Perhaps the wicked were grabbing land that did not belong to them. David assured the people that the wicked would not succeed long. Those who submitted to God’s authority would eventually possess the land He had promised them (cf. Matthew 5:5). The meek are those who choose the way of patient faith rather than self-assertion, as the preceding verses make clear. read more
2. The assurance of just punishment 37:9-22 read more
This is an acrostic Ps., in which the alphabetic arrangement is carried without a break through 22 stanzas of varying length, to which the vv. of the English Bible do not correspond. The contents are closely akin to the maxims of the book of Proverbs, but they are touched with a fervour which elevates them into true poetry. The creed of the Psalmist is that sooner or later, even in this life, wickedness is punished, and righteousness vindicated. This is a theory which, of course, is too simple... read more
(10) For yet a little . . .—Better,For yet a little while, and the wicked is not;Thou lookest at his place, and he is not;i.e., he has dropped out of his place in society, his tribe knows him no more. read more
(11) Shall inherit.—A repetition of Psalms 37:3.—Better, are heirs of the land, i.e., Canaan. Christ’s Beatitude (see Matthew 5:3, N. Test. Commentary) widens the promise and lifts it to a higher level. The quiet, unpretending, contented servant of God gets more true blessedness out of the earth, and so more truly possesses it, than the ungodly, though they be lords of broad acres. read more
Unto All Nations Psalms 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... read more
Psalms 37:1-40THERE is a natural connection between acrostic structure and didactic tone, as is shown in several instances, and especially in this psalm. The structure is on the whole regular, each second verse beginning with the required letter, but here and there the period is curtailed or elongated by one member. Such irregularities do not seem to mark stages in the thought or breaks in the sequence, but are simply reliefs to the monotony of the rhythm, like the shiftings of the place of the... read more
Psalms 37:0 The Blessed Lot of the Righteous Contrasted with the Wicked 1. Waiting for Jehovah and His promise (Psalms 37:1-11 ) 2. The doom of the wicked and the portion of the righteous (Psalms 37:12-20 ) 3. The ways of the righteous and the wicked (Psalms 37:21-29 ) 4. God’s gracious ways with the righteous (Psalms 37:30-40 ) This Psalm is also alphabetical in structure and somewhat proverbial in character. It is full of sweet comfort and encouragement to faith. All the saints of... read more
37:10 {h} For yet a little while, and the wicked [shall] not [be]: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it [shall] not [be].(y) He corrects the impatience of our nature, which cannot abide till the fulness of God’s time is come. read more
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Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Psalms 37:1-40
Psalms 37This wisdom psalm advances the thought of Psalms 36. Note the mention of doers of iniquity in Psalms 36:12 and the reference to evildoers in Psalms 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 Psalms 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... read more