Psalms 37:1

PSALM 37

RIGHTEOUS REWARDED; WICKED PUNISHED

This interesting acrostic psalm has long been a popular reservoir for the selection of memory verses. Hymns have been written on some of the statements here, notably, the one, "John Wesley translated from the German, `Commit Thou All Thy Griefs,' or (in some hymnals) `Put Thou Thy Trust in God.'"[1] Also Felix Mendelssohn's "O Rest in the Lord" (in the Oratorio `Elijah') is based upon this chapter.

There is no sufficient grounds for setting aside the assignment of the psalm to David in the superscription; and, if indeed, he wrote it, it seems likely that it is one of the psalms from his old age, based upon Psalms 37:25.

"The theme of the Psalm is stated in the very first line, `Fret not thyself because of the wicked.' This is repeated in Psalms 37:7b and Psalms 37:8."[2]

The design or the purpose of the psalm was described by Rawlinson:

"The object of this poem is to reassure men whose minds are disturbed by the fact of the frequent prosperity of the wicked, and to convince them that in every case retribution will overtake the ungodly man at the last, and to impress upon men that the condition of the righteous, even when they suffer, is far preferable to that of the wicked, what ever prosperity they may enjoy."[3]

For purposes of this study, we shall break the forty verses of this chapter down into these paragraphs, as suggested by Leupold.[4]

(1) Counsel against irritation over evil-doers (Psalms 37:1-2). (2) The need of trust in the Lord (Psalms 37:3-7). (3) Further reasons for avoiding irritation (Psalms 37:8-11). (4) The futility of the wrongdoers' activity (Psalms 37:12-15). (5) The righteous and the wicked contrasted (Psalms 37:16-22). (6). The blessings enjoyed by the righteous (Psalms 37:23-28). (7) Further marks of the righteous (Psalms 37:29-34). (8). Final contrast between the righteous and the wicked (Psalms 37:35-40).

FRET NOT THYSELF OVER EVIL-DOERS

Psalms 37:1-2

"Fret not thyself because of evil-doers.

Neither be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness.

For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,

And wither as the green herb."

"Fret not thyself, etc." (Psalms 37:1). This entire verse is quoted almost verbatim in Proverbs 24:19; and there's also an obvious reference to it in Proverbs 23:17.

Some have deplored the fact that David in his dealings with the problem of the prosperity of the wicked did not have the advantage of the New Testament teaching regarding the ultimate rewards of the righteous in heaven and the eternal punishment of the wicked following the Final Judgment.

Of course, it must be admitted that Old Testament writers indeed had much less information than Christians about such things; but the psalmist's words as they appear in this chapter are fully adequate. "His faith that infinite love rules the universe, that righteousness is always gain, and that wickedness is always loss is grandly and eternally true."[5]

Also, it should be pointed out that faith in the resurrection of the dead belonged to "all the Old Testament saints." The writer of Hebrews noted all of the things that so many of those saints suffered, and `Why did they do it'? The answer is, "That they might obtain a better resurrection"! (Hebrews 11:35).

DeHoff's commentary on this is that, "This psalm teaches that the prosperity of the wicked is superficial and temporary, and that those who trust in God may be certain that, finally, they will be the ones who are blessed,"[6]