The wicked plotteth against the just ,.... Forms schemes to make him uneasy, uncomfortable, and unhappy: and gnasheth upon him with his teeth : which expresses his malice and hatred, as David's enemies did upon him, Psalm 35:16 ; and Stephen's, Acts 7:54 . read more
The Lord shall laugh at him ,.... Have him and his plots in derision, confound his schemes, and disappoint him of his designs, bring him into calamity, and laugh at it; see Psalm 2:4 ; for he seeth that his day is coming ; either the day of the Lord, which he has appointed to judge the world in, and which comes suddenly, at unawares, as a thief in the night, and is known unto the Lord, though to none else; or the day of the wicked man's ruin and destruction, to which he is appointed,... read more
The wicked have drawn out the sword ,.... That is, out of the scabbard; they drew upon the righteous, in order to sheath it in them; or they sharpened the sword, as Aben Ezra observes some interpret the word; it may be literally rendered, "opened the sword" F17 חרב פתחו "aperuerunt gladium", Gejerus. , which before lay hid in the scabbard: and have bent their bow ; having put the arrow in it, in order to shoot. The former expression may design the more open, and this the more... read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 37:7-20
In these verses we have, I. The foregoing precepts inculcated; for we are so apt to disquiet ourselves with needless fruitless discontents and distrusts that it is necessary there should be precept upon precept, and line upon line, to suppress them and arm us against them. 1. Let us compose ourselves by believing in God: ?Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him (Ps. 37:7), that is, be well reconciled to all he does and acquiesce in it, for that is best that is, because it is what God has... read more