OF DAVID.
1Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
3Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
6He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
7Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
10A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy great peace.
12The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;
13but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.
14The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
16Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;
17for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18The days of the blameless are known to the LORD,
and their inheritance will endure forever.
19In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
20But the wicked will perish:
The LORD’s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,
they will vanish—vanish like smoke.
21The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;
22those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be cut off.
23If the LORD delights in a man’s way,
he makes his steps firm;
24though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
25I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
26They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be blessed.
27Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
28For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
They will be protected forever,
but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;
29the righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.
30The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks what is just.
31The law of his God is in his heart;
his feet do not slip.
32The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
seeking their very lives;
33but the LORD will not leave them in their power
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.
34Wait for the LORD
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
35I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,
36but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.
37Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
there is a future for the man of peace.
38But all sinners will be destroyed;
the future of the wicked will be cut off.
39The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
Original Meaning
AS AN ALPHABETIC acrostic poem, Psalm 37 is the last of four such compositions in Book 1 of the Psalter (Pss. 9–10; 25; 34; 37). After this psalm we must wait until Book 5 (Pss. 107–145), where another four acrostic compositions appear (Pss. 111; 112; 119; 145).1 In Psalm 37, each letter of the Hebrew alphabet appears only once and in traditional order, with each letter introducing a unit of four lines2—usually a two-verse stanza.
While it is difficult to isolate structural sections in the psalm, there are some subtle clues in the appearance of repeated phrases that punctuate the composition at various points and offer a way of dividing the poem into segments. The primary phrase repeated at intervals is the promise that the wicked “will be cut off” (krt in 37:9, 22, 28, 34, 38). In all instances but the last, this phrase is coupled with the positive promise that the faithful “will inherit the land” (37:9, 22, 29, 34). Using these repeated phrases as markers, we can divide the psalm into six sections: call to trust Yahweh in spite of the prosperity of the wicked (37:1–11), the ultimate fate of the wicked (37:12–22), the blessings of the faithful (37:23–29), contrasting presents (37:30–34), contrasting futures (37:35–38), and confidence in Yahweh (37:39–40).
The Heading (37:0)
THE PSALM IS simply attributed to David, with no other additions.3
Call to Trust Yahweh (37:1–11)
DO NOT FRET. Verses 1–2 establish the perspective and tone that dominate the entire psalm. They admonish the reader/listener not to be concerned because of the apparent success and invulnerability of the wicked, because their ultimate destiny is defeat and destruction. The phrase “do not fret” (ḥrh [“be angry, indignant; fly into a passion”]) appears three times in this section, once at the beginning and twice near the end (37:7, 8).4 We must not let the seeming prosperity of the “wicked” and “those who do wrong” undermine our trust in the just character and sovereign power of Yahweh. The “fretting” that is discouraged is not just moral indignation but a desire that the cohesive moral power of the universe, which Yahweh represents, remains intact.
They will soon wither. As encouragement to his readers/listeners the psalmist offers a striking image taken from the local agricultural experience of shepherds roaming the countryside in search of grass for their animals. With the onset of the early spring rains, the arid hills spring quickly into a lush green covering of grass. Almost as quickly, however, the heat of late spring and summer parch this fodder into a brittle brown. The wicked ought not cause undue concern because their prosperity is just as tenuous as the spring grass that is “here today, gone tomorrow.” The image of withering grass recurs frequently in the psalms—most often as an indication of the tenuous, transient nature of human life in contrast to the eternal constancy that is Yahweh.5
Following the negatively stated admonition of verse 1, the psalmist shifts (37:3–6) to a series of positively stated imperative directives to the hearers. They are called to “trust” (37:3, 5) in Yahweh, “dwell” (37:3) in the land, “delight” (37:4) in Yahweh, and consequently “commit” (37:5) their way to him. As a result of turning their negative anger into passionate commitment to Yahweh, they will receive from God security and safe pasture (37:3),6 the “desires” (mišʾalot, from šʾl [“the thing asked for, requested”]) of their hearts (37:4), and clear, public vindication against the wicked (37:6).
A pair of balanced statements, each involving two positive imperatives and the call not to fret (37:7–8), leads to a clear statement of the future destiny of the wicked (37:9). The psalmist cautions the reader to “be still” and “wait” for Yahweh rather than fret over the successful schemes of the wicked (37:7). In the balancing verse the reader must “refrain from anger” and “turn from wrath” since fretting can only lead to evil (37:8).
This unit concludes with the basis of a positive response to the psalmist’s demands. In two balanced verses, he repeats the opening theme with a negative and positive inducement to the reader. The evil have only “a little while” before they are “cut off” and are “no more,” but the “meek” who “hope in the LORD” will “inherit the land” (37:10–11).
The Ultimate Fate of the Wicked (37:12–22)
THE CONCLUSION OF the opening section provides the transition to the second, which describes the ultimate futility of the plots and schemes of the wicked and assures the faithful that Yahweh’s righteous sovereignty is still in charge. Four illustrations of the futility of the wicked’s attempts at self-power (37:12–13, 14–15, 20, 21–22) bracket a contrasting exhortation to righteousness and blamelessness (37:16–19). The purpose is to contrast the secure future of the righteous with the certain disappearance of the wicked.
While the wicked may plot against the righteous (37:12) and even cause them trouble and pain (“gnash their teeth at them”),7 Yahweh remains unimpressed and unconcerned, even laughing at their pretense to power—in much the same way the enthroned God of 2:4 emitted a deep mocking guffaw from the heavens at the rebellious imaginings of the kings of the earth. God knows, as the psalmist understands and declares to the hearer, that the days of the wicked are already numbered (37:13). The wicked may draw their sword and bow to oppress the poor and needy (37:14), but the evil they intend will return on them decisively (37:15).
Better the little. The psalmist turns to the proverbial roots of wisdom to supply illustrations of the better way and better hope that attend the righteous. Stringing together a series of aphorisms similar to those found in Proverbs, he develops contrasting consequences of the diverging ways of the wicked and the righteous.
The initial aphorism is of the “better this . . . than that” variety common to Proverbs,8 and it sets the theme for the collection: “Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous” (37:16–17). The opponents of the psalmist are wealthy, many, and powerful. By contrast the author and the other righteous have little and are powerless. Nevertheless, it is the righteous who ultimately have the better end of the bargain. The wealth and power of the wicked will avail them nothing, while the righteous poor can anticipate divine aid.
The third aphorism hammers home the tentative existence of the wicked by using another agricultural image. The verdant green fields—symbolic of the temporary success of the wicked—will “vanish like smoke” (37:20). This may refer to an unexpected and uncontrolled grassfire that destroys a farmer’s crops, as when Samson set fire to the Philistine fields by turning loose foxes in the fields with firebrands tied to their tails (Judg. 15:1–5). It may alternatively suggest a purposeful burning of stubble after the harvest to prepare the land for the next cycle of planting.9
In the fourth and final aphorism in the series, the contrast is between the generosity of the righteous and the self-focused greed of the wicked, who “borrow and do not repay” (37:21). This section concludes with the second repetition of the structural tension between the wicked, who are “cut off,” and the righteous, who will “inherit the land” (37:22).
The Blessings of the Faithful (37:23–29)
THE PSALM NOW moves from a description of the ultimate fate of the wicked to a consideration of the blessings that accrue to the faithful. Again, a series of extended proverb-like compositions, each consisting of four poetic lines, explore the subject. The overarching theme is the security of those who trust in Yahweh.
The first aphorism introduces the theme with the image of the protective care of Yahweh along the “way” or “path” of the righteous, making each step sure and firm and offering a steadying hand should the righteous stumble (37:23–24). As the righteous “delight” in Yahweh and commit their “way” to him (37:4–5), so Yahweh “delights” in the “way” of the righteous and makes their “steps firm” (37:23).
I have never seen the righteous forsaken. As is usual in the biblical wisdom tradition, the narrator-sage of our psalm grounds his teaching in an aphorism of observation and experience (37:25–26). While experience confirms God’s radical faithfulness to the righteous as well as the insubstantial nature of the wealth and power of the wicked, the psalmist speaks in these verses in a traditional form of testimony; these words should not be interpreted to mean a naive assumption that the righteous never hurt or suffer want. To the contrary, the whole psalm and much of canonical wisdom literature respond to the reality of the righteous suffering and the inexplicable prosperity of the wicked. In a sense, what the psalmist reports is not naive unreality but an inner vision of the true reality that accords with Yahweh’s character and purpose—the reality that must ultimately arrive.
Dwell in the land. The third and fourth aphorisms in this section are linked by the promise that the faithful will “dwell in the land forever,” which brackets the beginning and end (37:27, 29). The third aphorism (37:27–28) also recalls the similar admonition and promise offered in 37:3: “Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.” The comparison of these two verses provides some interpretation of what the psalmist meant by “turn from evil.” The parallel phrase in 37:3 suggests that the way to eschew evil is to acknowledge the inadequacy of one’s own power, and to “do good” means placing one’s trust in Yahweh alone. The poet also includes an element of justice in understanding the responsibility of the faithful (37:28). Those who adopt this position of absolute dependence may not avoid all suffering, but they are assured they will “dwell in the land forever” (37:27, 29).
In this last phrase in 37:27, “dwell” (škn) emphasizes a relatively settled residence that follows a period of nomadic wandering.10 Coupled with the word “forever” (leʿolam), the phrase provides a contrasting description of a final settling down after a long period of instability. Perhaps the poet wants to contrast this coming to stability with the dissolution of the wicked’s apparent stability into nothingness (“vanish,” 37:20; “be no more,” 37:10; “not be found,” 37:10, 36).
This second collection of aphorisms ends much as does the first collection—and the introductory admonition as well. As in those earlier cases, we read a contrasting description of the fate of the wicked, who are “cut off,” and the righteous, who will “inherit the land” (37:28–29). In this case, however, it is the “offspring” of the wicked who will experience obliteration. This gives us a reverse hint as to how the psalmist understands that the righteous can hope to dwell forever—through their descendants. The wicked, however, have no such hopes, since even their children will be cut off.11
Contrasting Presents (37:30–34)
THE STUDY OF contrasts between the righteous and wicked continues with a third, briefer set of aphorisms. An extended wisdom saying about the present reality of the righteous (37:30–31) is immediately followed by a contrasting picture of the devious plots of the wicked (37:32–33). The righteous person “utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just” (37:30). He takes an unshakable stance on the firm foundation of the law of God so that “his feet do not slip” (37:31). The wicked, by contrast, are preoccupied in attacking the righteous (37:32), thinking to kill them from ambush or to defeat them in court. Yahweh will prevent either harm from overtaking those who trust him (37:33).
The psalmist exhorts the faithful to “wait” patiently for Yahweh while keeping “his way” (37:34). Despite what seem to be contrary indications in the present circumstance, they are to trust that Yahweh will ultimately act. The psalmist then encourages the righteous by assuring them that they will “see” when the wicked are “cut off” (37:34).
Contrasting Futures (37:35–38)
JUST AS THE righteous and wicked occupy conflicting positions in the present, so the future holds much the same in store. In response to the promises declared in 37:34 (that the righteous “will inherit the land” while the wicked “will be cut off”), the psalmist offers another personal observation that confirms the promise. He has “seen” the prosperity of the wicked that seemed rooted and grounded like a flourishing tree established in its native soil (rather than a transplant that might be expected to struggle) suddenly, unexpectedly, disappear. Contrary to all expectations, he “was no more” and “could not be found” (37:35–36).12
The psalmist then calls the reader/listener to share in the observation. If they will but “consider the blameless” (37:37) and “observe the upright,” they will reach the same conclusion: “There is a future for the man of peace,” but the “future of the wicked will be cut off” (37:38).
Confidence in Yahweh (37:39–40)
EXPERIENCE AND OBSERVATION confirm the promise of Yahweh. Wisdom teaching provides the firm foundation for present assurance, enduring faith, and future hope. The psalm concludes with a triumphant declaration of confidence and commitment that breaks loose from the traditional language of the sages and wisdom. Once again the theme of Yahweh as “refuge” and “strong-hold” of the righteous takes the stage.13 Because the body of the psalm is preoccupied with the eventual defeat and demise of the wicked, the conclusion offers a hopeful way forward.
As in Psalm 31, these verses do not envision a complete escape for the righteous from oppression or suffering at the hands of the wicked. Rather, it offers those who take refuge in Yahweh a place of security in the midst of suffering and applies spiritual balm to the anguished souls of the righteous as they affirm and reaffirm that Yahweh is the helper of the righteous (37:40). He does not wink at the wicked and is powerful to establish his will and purpose in the world. This gives a meaning and purpose to righteous suffering that transcends any hope for escape; they suffer for Yahweh, understanding their pain as the badge of enduring faithfulness.14
Bridging Contexts
THE SUCCESS OF THE WICKED. The heart of Psalm 37 is focused on the apparent success of the wicked in the psalmist’s world. From the opening admonishment not to “fret because of evil men,” the psalmist makes clear that his righteous contemporaries must have been doing precisely that: looking with pained disbelief at how the evil doings of the wicked seemed to go unpunished while the righteous suffered under their power. The consternation of the righteous grows out of their understanding of God and the world—a view that is often called “retribution.” Since God is not “a God who takes pleasure in evil” (5:4), one would expect that the wicked and righteous will each receive their just rewards from his hand. Indeed, many psalms expect or even celebrate just that. But in our present psalm, this expectation of retribution—reaping what one has sown—has not been fulfilled. Thus, the psalmist offers the admonition not to fret simply because the evil are not receiving their just due.
The assumption of retribution is particularly prominent in some of the biblical wisdom literature and is often considered a chief characteristic of the wisdom worldview. Examples of retribution can be found in the opposingly parallel aphorisms of Proverbs,15 the speeches of Job’s friends,16 and in many psalms.17 The idea of retribution had its limits even within the wisdom literature, however. Observation and experience—two vital elements in the wisdom worldview—also uncovered violations of the expected retributive norms, in that the righteous did not always prosper, while the wicked often did.
Proverbs takes note of these facts in such observations as: “Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice” (Prov. 16:8); “how much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!” (16:16); “better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse” (28:6). Such sayings make it clear that righteousness is not synonymous with wealth or prosperity and that the righteous and wise often experience poverty of circumstances.
Job and Ecclesiastes make similar observations about the breakdown of retribution, and they do so in much harsher terms than Proverbs. “In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: a righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness” (Eccl. 7:15); “there is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless” (8:14). Job in particular speaks in eloquent tones about the incongruity of wicked persons who live long, prosperous, and secure lives without any interference or judgment from God.18
Thus, the psalmists are not alone in their critique of retribution, nor are they alone in their “fretting.” They join a long heritage of sages who place their observations in tension with the more naive expectations of retribution. In so doing the psalmists cast their lot with those who acknowledge a world run amok—in which the expected principles of a holy God no longer operate unerringly day by day. In this world the righteous suffer while the wicked seem to prosper with impunity.
Such a view is clearly described in 73:2–11, which begins with the words: “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” The psalmist goes on to describe the seemingly carefree and blessed existence of those who oppress the poor and thumb their noses at God—assuming he has no knowledge or concern about their wickedness. This disparity between what is and what ought to be has created a spiritual crisis for the psalmist, who almost loses faith in God.
I find it interesting that the Hebrew behind the word translated “prosperity” in 73:3 is šalom, the word we normally associate with “peace.” As this particular context makes clear, šalom has a much broader range of meaning and includes such nuances as “wholeness, soundness, completion, well-being, safety, security” as well as “prosperity.” Peace in this sense is much more than the cessation or lack of war. It describes the secure, blessed existence that can only come from the hand of God and which mirrors God’s original intention for all creation. No wonder the psalmist of 73:2 (and of 37:1) is so dismayed when the wicked experience a “wholeness” and “prosperity” out of bounds with their deeds.
It is also telling that Psalm 37 employs this same word šalom twice to define the ultimate reward of the faithful: “The meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace” (37:11); “consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace” (37:37).” It is šalom, this kind of God-given complete and secure wholeness, that characterizes God’s intention for his world and those who fear him. It is the seeming usurpation of this blessed state of wholeness precisely by those who stand squarely against all that God represents that constitutes the psalmist’s greatest problem—a problem that nearly causes the narrator of Psalm 73 to stumble.
The response of the psalmists (along with the sages) is twofold. (1) The success of the wicked is never allowed to undermine their confidence in God’s justice and goodness. They continually view this inexplicable state of affairs as a reversal of his intention and purpose that must ultimately be set right. This is no unrealistic, wishful thinking but a sincere commitment to an understanding of divine character that remains unshaken. God is incompatible with evil and must judge it—if not now for some mysterious reason, then in some unspecified future.
(2) In spite of the faithful endurance (or enduring faithfulness) of God’s people, in the midst of a topsy-turvy world retribution clearly does not always work. As tempting as it might seem to throw off the bonds of faith and to adopt the cynical, self-serving practices of the wicked in hopes of sharing in their “prosperity,” the psalmists—and Job and Qohelet—agree that such a path leads only to destruction. Better, they say, a little (or even great suffering) with righteousness than the empty prosperity of the wicked.
Canonically, these two viewpoints are permitted to stand side by side without resolution. That is because both represent true understandings of God and his world. Retribution keeps its eyes firmly fastened on the character of holy God and the knowledge that righteousness and justice are his final word. The counter view plants its feet firmly in the here and now, realizing that because God places a premium on human free will and because that will often opts for self-will and evil, the world as we know it does not reflect his purpose or intention. The former view counsels the faithful not to give up on God but to endure faithfully to the end. The latter understanding cautions us against equating righteousness with wealth or suffering with sin. It also opens a window on a new value system that finds the relationship with God engendered by righteous living a far superior treasure than wealth, power, or even health could ever offer.
Contemporary Significance
OUR WORLD IS not so different from that of the psalmist in Psalm 37. Everywhere we look, those who deny or ignore God seem to enjoy easy lives of prosperity and security. While billions of the world’s poor struggle to survive, those in power grow ever richer, virtue is mocked, and injustice and license permeate the highest levels of society. And lest I join a self-righteous chorus condemning “them,” I must admit the myriad of ways I choose each day to participate in the distorted society of which I am a part: seeking self-will, self-power, self-comfort, and ease.
The realization of this darkness without and within can tempt us to view God as the “big fix,” which can take us out of our suffering and pain. During one particularly difficult period I was earnestly seeking God’s presence in my life through prayer, meditation, Scripture—certainly not bad things in themselves. Yet God continued to seem distant and absent. One day, however, I realized what I was doing. I was making God into a “big fix” to take me out of my misery. I wanted an ecstatic experience with God that would so fill me with his spiritual presence that I would no longer be aware of the suffering that surrounded me and filled me. I was shocked by the realization of how similar my desire for God was to the need of the addict for a narcotic high or an alcoholic haze that obliterated—even for a moment—the pain of the real world.
When I set aside this unrealistic view of relationship with God, I began, little by little, to experience the presence of God within the distorted world in which we live. Our rampant evil has twisted God’s creation almost beyond recognition, but it has not been able to run God out of the world. I found that throughout each day I could maintain a running conversation with God—a conversation that was often angry and sarcastic on my part, but a real communication nevertheless with God in my world.
Often, when confronted by evil in our world without and within, we look to God for escape. When, like the psalmists, we find our circumstances remain unchanged, God can seem distant, absent, and unconcerned. Our praises to the just and righteous God, creator of the universe, can seem forced and hollow. The continued presence of evil, pain, and suffering in spite of our prayers and praises can lead us to contorted, hurtful logic in order to maintain our belief in a righteous, powerful God. “We must have sinned. We must have failed. God must be testing us or teaching us some great and difficult truth!” The great and difficult truth God is teaching us is this: Life in a world thoroughly corrupted by human evil is going to remain difficult and painful! God cannot remove us from the pain of living without removing us from living itself.
As I learned, our failure to acknowledge the distorted and fallen nature of the world in which we live can dull us to the richness of relationship with God, which can blossom even in the midst of pain. Fretting about what is an essential characteristic of a fallen world is to seek to change the unchangeable. This is not to say that we should not seek to confront and eliminate suffering and injustice wherever we find it. To struggle against evil in all its forms is to remain faithful to the vision of a holy God, who calls us to be holy as well. But to think that by our efforts we can eradicate evil once and for all is to put ourselves in the place of God, which will in turn distract us from hearing God’s word delivered by the psalmist: “Do not fret because of evil men. . . . The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them . . . because they take refuge in him” (37:1, 39–40).