Psalm 37

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:15

Their sword shall enter into their own heart ,.... As Saul's did into his, 1 Samuel 31:4 ; and their bows shall be broken ; the meaning is, that their efforts shall be fruitless, and their attempts in vain; the mischief they have contrived and designed for others shall fall upon themselves; see Psalm 7:15 ; and therefore the saints should not be fretful and envious. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:16

A little that a righteous man hath ,.... It is the portion of the righteous, for the most part, to have but little of this world's goods; some indeed have been rich, as Abraham, Lot, David, Joseph of Arimathea, and others; but, generally speaking, the wicked have the largest share of worldly things, and the righteous but little, and are as having nothing comparatively; and yet their little is better than the riches of many wicked ; not that a little is better than much, or that poverty... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:17

For the arms of the wicked shall be broken ,.... That is, their sword arm, with which they have drawn it; and so shall not be able to strike with it; and with which they have bent their bows, but shall not be able to shoot: and this proves, what is before suggested, that their efforts shall be fruitless; or their substance shall be taken away from them, in which they trusted, and wherein their strength lay; and this confirms what had been just spoken, that the righteous man's little is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:18

The Lord knoweth the days of the upright ,.... Not only how long they shall live, and so fill up their days, the number of them, as Aben Ezra interprets it; but the nature of their days, whether prosperous or adverse; and causes both to work together for their good; and he knows the work of their days, as Jarchi explains it, the actions done by them in faith and love, and to his honour and glory, and which he approves and accepts of in Christ; see Psalm 1:6 ; and their inheritance shall... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:19

They shall not be ashamed in the evil time ,.... Of affliction and persecution, or of old age, or in the day of judgment, when it will go ill with others; see 1 John 2:28 ; and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied : whether it is understood figuratively of a famine of hearing the word, or literally of a proper famine of bread and water: these God will provide for them, as he did for Elijah, and they shall be sure unto them, and therefore let them not fret nor envy. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:20

But the wicked shall perish ,.... In a time of famine, in an evil day, and particularly at the day of judgment: for this is to be understood, not merely of being in bodily distress and want; nor of perishing by death, common to the righteous and the wicked; nor of being in a lost perishing condition, as all men by nature are, but of eternal perdition in hell; and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs, they shall consume ; that is, either they shall consume away as the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:21

The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again ,.... While the wicked live, they are scandalous; they live by borrowing, which was always reckoned mean; see Deuteronomy 28:12 ; and what is worse, as they borrow, they do not design to repay; they take no care nor thought about that, but live upon what they borrow: for this either expresses their incapacity that they cannot pay; or the evil disposition of their mind, which rather seems to be the sense, that they will not pay; but the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:22

For such as be blessed of him ,.... Not of the righteous man; for he blesses them that curse and persecute him, and despitefully use him; but of the Lord, as the Syriac version expresses it; or by the Word of the Lord, as the Targum; both in a providential way, for it is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, and puts into a capacity to give to others; and in a way of grace, with an interest in God as a covenant God in Christ; and with the blessings of grace in him, with a justifying... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:23

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord ,.... Or "of a man" F23 גבר "hominis", Pagninus, Montanus, &c.; ; such a man as is blessed of the Lord; the steps which he takes in life are ordered by the Lord, both with respect to things temporal and spiritual: his good conduct is not of himself, it is a blessing of the Lord, who directs and keeps the feet of his saints, and inclines them to take such steps, and pursue such methods, which he succeeds and prospers; and he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:24

Though he fall ,.... Into temptation, and by it into sins, and these very great ones; from a lively and comfortable exercise of grace, and a degree of steadfastness in the doctrine of grace: he shall not be utterly cast down ; because he is in the arms of everlasting love, and in the hands of Christ Jesus; is on him as the sure foundation, and is kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, and so shall not perish, but have everlasting life; for the Lord upholdeth him with ... read more

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