember the end of the wicked (read Ps. 73:3, 16-17)] toward wrongdoers.

37:2 For they will [if they continue on the same course in defiance of God] wither [the wicked arrogantly act with impunity but only for a season; see mark 8:36] quickly [evil has no staying power and will not win the day] like the grass,

And fade [the clock is ticking on both the wicked and the righteous] like the green herb.



37:3 Trust [even when it seem illogical to do so] in the LORD [trust moves your attention from the problem to the problem solver], and do good [in general and more specifically to those who hate you (Prov. 25:21 and Lk. 6:27)];

Dwell [abide] in the land [the land of promise] and cultivate faithfulness.



37:4 Delight [the wicked delight in their riches, the righteous should take great pleasure in the Lord; cf. Acts 16:25-34 re Paul and Silas singing in prison] yourself in the LORD [we should delight in the Lord rather than in our circumstances];

And He will give [an expression of kindness and favor] you the desires of your heart [the desires of our heart should align with the desires of God’s heart; the closer we draw to God the more our own desires begin to change].



37:5 Commit [(Hebrew) “to roll”; cf. 1 Peter 5:7; roll your heavy burden upon the Lord] your way [the course and cares of life] to the LORD,

Trust also in Him, and He will do it.



37:6 And He will bring forth [for all the world to see] your righteousness as the light [the Lord will vindicate the righteous; the vindication of the righteous will be apparent for all to see],

And your judgment [or righteousness] as the noonday.



37:7 Rest [cf. Ps. 3:5 re David able to sleep in the worst of times] in the LORD [he is the context in which we can rest] and wait [perhaps the hardest command to obey] patiently for Him [cf. Heb. 4:16 re God gives us in-the-nick-of-time kind of help];

Do not fret [to worry or to become anxious] because of him who prospers in his way [because in the end he will lose what matters most — his own soul],

Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes [these individuals always leave fear and destruction in their wake].



37:8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;

Do not fret [cf. 37:1], it leads only to evildoing.



37:9 For evildoers will be cut off [read Ps. 73:3, 16-17 re the end of the wicked],

But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.



37:10 Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more [the success of the wicked is temporary];

And you will look carefully for his place, and he will not be there [cf. Ps. 1:6 and Ps. 103:15-16].



37:11 But the humble [“…the wicked, who have taken more than their fair share, will be destroyed in the end, leaving the meek in sole possession.” (Derek Kidner)] will inherit the land [cf. Matt. 5:5],

And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity [an indication of God’s favor].



37:12 The wicked [the wicked plot evil against the righteous] plots against the righteous [the righteous hope for the redemption of the wicked],

And gnashes at him with his teeth [accentuates the fanatical hatred that the wicked have for the righteous].



37:13 The Lord laughs [cf. Ps. 2:4] at him;

For He sees his day [a day of accounting; no one sins with impunity] is coming [“The evil man does not see how close his destruction is upon his heels…” (CH Spurgeon)].



37:14 The wicked have drawn [a move from mere threats to actual violence] the sword and bent their bow,

To cast down the afflicted and the needy [the wicked target the vulnerable],

To slay those who are upright in conduct [the wicked target the righteous].



37:15 Their sword will enter their own heart [the wicked will be destroyed by their own weapons; see Esther 7:10 re: Haman hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai],

And their bows will be broken [rendering them impotent].



37:16 [cf. Prov. 28:6] Better is the little of the righteous [“I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold…”]

Than the abundance [abundance apart from Christ is poverty] of many wicked.



37:17 For the arms [used to inflict harm] of the wicked will be broken [cf. Ps. 3:7];

But the LORD sustains [upholds with His mighty arms] the righteous [those who trust in Him and seek refuge in Him].



37:18 The LORD knows the days of the blameless [“I am immortal until God’s work for me to do is done. The Lord reigns.” (Henry Martyn)];

And their inheritance will be forever.



37:19 They will not be ashamed [because they have not acted shamefully] in the time of evil;

And in the days of famine they will have [because of the goodness of God] abundance.



37:20 But the wicked will perish [read Prov. 14:12];

And the enemies of the LORD will be like the glory of the pastures [“…the wicked in their pride, beauty, and wealth, shall be like the meadow covered with grass and flowers, soon to be cut down by the scythe the mower, or by the frosts of winter.” (Barnes)],

They [and all that there was of them] vanish—like smoke they vanish [utterly and completely and without a trace] away.



37:21 The wicked borrows [takes on debt] and does not pay back [because he is reckless or incapable of paying his obligations],

But the righteous is gracious and gives [out of abundance].



37:22 For those blessed [to whom the Lord shows favor] by Him will inherit the land;

But those cursed by Him will be cut off [a terrible condition].



37:23 The steps [course of life] of a man are established [ordered, directed, under divine guidance] by the LORD;

And He delights [succeeds and prospers] in his way.



37:24 When he falls [falling into setbacks or disappointments or reverses], he shall not be hurled headlong [knocked down but not knocked out];

Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand [he is upheld by the Lord’s power and not his own].



37:25 [this verse is used in the Jewish prayer after meals] I have been young, and now I am old [have the benefit of lessons learned over the course of a long life];

Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken [by God or by those whom God would use to supply his need],

Or his descendants begging bread [a general truth, although a child who is undisciplined or idle may experience want].



37:26 All day long [an indication that this is his character; he is known by his kindness] he is gracious and lends [the righteous know how to use the abundance God has blessed them with];

And his descendants are a blessing [both blessed and a blessing].



37:27 Depart from evil [create distance from evil], and do good [close the distance with good],

So you will abide [dwell in the land and then afterwards in heaven] forever.



37:28 For the LORD loves justice [that which is right],

And does not forsake His godly ones [cf. Heb. 13:5];

They are preserved [God watches over the godly] forever;

But [contrast the end of the wicked] the descendants of the wicked will be cut off [cf. Ps. 1:67].



37:29 The righteous will inherit [as God’s children, they are heirs to] the land,

And dwell in it forever.



37:30 The mouth of the righteous utters [cf. Eph. 4:29; a person’s tongue is an indicator of their character] wisdom [it is characteristic of the righteous to speak wisdom rather than folly],

And his tongue speaks [“What lies in the well of the heart comes up in the bucket of speech.” / cf. Matt. 12:34-35] justice [of things that are just and righteous].



37:31 The law of his God is in his heart [cf. Ps. 1:2 and 119:11,20];

His steps [his actions] do not [not that he never slips but that for the righteous failure is never final] slip [going astray; because he chooses to stay on the right path; cf. Prov. 13:13].



37:32 The wicked spies [to look for an opportunity to destroy or kill him; a characteristic of the wicked is seeking to harm the righteous] upon the righteous,

And seeks to kill [actual violence; to destroy his reputation] him.



37:33 The LORD [cf. 2 Peter 2:9] will not leave him in his hand [in the grip of the power and rage of the wicked],

Or let him [the righteous] be condemned [ultimately heaven will set all matters right] when he is judged [in the final judgment].



37:34 Wait [this is an act of faith] for the LORD, and keep His way [walk in His path and stay on His path; Prov. 18:21; Ps. 119:67],

And He will exalt you to inherit the land;

When the wicked are cut off, you will see it [the ruin of the wicked].



37:35 I have seen a violent, wicked man

Spreading [in every direction] himself like a luxuriant [flourishing] tree in [rooted in] its native soil [earthly things].



37:36 Then he passed away [both the ungodly and godly pass away and leave their respective legacies], and lo, he was no more [“Men who were in everybody’s mouths but yesterday are forgotten tomorrow, for only virtue is immortal.” (CH Spurgeon)];

I sought for him, but he could not be found [cf. Ps. 103:15-16].



37:37 Mark [keep your eye on; observe; take notice of] the blameless man, and behold the upright [pious];

For the man of peace will have a posterity.



37:38 But transgressors will be altogether [ultimately] destroyed [a different end than the righteous];

The posterity of the wicked will be cut off [from hope and happiness forever].



37:39 But the salvation [temporal, spiritual, eternal] of the righteous is from [the source] the LORD [and not from themselves];

He is their strength in time of trouble.



37:40 And the LORD helps them, and [because they trust in Him] delivers them [out of their distresses and troubles];

He delivers [sometimes sooner and sometimes later] them from the wicked [those intent on doing them harm], and saves [delivers] them,

Because they take refuge in Him [the safest place to be in times of trouble and at all times].