and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
10O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
and your salvation to the upright of heart!
11Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me,
or the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12There the evildoers lie prostrate;
they are thrust down, unable to rise.
next chapter
* * *
36.1–12 An individual’s prayer for help that is highly reflective in the manner of the wisdom traditions, esp. vv. 1–4. To the leader. See note on 4.1–8. Servant of the LORD. See 78.70; 89.3.
36.1–4 A reflection on the character and attitude of the wicked that here serves as a generalized lament in anticipation of the prayer for help against the wicked in v. 11.
36.1 Fear of God. See note on 34.7. Cf. Rom 3.18.
36.4 They plot…beds. Cf. Mic 2.1.
36.5–9 The psalmist now praises God as an act of trust, describing the character of God and the protecting and life-giving care of God.
36.6b The life and well-being of humans and animals depends on the Lord. Cf. v. 9; Ps 104.
36.7 Shadow of your wings. See notes on 91.1;. 91.4.
36.10–12 The attributes of God extolled in the preceding verses, steadfast love (vv. 5, 7) and salvation (v. 6), here become the grounds for the psalmist’s prayer for help in the face of the threats of the wicked described in vv. 1–4.
PSALM 37
Exhortation to Patience and Trust
Of David.
1Do not fret because of the wicked;
do not be envious of wrongdoers,
2for they will soon fade like the grass,
and wither like the green herb.
3Trust in the LORD, and do good;
so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
4Take delight 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 act.
6He will make your vindication shine like the light,
and the justice of your cause like the noonday.
7Be still before the LORD, and wait patiently for him;
do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
over those who carry out evil devices.
8Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath.
Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9For the wicked shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
10Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.
11But the meek shall inherit the land,
and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.
12The wicked plot against the righteous,
and gnash their teeth at them;
13but the LORD laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that their day is coming.
14The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to kill those who walk uprightly;
15their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.
16Better is a little that the righteous person has
than the abundance of many wicked.
17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18The LORD knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will abide forever;
19they are not put to shame in evil times,
in the days of famine they have abundance.
20But the wicked perish,
and the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
21The wicked borrow, and do not pay back,
but the righteous are generous and keep giving;
22for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
23Our stepsa are made firm by the LORD,
when he delights in ourb way;
24though we stumble,c wed shall not fall headlong,
for the LORD holds use by the hand.
25I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
26They are ever giving liberally and lending,
and their children become a blessing.
27Depart from evil, and do good;
so you shall abide forever.
28For the LORD loves justice;
he will not forsake his faithful ones.
The righteous shall be kept safe forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29The righteous shall inherit the land,
and live in it forever.
30The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak justice.
31The law of their God is in their hearts;
their steps do not slip.
32The wicked watch for the righteous,
and seek to kill them.
33The LORD will not abandon them to their power,
or let them be condemned when they are brought to trial.
34Wait for the LORD, and keep to his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on the destruction of the wicked.
35I have seen the wicked oppressing,
and towering like a cedar of Lebanon.f
36Again Ig passed by, and they were no more;
though I sought them, they could not be found.
37Mark the blameless, and behold the upright,
for there is posterity for the peaceable.
38But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the posterity of the wicked shall be cut off.
39The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in the time of trouble.
40The LORD helps them and rescues them;
he rescues them from the wicked, and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
next chapter
* * *
a Heb A man’s steps
b Heb his
c Heb he stumbles
d Heb he
e Heb him
f Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain
g Gk Syr Jerome: Heb he
37.1–40 An instructional psalm in which an older, more experienced person (v. 25) instructs others, particularly about the Lord’s protection of the righteous and the inevitable judgment that comes upon the wicked. The psalm is an exhortation to trust in the Lord, who will vindicate the righteous, and not to be disturbed by the wicked, who will soon pass away. An acrostic psalm (see note on 9.1–10.18).
37.1 Do not fret is repeated several times (vv. 7–8), suggesting the psalm is addressed to someone who may have come under some persecution or thinks that God’s rule is not effective (cf. Prov 24.19–20).
37.9 Inherit the land, i.e., enjoy the rich blessings provided in the land God has given the people (cf. vv. 3, 11, 22, 29, 34).
37.13 The LORD laughs. Cf. 2.4; 59.8.
37.14–15 The language is a metaphorical way of saying that the violent acts of wicked persons shall be their undoing.
37.22 See Deut 28.
37.25 The instruction given is gained from long experience. It is not meant to be absolute, but the psalmist’s presentation of the way things are is borne out in life over the long haul.
37.35 Cedar of Lebanon. See note on 92.12.
PSALM 38
A Penitent Sufferer’s Plea for Healing
A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.
1O LORD, do not rebuke me in your ange
r,
or discipline me in your wrath.
2For your arrows have sunk into me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3There is no soundness in my flesh
because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
because of my sin.
4For my iniquities have gone over my head;
they weigh like a burden too heavy for me.
5My wounds grow foul and fester
because of my foolishness;
6I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
all day long I go around mourning.
7For my loins are filled with burning,
and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8I am utterly spent and crushed;
I groan because of the tumult of my heart.
9O Lord, all my longing is known to you;
my sighing is not hidden from you.
10My heart throbs, my strength fails me;
as for the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
11My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction,
and my neighbors stand far off.
12Those who seek my life lay their snares;
those who seek to hurt me speak of ruin,
and meditate treachery all day long.
13But I am like the deaf, I do not hear;
like the mute, who cannot speak.
14Truly, I am like one who does not hear,
and in whose mouth is no retort.
15But it is for you, O LORD, that I wait;
it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
16For I pray, “Only do not let them rejoice over me,
those who boast against me when my foot slips.”
17For I am ready to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.
18I confess my iniquity;
I am sorry for my sin.
19Those who are my foes without causea are mighty,
and many are those who hate me wrongfully.
20Those who render me evil for good
are my adversaries because I follow after good.
21Do not forsake me, O LORD;
O my God, do not be far from me;
22make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation.
next chapter
* * *
a Q Ms: MT my living foes
38.1–22 This penitential psalm (see note on 6.1–10) offers prayer for help by one who feels God’s judgment for sin. The language of sickness may be metaphorical, but it is likely that the psalm envisions real sickness and the taunts and rejection of others that sickness may evoke.
38.1 The plea of the psalmist that God take away the effects of God’s anger. Cf. 6.1.
38.2–10 A description of the psalmist’s sickness.
38.10 Light of my eyes, either actual sight or one’s power of life. Cf. 36.9.
38.11–20 The reaction of others to the illness of the one praying. The psalmist is alienated from other human beings in various ways.
38.21–22 A final cry to God for help.
PSALM 39
Prayer for Wisdom and Forgiveness
To the leader: to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
1I said, “I will guard my ways
that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will keep a muzzle on my mouth
as long as the wicked are in my presence.”
2I was silent and still;
I held my peace to no avail;
my distress grew worse,
3my heart became hot within me.
While I mused, the fire burned;
then I spoke with my tongue:
4“LORD, let me know my end,
and what is the measure of my days;
let me know how fleeting my life is.
5You have made my days a few handbreadths,
and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight.
Surely everyone stands as a mere breath.
Selah
6Surely everyone goes about like a shadow.
Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;
they heap up, and do not know who will gather.
7“And now, O Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in you.
8Deliver me from all my transgressions.
Do not make me the scorn of the fool.
9I am silent; I do not open my mouth,
for it is you who have done it.
10Remove your stroke from me;
I am worn down by the blowsa of your hand.
11“You chastise mortals
in punishment for sin,
consuming like a moth what is dear to them;
surely everyone is a mere breath. Selah
12“Hear my prayer, O LORD,
and give ear to my cry;
do not hold your peace at my tears.
For I am your passing guest,
an alien, like all my forebears.
13Turn your gaze away from me, that I may smile again,
before I depart and am no more.”
next chapter
* * *
a Heb hostility
39.1–13 A prayer for help by an individual who complains to God against a divine chastisement (v. 10) and seeks release. To the leader. See note on 4.1–8. To Jeduthun. See note on 77.1–20.
39.1–3 The psalmist has held back from complaining about the distress in hopes that silence would be rewarded, but that has not happened. So now the complaint to God comes forth.
39.4–6 A strong sense of the transiency of human existence arises out of the distress. Cf. 90.9–12; 103.15–16; Isa 40.6–8.
39.5 Selah. See note on 3.2.
39.7–13 The petitions of the psalmist punctuated by reiterated complaint. The sense of the transiency of human life persists (vv. 11c, 12b).
39.13 Turn…me, i.e., “spare me further punishment.”
PSALM 40
Thanksgiving for Deliverance and Prayer for Help
To the leader. Of David. A Psalm.
1I waited patiently for the LORD;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2He drew me up from the desolate pit,a
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
3He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the LORD.
4Happy are those who make
the LORD their trust,
who do not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after false gods.
5You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you.
Were I to proclaim and tell of them,
they would be more than can be counted.
6Sacrifice and offering you do not desire,
but you have given me an open ear.b
Burnt offering and sin offering
you have not required.
7Then I said, “Here I am;
in the scroll of the book it is written of me.c
8I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.”
9I have told the glad news of deliverance
in the great congregation;
see, I have not restrained my lips,
as you know, O LORD.
10I have not hidden your saving help within my heart,
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
from the great congregation.
11Do not, O LORD, withhold
your mercy from me;
let your steadfast love and your faithfulness
keep me safe forever.
12For evils have encompassed me
without number;
my iniquities have
overtaken me,
until I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails me.
13Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;
O LORD, make haste to help me.
14Let all those be put to shame and confusion
who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
who desire my hurt.
15Let those be appalled because of their shame
who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”
16But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
say continually, “Great is the LORD!”
17As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God.
next chapter
* * *
a Cn: Heb pit of tumult
b Heb ears you have dug for me
c Meaning of Heb uncertain
40.1–17 A song of thanksgiving by an individual leads into and is the ground for a prayer for help (cf. Ps 27). To the leader. See note on 4.1–8.
40.1–10 A song of thanksgiving by one who trusted in the Lord and was delivered.
40.1–3a Report of how the Lord helped.
40.2 Pit. See note on 16.10.
40.3b–4 The deliverance of the psalmist is a lesson in trust for others. Happy. See note on 1.1.
40.5 The recounting of God’s marvelous deeds is part of the act of thanksgiving.
40.6–8 Instead of sacrifice, the act of thanksgiving is accompanied by a commitment to do God’s will. Quoted in Heb 10.5–7. Cf. 51.16–17.
40.7 Scroll of the book is interpreted variously. If the song is by a king, this could refer to the “law of the king” in Deut 17.14–20. More likely, it is the heavenly record of human deeds of good or ill, though some have assumed it refers to the written record of this song of thanksgiving, offered in place of a sacrifice.
HarperCollins Study Bible Page 212
