The LORD*. Hebrew. Jehovah. Altered by the Sopherim to Adonai. App-32 . laugh. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6 . day = judgment. "Day" put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6 , for the judgment then to be executed. is coming. So some codices, with Aram, and Syriac Hebrew text = will come. read more
the poor and needy = a poor and needy one. of upright conversation = upright in the (or their) way: i.e. in life. Some codices, with Septuagint and Vulgate, read "upright in heart". read more
THE FUTILITY OF THE WRONGDOER'S ACTIVITY"The wicked plotteth against the justAnd gnasheth upon him with his teeth.The Lord will laugh at him;For he seeth that his day is coming.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.Their sword shall enter into their own heart,And their bows shall be broken.""And gnasheth on him with their teeth" (Psalms 37:12). The technical meaning here is "grinding their teeth,"[7]... read more
Psalms 37:13. That his day is coming— i.e. The day of his punishment: so Jeremiah 5:31. For thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee. See Psalms 137:7. Job 18:20. Isaiah 9:4. read more
Psalms 37:14. The wicked have drawn out the sword, &c.— I cannot but think, says a writer on the Psalms, that these are figurative expressions; and that David understood by these weapons, with which he has furnished the ungodly, their bitter and malicious invectives, their foul and false reproaches, &c. These were the arms, in the use of which, as he frequently complains, they were admirably well skilled. In short, this verse seems to be explained to this sense by Psa 57:4 where,... read more
12. gnasheth . . . teeth—in beastly rage. read more
13. (Compare :-). seeth—knows certainly. his day—of punishment, long delayed, shall yet come ( :-). read more
14, 15. sword, and . . . bow—for any instruments of violence. slay—literally, "slaughter" (1 Samuel 25:11). poor and needy—God's people (Psalms 10:17; Psalms 12:5). The punishment of the wicked as drawn on themselves—often mentioned (compare Psalms 7:15; Psalms 7:16; Psalms 35:8). read more
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
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:1-40
Psalms 37:0 Opposite destiniesThis psalm is an acrostic and a wisdom poem. (Concerning acrostics see notes on Psalms 9:0 and 10. Concerning wisdom literature see introductory notes to Job.) Other wisdom poems are found in Psalms 10:14, 19, 49, 73 and 112.On seeing how wicked people prosper, believers may be tempted to envy them or, worse still, to doubt God’s goodness. The reminder given in this psalm is that no one should judge by outward appearances. The prosperity of worthless people will be... read more