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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 37:1-6

The instructions here given are very plain; much need not be said for the exposition of them, but there is a great deal to be done for the reducing of them to practice, and there they will look best. I. We are here cautioned against discontent at the prosperity and success of evil-doers (Ps. 37:1, 2): Fret not thyself, neither be thou envious. We may suppose that David speaks this to himself first, and preaches it to his own heart (in his communing with that upon his bed), for the suppressing... read more

Matthew Henry

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:4

Delight thyself also in the Lord ,.... In the persons in God, Father, Son, and Spirit; in the perfections of God, his power, goodness, faithfulness, wisdom, love, grace, and mercy; in his works of creation, providence, and redemption; in his word, his Gospel, the truths and ordinances of it; in his house, and the worship of it; and in his people, the excellent in the earth, in whom was all the delight of the psalmist; and each of these afford a field of delight and pleasure, to attend unto,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:5

Commit thy way unto the Lord ,.... Or "thy works", as in Proverbs 16:3 ; that is, all the affairs and business of life, which are a man's ways in which he walks; not that men should sit still, be inactive, and do nothing, and leave all to be done by the Lord; but should seek direction of God in everything engaged in, and for strength and assistance to perform it, and go on in it, and depend upon him for success, and give him all the glory, without trusting to any thing done by them: or, as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:6

And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light ,.... That is, the good man having committed his cause to him that judgeth righteously, he will, in his own time, clearly make it appear that it is a righteous one, both to himself and others, in whatsoever obscurity it may have lain; and thy judgment as the noonday ; the same as before, unless rather the righteousness of Christ, which is the believer's by imputation, and is a justifying one in the judgment of God, should be meant;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:7

Rest in the Lord ,.... Or "be silent to the Lord" F16 דום ליהוה "tace Domino", Pagninus, Montanus; "sile", Musculus, Piscator, Tigurine version, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis; so Ainsworth. ; be still, and know that he is God; quietly submit to his will, and acquiesce in all the dispensations of his providence: it does not design a stupid indolence, or a stoical apathy, that we should be like sticks and stones, without any concern at the hand of God upon us; nor an entire silence... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:8

Cease from anger ,.... Either at these wicked men who are so prosperous, or at God, who for the present suffers it; see Jonah 4:9 , Proverbs 19:3 ; and forsake wrath ; which is anger wrought up to a greater degree; and the rather to be shunned and avoided, as being very disagreeable to the character of a good man; fret not thyself in any wise to do evil ; evil may be done by fretting at the prosperity of wicked men, or by imitating them, doing as they do, in hope of being... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:9

For evildoers shall be cut off ,.... Though they flourish for a while, they shall be cut down like the grass or flower of the field, or they shall be cut off as branches from a flourishing tree; they shall be cut off from the earth, and rooted out of it by death or some desolating judgment; see Proverbs 2:22 ; and therefore not to be envied and fretted at; but those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth ; such who attend his word, worship, and ordinances; obey his commands,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:10

For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be ,.... Not that they shall be annihilated or reduced to nothing, because nonentities have no place nor being any where; when they die they shall lift up their eyes in hell; their bodies will rise again at the last day; they shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and go into everlasting punishment; but they shall be no more in the world, and in the same flourishing and prosperous circumstances they were: and this their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 37:11

But the meek shall inherit the earth ,.... See Gill on Psalm 37:9 ; of this character See Gill on Psalm 22:26 . Our Lord seems to refer to this passage in Matthew 5:5 ; and shall delight themselves is the abundance of peace ; of spiritual peace enjoyed in a way of believing, arising from a comfortable view of interest in the blood, righteousness, and sacrifice of Christ; and of all happiness and prosperity in the kingdom of Christ here on earth, at which time there will be... read more

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