Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 37:3

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 37:3. Dwell in the land — Do not flee to foreign climes to escape from that providence which, for thy own good, denies thee affluence in thy own country.

And verily thou shalt be fed. — God will provide for thee the necessaries of life: its conveniences might damp thy intellect in its inventions, and lead thee into idleness; and its superfluities would induce thee to pamper thy passions till the concerns of thy soul would be absorbed in those of the flesh and, after having lived an animal life, thou mightest die without God, and perish everlastingly.

The original, ורעה אמונה ureeh emunah, might be translated, "and feed by faith." The Septuagint has και ποιμανθησῃ επι τῳ πλουτῳ αυτης, and thou shalt feed upon its riches. The Vulgate AEthiopic, and Arabic, are the same. The Syriac, seek faith. The Chaldee, be strong in the faith. The Anglo-Saxon, [Anglo-Saxon], and feeded thou shalt be in its welfare. Old Psalter, and thu sal be fed in ryches of it. But it is probable that אמונה emunah here signifies security. And thou shalt be fed in security.

Dr. Delaney supposed that the Psalm might have been written by David in the behalf of Mephibosheth, who, being falsely accused by his servant Ziba, had formed the resolution to leave a land where he had met with such bad treatment. David, being convinced of his innocence, entreats him to dwell in the land, with the assurance of plenty and protection. It is more likely that it is addressed to the captives in Babylon; and contains the promise that they shall return to their own land, and again enjoy peace and plenty.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 37:0 Opposite destinies

This 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 shortlived, but the faithfulness of believers will be rewarded (1-4). Believers should therefore not be restless, impatient, or too easily angered when they see the apparent success of the wicked (5-9).
One day all the wicked will be destroyed. The meek will then be the sole possessors of the land (10-11). Lasting prosperity belongs to those who exercise patience and faith, not to those who achieve their selfish goals by wrongdoing. The evil of the wicked will eventually be the cause of their own downfall (12-15).
God will see that those who put spiritual values above material prosperity will, in due course, be materially blessed. But those who put material prosperity before everything else will find that it vanishes like smoke (16-20). Life will have its ups and downs, but through them all God will care for those believers who give generously to others (21-22). They may meet troubles, but God will never desert them. Through their difficulties God will provide for them and enrich their experience of him (23-26).
In the end justice will be done both to those who are good and to those who are bad (27-29). The good people, in God’s sight, are those whose minds are so directed by God’s Word that their speech and behaviour are wise and wholesome. God will not allow the wicked to gain the victory over them (30-34). As a towering cedar tree can be cut down in a few minutes, so those who tyrannize others will be suddenly destroyed (35-36). But God’s goodness protects the godly and saves them in times of trouble (37-40).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

NEED OF TRUST IN THE LORD

“Trust in Jehovah, and do good; Dwell in the land and feed on his faithfulness. Delight thyself also in Jehovah; And he will give thee the desires of thy heart. Commit thy way unto Jehovah; Trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass. And he will make thy righteousness go forth as the light, And the justice as the noonday. Rest in Jehovah, and wait patiently for him: Fret not thyself because of him that prospereth in his way, Because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.”

That marvelous aria from Mendelssohn’s Elijah, gives Psalms 37:7 here, along with Psalms 37:1, as the scriptural basis of the words of the aria, which are as follows:

“O rest in the Lord; wait patiently for Him. And He shall give thee thy heart’s desires.
Commit thy ways unto Him, and trust in Him,
And fret not thyself because of evil-doers.”

Every Christian, at one time or another, has marvelled at the success and prosperity of men who are openly profane and wicked; and it is that problem with which the psalmist is dealing.

God’s people are repeatedly warned not to “fret.” That means not to become irritated, angry, disturbed, or upset by what must appear to many as an injustice. The caution is that we should, `wait,’ `trust in the Lord,’ `commit our way unto God,’ and `rest’ in Him. And what will God do? He will continue his `faithfulness’ toward us; he will give us the desires of our hearts (according to the margin, this means the things we have prayed for); he will `bring it to pass’; and he will `make the righteous go forth as the light’ and the justice of his saints to shine as the noon sun.”

These are among the most magnificent promises in the Bible, and God’s people can afford to trust them.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Trust in the Lord - Confide in him; rest on him. Instead of allowing the mind to be disturbed and sad, because there are wicked men upon the earth; because they are prosperous and apparently happy; because they may injure you in your person or reputation Psalms 37:6, calmly confide in God. Leave all this in his hands. Feel that he rules, and that what he permits is wisely permitted; and that whatever may occur, it will all be overruled for his own glory and the good of the universe.

And do good - Be engaged always in some work of benevolence.

(a) If there are wicked men in the world, if wickedness abounds around us, there is the more reason for our endeavoring to do good. If others are doing evil, we should do good; if they are wicked, we cannot do a better work than to do good to them, for the best way of meeting the wickedness of the world is to do it good.

(b) The best way to keep the mind from complaining, chafing, and fretting, is to be always engaged in doing good; to have the mind always occupied in something valuable and useful. Each one should have so much of his own to do that he will have no thee to murmur and complain, to allow the mind to prey on itself, or to “corrode” for lack of employment.

So shalt thou dwell in the land - This would be more correctly translated as a command: “Dwell in the land.” That is, abide safely or securely in the land - referring, perhaps, to “the land” as the land of promise - the country given to the people of God. The idea is, that they should abide there calmly and securely; that they should not worry themselves because there were wicked men upon the earth, and because they were successful, but that they should be thankful for their inheritance, and partake gratefully of the bounties which they receive from the hand of God. Compare the notes at Matthew 5:5.

And verily thou shalt be fed - Margin, “in truth or stableness.” The “literal” meaning would be, “Feed on truth.” The word rendered “fed” is here in the imperative mood. It properly means to feed, as a flock; and then, to feed upon anything in the sense of delighting in, or taking pleasure in anything, as if we found our support or sustenance in it; and here it means, doubtless, “Feed on truth;” that is, seek after truth; find delight in it; let it be the food of your souls. The word here rendered “verily” means, as in the margin, “truth:” and the meaning is, that they should seek after truth, and find their support and comfort in that. There are, then, in this verse, four things prescribed as duty, in order to keep the mind calm in view of the fact that wickedness abounds in the world:

(1) to confide in God;

(2) to be actively employed in doing good;

(3) to abide calmly and gratefully in the land which God has given us;

(4) to seek after truth, or a true view of the character and government of God as the great Ruler.

If people would do these things, there would be little complaining and fretting in the world.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

3.Put thy trust in Jehovah, and do good. The inspired writer now goes on, in the second place, to say, that every thing in the end shall be well with the righteous, because they are under the protection of God. But as there is nothing better or more desirable than to enjoy the fostering and protecting care of God, he exhorts them to put their trust in him, and at the same time to follow after goodness and truth. It is not without good reason that he begins with the doctrine of faith, or trust in God; for there is nothing more difficult for men than to preserve their minds in a state of peace and tranquillity, undisturbed by any disquieting fears, whilst they are in this world, which is subject to so many changes. On the other hand, while they see the wicked becoming rich by unjust means, extending their influence, and acquiring power by unrestrained indulgence in sin, it is no less difficult for them steadily to persevere in a life of piety and virtue. Nor is it sufficient merely to disregard those things that are commonly sought after with the greatest eagerness. Some of the philosophers of antiquity were so noble-minded, that they despised riches unjustly acquired, and abstained from fraud and robbery; nay, they held up to ridicule the vain pomp and splendor of the wicked, which the common people look upon with such high admiration. But as they were destitute of faith, they defrauded God of his honor, and so it happened that they never knew what it was to be truly happy. Now, as David places faith first in order, to show that God is the author of all good, and that by his blessing alone prosperity is to be looked for; so it ought to be observed that he connects this with a holy life: for the man who places his whole confidence in God, and gives himself up to be governed by him, will live uprightly and innocently, and will devote himself to doing good.

Dwell in the land This language is much more expressive than if he had promised that the righteous should dwell securely in the land. ⁽¹⁸⁾ It is just as if he had led them to the place, and put them in possession of it. Moreover, by these words he declares that they shall long enjoy it. They are, it is true, only strangers or sojourners in this world, yet the hand of the Lord is stretched forth to protect them, so that they live in security and peace. This David again confirms by the following clause, Thou shalt be fed in truth Assured of the protection of God, he exhorts them to place entire and unsuspecting confidence in him. It is surprising to find how interpreters have wrested, and as it were mangled this clause, by the different meanings they have put upon it. Some take the verb to feed in an active signification; and others understand the expression to feed on faith as denoting to cherish within the heart the promises of God. Others are of opinion that David exhorts us to feed our brethren with faith by ministering to them the pure word of God, which is the spiritual food of the soul. Others render the term for faith in the sense of sincerity, so that the expression to feed on faith would signify to behave in an upright and honest manner among men. But the scope and connection of the passage necessarily require, and it is quite in accordance with the nature of the Hebrew language, that the verb רעה, re-eh, should be taken in a passive signification, Be fed This, too, is the opinion of the greater part of commentators, who, notwithstanding, afterwards differ in explaining its meaning. Some of them adopt the interpretation, that we are fed with faith, when the promises of God suffice us, and we are satisfied with them. Others give this explanation, Feed thyself with the fruit of faith, because God will indeed show that we have not believed his word in vain. Others explain it in this way, Let truth be thy food, and let nothing give thee greater pleasure than to converse sincerely and frankly with thy neighbors. There is still another interpretation which, although in some respects different, is similar to the preceding, namely, Live not upon spoil, but be content with lawful sustenance; that is to say, with that which is lawfully acquired. ⁽¹⁹⁾ It is certainly a shameful and disgraceful thing that so many learned men should have erred in a matter so plain and obvious. ⁽²⁰⁾ Had not every one been led by his own ambition to seek for something new, the true and natural meaning of the prophet would have occurred at once, which is this, Dwell in the land, that thou mayest enjoy it in sure and lasting repose. The Hebrew word אמונה, emunah, not only signifies truth or faith, but also secure continuance for a long period. And who does not see that since the possession of the land was given to the righteous, this latter clause was added by way of exposition?

(18) Some read, “Thou shalt dwell in the land.” The Hebrew verb is in the imperative mood; but the imperative in Hebrew is sometimes used for the future of the indicative. — Glass. tom. 1, can. 40, p. 285.

(19) ”C’est dire, qui te vient loyaument.” — Fr.

(20) Modern critics have varied as much in their interpretations of this clause of the verse as those who preceded Calvin, of whom he complains. For example, Ainsworth reads, “Thou shalt be fed by faith;” Archbishop Secker,” Thou shalt be fed in plenty;” Parkhurst, “Thou shalt be fed in security;” Dathe, “Tunc terram inhabitabis et secure vivas,” assigning the reason for this translation to be, that “pascere securitatem, sive si malis, in securitate, nihil aliud est quam secure vivere ;” and Gesenius reads, “Follow after truth,” or, “seek to be faithful,” deriving the verb from a root which signifies to take delight in, orto follow after.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 37:1-40

Psalms 37:1-40 is an interesting psalm of David in which he begins with the words,

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity ( Psalms 37:1 ).

In verse Psalms 37:7 he also says, "Fret not thyself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devises to pass." In verse Psalms 37:8 , "Fret not thyself in any wise to do evil."

Now a common characteristic of our lives is that of fretfulness. How easy it is to fret over situations. How easy it is to worry. How easy it is to become anxious. And the things that create the fretfulness within my own heart are just these things that are spoken of here: the evildoers, those who are prospering in their wicked devises; the fact that wickedness seems to triumph, evil triumphs over good. These things cause me to fret. And yet, these are the very things that I am told I am not to fret over. God is in control, therefore I am not to fret over the evildoers nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. Why?

Because they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb ( Psalms 37:2 ).

The day of the wicked is short. He is going to be cut off. Therefore, don't be envious of him because, man, he has about had it. Why envy a person that is about ready to get cut off? So don't be envious of the wicked. But rather,

Trust in the LORD, and do good ( Psalms 37:3 );

Put your trust in God. Better to put your trust in the Lord than your confidence in man. God knows your situation. God knows your limitations. God loves you. God will take care of you. Just trust in the Lord. Don't sit there and worry and fret over the situations of your life. Don't fret because it seems like everything is going down the tubes. Just trust in the Lord.

and so shalt thou dwell in the land, and thou shalt be fed ( Psalms 37:3 ).

Secondly,

Delight thyself also in the LORD ( Psalms 37:4 );

Have you ever tried to just delight yourself in the Lord? This comes through praise and through times of thanksgiving. So many times I stop and reflect in the goodness of God that He has bestowed upon me. And as I think of God's goodness and as I look upon God's blessings, I just rejoice in the Lord. I just praise Him. I just delight myself in Him. "Oh God, it is so good to walk with You. It is so good to serve You. It is so good to know You. It is so good to be a child of the King. It is so good to have the hope of eternal life." And just delighting myself in the Lord and in the blessings and in the goodness of God is an experience that I indulge in too little. We should be indulging in this much more.

Now, "Delight thyself also in the Lord,"

and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart ( Psalms 37:4 ).

So here is a promise with a condition.

Commit thy way unto the LORD ( Psalms 37:5 );

And this is so important that we come to the place of commitment of our lives and the commitment of the situations of our lives. How important that we learn to just commit our ways into God's hands.

trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass ( Psalms 37:5 ).

Or, the Hebrew word asa, He shall assemble it. He shall bring it into existence. Commit your way, trust in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. And then finally, when you've gotten to the place where you can commit your life and the affairs of your life into God's hands, then you have arrived at the place of that glorious resting in the Lord. "God, I'm just resting in You. Whatever comes, Lord. However. It's in Your hands."

Rest in the LORD ( Psalms 37:7 ),

One of the greatest blessings of the Christian walk in life is to be able to rest in the Lord in the midst of the problems, in the midst of the trials, in the midst of a world of turmoil. Resting in the Lord.

Cease from anger, forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. Because the evildoers are going to be cut off: but they that wait upon the LORD, will inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked are not going to be: in fact, you will diligently consider his place, and it won't be. But the meek shall inherit the eaRuth ( Psalms 37:8-11 );

Jesus in one of the beatitudes said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" ( Matthew 5:5 ).

and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace ( Psalms 37:11 ).

The glorious kingdom that Jesus establishes. A kingdom of righteousness and peace, and the meek will inherit the earth and be delighted with an earth that is filled with peace. Can you imagine? No, I don't suppose we can; we've never experienced it. But an earth that is filled with peace. I go by the school grounds and I see the little kids fighting. Seems like everyone is fighting. So much fighting in this world. What a glorious world it will be when we live together in peace, delighted in the abundance of peace.

The wicked plots against the just, he gnashes upon him with his teeth. The LORD will laugh at him: for he sees that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn out the sword, they have bent down their bow, to cast out the poor and the needy, to slay such as be of an upright manner of life. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, their bows shall be broken. For a little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholds the righteous. The LORD knows the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever ( Psalms 37:12-18 ).

It says concerning Moses that he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Esteeming the riches... or the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. So here we are told that the wicked are going to be cut off. But the inheritance of the upright is eternal.

They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs that are consumed into smoke. The wicked borrows, and he doesn't repay: but the righteous shows mercy, and gives. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way ( Psalms 37:19-23 ).

How glorious when God orders our steps and God takes delight in our way.

Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD will uphold him with his hand ( Psalms 37:24 ).

Oh, I love this! God is going to lead me in the right path, and if I stumble He is going to pick me up.

I have been young, I am now old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor God's seed begging bread ( Psalms 37:25 ).

If you are a child of God you will never need to beg for food.

He is merciful, he lends, and his seed is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; dwell for evermore. For the LORD loves judgment, and forsakes not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to slay him. The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it ( Psalms 37:26-34 ).

So several exhortations. From the negative standpoint: fret not, envy not, don't be angry, cease from anger, and forsake wrath. From a positive standpoint: trust in the Lord, delight thy self in the Lord, commit your ways unto the Lord, trust in the Lord, rest in the Lord, and finally, wait on the Lord.

Mark the perfect man [the complete man], and behold the upright: for the result of that kind of life is peace. But the transgressors will be destroyed together: the end of the wicked will be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. The LORD will help them, and deliver them ( Psalms 37:37-40 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. A call to continuing trust 37:1-8

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 37

This 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 and folly, and reward and punishment. He is most sensitive to the question of the future and its rewards and sufferings. The psalmist affirms that the Lord will sustain the righteous and that they will fully enjoy the blessings promised to them. The sage sets before the reader or hearer the highway of wisdom, even as our Lord called on his followers to learn from him the way that pleases our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:2-10)." [Note: VanGemeren, p. 297.]

This is also an acrostic psalm, but in this case each strophe (every other verse) begins with the succeeding letter of the Hebrew alphabet. A strophe is a logical unit determined by either the subject matter or the structure of the poem.

"This is the most obviously sapiential [having, providing, or expounding wisdom] of all the psalms. Indeed it is a collection of sayings that might easily be found in the book of Proverbs. It appears to be a rather random collection of sayings without any order or development. However, there is an important qualification to that statement, for this psalm is acrostic and so is crafted with pedagogical purpose. That carefully ordered arrangement corresponds to the claim made for the substance of the psalm; that is, the world is exceedingly well ordered, and virtue is indeed rewarded." [Note: Brueggemann, p. 42.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Positively, we should center our lives on God. We should continue to trust in the Lord to do what is right and persist in doing right ourselves. For the Israelite this meant staying in the Promised Land rather than leaving it for greener pastures elsewhere. Those who take delight in the Lord will receive their hearts’ desires. The righteous who delight in the Lord will want to see His will done, and that will happen eventually for them.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Trust in the Lord,.... Not in men, who are fading and perishing like the green grass and tender herb; nor in riches, which are very uncertain things; but in the Lord, in whom is everlasting strength; and with whom are riches and honour, yea, durable riches and righteousness; trust in him both for things temporal and spiritual, for soul and body, for time and eternity; the way to have peace and quietness of mind under all dispensations is to exercise faith on a promising God. The Targum is, "trust in the Word of the Lord", in the essential Word of God, the promised Messiah;

and do good; in general, all good actions, in faith, and as the fruits and effects of it, without trusting to them, but in the Lord; doing them in his strength, and with a view to his glory; or in particular, acts of beneficence to the poor, to which the encouragement follows;

[so] shalt thou dwell in the land; either in the land of Canaan, a continuance in which depended upon the obedience of the people of the Jews to the commands of God; see Isaiah 1:19; or rather in the good land which is afar off, the heavenly and better country, which those that trust in the Lord, and have that faith in Christ which works by love, shall dwell in to all eternity;

and verily thou shalt be fed; either temporally, shall have food and raiment, even all the necessaries of life; or spiritually, with the word and ordinances, and with Christ the bread of life now; and hereafter shall be fed by him, the Lamb in the midst of the throne, and by him led to fountains of living water: some read the words as an exhortation, and render them, "feed truth" k, that is, teach it, as Abraham taught his household, and as faithful pastors feed with knowledge and understanding; or "feed by faith" l, as the just live by it; or, as the Targum renders it, "be strong in faith", as Abraham was, Romans 4:20; or rather, "feed upon truth" m, the word of truth, the Gospel of salvation, and the several truths and doctrines of it, which are food for faith, and nourish up to everlasting life.

k רעה אמונה "pasce veritatem", Pagninus, Montanus. l "Pascere fide", Junius Tremellius, Cocceius. m "Pasce te veritate", Gejerus "ut alimentum tuum", Gussetius, Ebr. Comment. p. 942. "feed on faith", Ainsworth.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

A psalm of David.

      1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.   2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.   3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.   4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.   5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.   6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

      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 (Psalms 37:1; Psalms 37:2): 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 of those corrupt passions which he found working there, and then leaves it in writing for instruction to others that might be in similar temptation. That is preached best, and with most probability of success, to others, which is first preached to ourselves. Now, 1. When we look abroad we see the world full of evil-doers and workers of iniquity, that flourish and prosper, that have what they will and do what they will, that live in ease and pomp themselves and have power in their hands to do mischief to those about them. So it was in David's time; and therefore, if it is so still, let us not marvel at the matter, as though it were some new or strange thing. 2. When we look within we find ourselves tempted to fret at this, and to be envious against these scandals and burdens, these blemishes and common nuisances, of this earth. We are apt to fret at God, as if he were unkind to the world and unkind to his church in permitting such men to live, and prosper, and prevail, as they do. We are apt to fret ourselves with vexation at their success in their evil projects. We are apt to envy them the liberty they take in getting wealth, and perhaps by unlawful means, and in the indulgence of their lusts, and to wish that we could shake off the restraints of conscience and do so too. We are tempted to think them the only happy people, and to incline to imitate them, and to join ourselves with them, that we may share in their gains and eat of their dainties; and this is that which we are warned against: Fret not thyself, neither be thou envious. Fretfulness and envy are sins that are their own punishments; they are the uneasiness of the spirit and the rottenness of the bones; it is therefore in kindness to ourselves that we are warned against them. Yet that is not all; for, 3. When we look forward with an eye of faith we shall see no reason to envy wicked people their prosperity, for their ruin is at the door and they are ripening apace for it, Psalms 37:2; Psalms 37:2. They flourish, but as the grass, and as the green herb, which nobody envies nor frets at. The flourishing of a godly man is like that of a fruitful tree (Psalms 1:3), but that of the wicked man is like grass and herbs, which are very short-lived. (1.) They will soon wither of themselves. Outward prosperity is a fading thing, and so is the life itself to which it is confined. (2.) They will sooner be cut down by the judgments of God. Their triumphing is short, but their weeping and wailing will be everlasting.

      II. We are here counselled to live a life on confidence and complacency in God, and that will keep us from fretting at the prosperity of evil-doers; if we do well for our own souls, we shall see little reason to envy those that do so ill for theirs. Here are three excellent precepts, which we are to be ruled by, and, to enforce them, three precious promises, which we may rely upon.

      1. We must make God our hope in the way of duty and then we shall have a comfortable subsistence in this world, Psalms 37:3; Psalms 37:3. (1.) It is required that we trust in the Lord and do good, that we confide in God and conform to him. The life of religion lies much in a believing reliance on God, his favour, his providence, his promise, his grace, and a diligent care to serve him and our generation, according to his will. We must not think to trust in God and then live as we list. No; it is not trusting God, but tempting him, if we do not make conscience of our duty to him. Nor must we think to do good, and then to trust to ourselves, and our own righteousness and strength. No; we must both trust in the Lord and do good. And then, (2.) It is promised that we shall be well provided for in this world: So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. He does not say, "So shalt thou get preferment, dwell in a palace, and be feasted." This is not necessary; a man's life consists not in the abundance of these things; but, "Thou shalt have a place to live in, and that in the land, in Canaan, the valley of vision, and thou shalt have food convenient for thee." This is more than we deserve; it is as much as a good man will stipulate for (Genesis 28:20) and it is enough for one that is going to heaven. "Thou shalt have a settlement, a quiet settlement, and a maintenance, a comfortable maintenance: Verily thou shalt be fed." Some read it, Thou shalt be fed by faith, as the just are said to live by faith, and it is good living, good feeding, upon the promises. "Verily thou shalt be fed, as Elijah in the famine, with what is needful for thee." God himself is a shepherd, a feeder, to all those that trust in him, Psalms 23:1.

      2. We must make God our heart's delight and then we shall have our heart's desire, Psalms 37:4; Psalms 37:4. We must not only depend upon God, but solace ourselves in him. We must be well pleased that there is a God, that he is such a one as he has revealed himself to be, and that he is our God in covenant. We must delight ourselves in his beauty, bounty, and benignity; our souls must return to him, and repose in him, as their rest, and their portion for ever. Being satisfied of his loving-kindness, we must be satisfied with it, and make that our exceeding joy, Psalms 43:4. We were commanded (Psalms 37:3; Psalms 37:3) to do good, and then follows this command to delight in God, which is as much a privilege as a duty. If we make conscience of obedience to God, we may then take the comfort of a complacency in him. And even this pleasant duty of delighting in God has a promise annexed to it, which is very full and precious, enough to recompense the hardest services: He shall give thee the desires of thy heart. He has not promised to gratify all the appetites of the body and the humours of the fancy, but to grant all the desires of the heart, all the cravings of the renewed sanctified soul. What is the desire of the heart of a good man? It is this, to know, and love, and live to God, to please him and to be pleased in him.

      3. We must make God our guide, and submit in every thing to his guidance and disposal; and then all our affairs, even those that seem most intricate and perplexed, shall be made to issue well and to our satisfaction, Psalms 37:5; Psalms 37:6. (1.) The duty is very easy; and, if we do it aright, it will make us easy: Commit thy way unto the Lord; roll thy way upon the Lord (so the margin reads it), Proverbs 16:3; Psalms 55:22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, the burden of thy care, 1 Peter 5:7. We must roll it off ourselves, so as not to afflict and perplex ourselves with thoughts about future events (Matthew 6:25), not to cumber and trouble ourselves either with the contrivance of the means or with expectation of the end, but refer it to God, leave it to him by his wise and good providence to order and dispose of all our concerns as he pleases. Retreat thy way unto the Lord (so the LXX.), that is, "By prayer spread thy case, and all thy cares about it, before the Lord" (as Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh,Judges 11:11), "and then trust in him to bring it to a good issue, with a full satisfaction that all is well that God does." We must do our duty (that must be our care) and then leave the event with God. Sit still, and see how the matter will fall,Ruth 3:18. We must follow Providence, and not force it, subscribe to Infinite Wisdom and not prescribe. (2.) The promise is very sweet. [1.] In general, "He shall bring that to pass, whatever it is, which thou hast committed to him, if not to thy contrivance, yet to thy content. He will find means to extricate thee out of thy straits, to prevent thy fears, and bring about thy purposes, to thy satisfaction." [2.] In particular, "He will take care of thy reputation, and bring thee out of thy difficulties, not only with comfort, but with credit and honour: He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgment as the noon-day." (Psalms 37:6; Psalms 37:6), that is, "he shall make it to appear that thou art an honest man, and that is honour enough." First, It is implied that the righteousness and judgment of good people may, for a time, be clouded and eclipsed, either by remarkable rebukes of Providence (Job's great afflictions darkened his righteousness) or by the malicious censures and reproaches of men, who give them bad names which they no way deserve, and lay to their charge things which they know not. Secondly, It is promised that God will, in due time, roll away the reproach they are under, clear up their innocency, and bring forth their righteousness, to their honour, perhaps in this world, at furthest in the great day, Matthew 13:43. Note, If we take care to keep a good conscience, we may leave it to God to take care of our good name.