Psalm 39 To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

¹I said, “I will guard my ways,

Lest I sin with my tongue;

I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,

While the wicked are before me.”

²I was mute with silence,

I held my peace even from good;

And my sorrow was stirred up.

³My heart was hot within me;

While I was musing, the fire burned.

Then I spoke with my tongue:

⁴“Lord, make me to know my end,

And what is the measure of my days,

That I may know how frail I am.

⁵Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,

And my age is as nothing before You;

Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah

⁶Surely every man walks about like a shadow;

Surely they busy themselves in vain;

He heaps up riches,

And does not know who will gather them.

⁷“And now, Lord, what do I wait for?

My hope is in You.

⁸Deliver me from all my transgressions;

Do not make me the reproach of the foolish.

⁹I was mute, I did not open my mouth,

Because it was You who did it.

¹⁰Remove Your plague from me;

I am consumed by the blow of Your hand.

¹¹When with rebukes You correct man for iniquity,

You make his beauty melt away like a moth;

Surely every man is vapor. Selah

¹²“Hear my prayer, O Lord,

And give ear to my cry;

Do not be silent at my tears;

For I am a stranger with You,

A sojourner, as all my fathers were.

¹³Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength,

Before I go away and am no more.”

Commentary

Vs. 1-3 ¹I said, “I will guard my ways,

Lest I sin with my tongue;

I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,

While the wicked are before me.”

²I was mute with silence,

I held my peace even from good;

And my sorrow was stirred up.

³My heart was hot within me;

While I was musing, the fire burned.

Then I spoke with my tongue:

David opens this Psalm with a declaration of determined restraint and of inner resolve to not let his circumstances dictate his reactions and faith. Therefore, David once again puts his frustrations to pen, but not just to vent, but also to instruct. For its easy thing during such times to give into temptation, to just vent all of one's feelings and let unbecoming words and speech be unleashed out of one’s mouth, for the blameless Job eventually did that, and it didn't profit him. Therefore, David determined within himself to put a muzzle on his mouth, while the wicked were before him, and he himself was once again under chastening hand of God. However, as he held his peace, and as he pondered his own plight, his heart was stirred with all manner of emotions within him, sadness of the one hand, frustration and anger on the other, and so it all came to boiling point, therefore when he could no longer keep silent, he spoke with his tongue and said…  

Vs. 4-6 ⁴“Lord, make me to know my end,

And what is the measure of my days,

That I may know how frail I am.

⁵Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,

And my age is as nothing before You;

Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah

⁶Surely every man walks about like a shadow;

Surely they busy themselves in vain;

He heaps up riches,

And does not know who will gather them.

It is then Davids inner reflection that causes him to think before speaking, to consider his (and every mans) temporal state and being. What then is the measure of a man? What then is the meaning of his days? If all of his strength, beauty, riches, and whatever else he acquires in this life and busies himself with is only being stored up for the grave, stored up for those who will acquire it and use it all at their own pleasure and leisure after he is gone. Life then lived devoid of the Lord is never really lived, nor can it be enjoyed forever. 

Vs. 7-8 ⁷“And now, Lord, what do I wait for?

My hope is in You.

⁸Deliver me from all my transgressions;

Do not make me the reproach of the foolish.

Knowing this life’s meaningless can be a turning point, it can lead one to the Lord. And it is there that David finds his purpose, renewal, and strength. For it is the Lord that he waits for, that we ourselves wait for, for we who believe in Him have also set our desires upon Him. For as his hope is in Him, so is ours. Hope then of everlasting life, hope then of a resurrection of the dead, of both the just and the unjust, hope then of an eternal and everlastingly just and peaceful and glorious future and home in heaven with the Lord where sin will not be, and the foolish will reproach no more!

Vs. 9 “I was mute, I did not open my mouth,

Because it was You who did it.”

David now acknowledges that his silence was born out of his reverence for the Lord, out of a healthy fear of Him, because He was chastening him, thus he didn't give himself over to ways and the words of the foolish who will not receive correction from God but will only rebel against Him. 

Vs. 10-11 ¹⁰Remove Your plague from me;

I am consumed by the blow of Your hand.

¹¹When with rebukes You correct man for iniquity,

You make his beauty melt away like a moth;

Surely every man is vapor. Selah

Therefore, David asks the Lord to remove his plague from him, acknowledging that he has been brought low by Him, that He has done this to correct for him for his iniquity. For David is not being singled out, or being mistreated, or wronged, nor does he see himself as being so, for the Lord deals justly with all. Therefore, David acknowledges that it is the Lord who sustains him or brings him low (consider 1 Sam. 2:6-8, "For by strength no man shall prevail" 1 Sam. 2:9). Any man who then thinks that he is self-made or self-sustained is a total fool, for just as the Lord makes his beauty melt away like a moth, so too his life is but for a moment, like a vapor that briefly appears, it too then vanishes away. Confidence in oneself, to save or deliver oneself, then is the ultimate folly! 

Vs. 12-13 ¹²“Hear my prayer, O Lord,

And give ear to my cry;

Do not be silent at my tears;

For I am a stranger with You,

A sojourner, as all my fathers were.

¹³Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength,

Before I go away and am no more.”

David concludes his prayer with a heartfelt plea from a broken place, not an angry, arrogant, or prideful place, but a true place, a place of humility where he knows the Lord will look upon Him, where He will see his tears and remember that David, like every child of God, is also a stranger with Him, a sojourner in this world like all of our forefathers in the faith were (consider Heb. 11). In closing then David asks that the Lord remove His gaze from him so that he may regain his strength before he goes away and is no more.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson. 

Psalm 38 A Psalm of David. To Bring to Remembrance.

 ¹O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath,

Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!

²For Your arrows pierce me deeply,

And Your hand presses me down.

³There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger,

Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin.

⁴For my iniquities have gone over my head;

Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

⁵My wounds are foul and festering

Because of my foolishness.

⁶I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly;

I go mourning all the day long.

⁷For my loins are full of inflammation,

And there is no soundness in my flesh.

⁸I am feeble and severely broken;

I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.

⁹Lord, all my desire is before You;

And my sighing is not hidden from You.

¹⁰My heart pants, my strength fails me;

As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.

¹¹My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague,

And my relatives stand afar off.

¹²Those also who seek my life lay snares for me;

Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction,

And plan deception all the day long.

¹³But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;

And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.

¹⁴Thus I am like a man who does not hear,

And in whose mouth is no response.

¹⁵For in You, O Lord, I hope;

You will hear, O Lord my God.

¹⁶For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me,

Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.”

¹⁷For I am ready to fall,

And my sorrow is continually before me.

¹⁸For I will declare my iniquity;

I will be in anguish over my sin.

¹⁹But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong;

And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.

²⁰Those also who render evil for good,

They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.

²¹Do not forsake me, O Lord;

O my God, be not far from me!

²²Make haste to help me,

O Lord, my salvation!

Preamble: Psalm 38 is so passionately and intimately written that it deserves everyone’s consideration and contemplation, whether a brand-new creation in Christ, or someone who has walked and lived many years with the Lord Jesus. At its core is an honest plea for God’s mercy, coming from a broken man who knows the depths of his own sin, and because of it is now in great despair. Therefore, it is not pretentious, nor self-justifying, but it is truthful, needful, helpful, because it reveals a man who does not turn away from God when he has failed Him, rather He turns to Him, and lays it all out before Him. How one then views this Psalm, and those who lean on it, will say a lot about them.

Commentary

Vs 1 “O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath,

Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!”

Is this not every remorseful sinner’s fear, that the Lord will unleash His just wrath upon them for what they have done. For when He judges who can stand? The plea prayed here then is not done as a trivial thing, for anyone who knows the Lord, knows that if He judges in wrath (which is different than anger) we would be consumed, and that His chastisement if done unchecked would leave one utterly ruined.

Vs. 2-3 ²For Your arrows pierce me deeply,

And Your hand presses me down.

³There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger,

Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin.

David now speaks of his plight, which does not come from others (at least not the origins of it) but from his own sin, which must have been very severe given the metaphors he uses to describe the Lord’s chastening him. Saying the Lord’s arrows now pierce him deeply, clearly indicating that this is no light chastisement that he is now enduring. And so, the seriousness of his sin he is now fully aware of. Indeed, the Lord has even raised His own hand against him, and He now presses him down so that he cannot rise. In other words, he cannot then simply walk away from what He has done, he must now face it all, all that it has done to others, and all that it is now doing to him! And with all of this pressing down on him, David’s flesh has lost its soundness, because the Lord is angry with him for what he has done. For the Lord can love us, and He can also be angry with us, just ask any sound parent, for these are not mutally exclusive from each other. Therefore, David’s health and vitality has departed from him because of his sin. Therefore, in acknowledging all these things David is taking ownership of his plight and circumstances, for he knows that this is his rightful due before the Lord.

Vs. 4-8 ⁴For my iniquities have gone over my head;

Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

⁵My wounds are foul and festering

Because of my foolishness.

⁶I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly;

I go mourning all the day long.

⁷For my loins are full of inflammation,

And there is no soundness in my flesh.

⁸I am feeble and severely broken;

I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.

David now acknowledges to the Lord that the iniquities he let pile up in his life have now gone over his head, and like a heavy burden he can no longer bear them, neither bear the consequences, much less the shame and guilt of them all. For sin always has that way with us when we look the other way and say, some other day I’ll deal with this. And so now he has wounds that are foul and festering, because as he admits, this happened because of his own foolishness; of his either willfully engaging in them, or not taking the consequences of them serious from the start. And so now he is troubled and bowed down greatly, his loins are full of inflammation, and his once healthy body has thus become feeble and severely broken, even his heart has lost its joy, for his once cheerful countenance and laughter have now been turned into mourning and despair, turmoil then is what now fills his heart. Morally and emotionally conflicted, physically broken and afflicted, this is all so very sad because David is a man after God’s heart. For David was never defiant and rebellious, he was not a man who mocked the way of righteousness; indeed, he sought it, and stood up for it. But as it so often happens, when men rise to power, they soon forget that it's not they themselves who has established them, but the Lord, and when a man forgets that he becomes susceptible to engage in all kinds of lusts and temptations and foolishness (consider Prov. 5; 14:13). For when a man leads himself, he is always misled.

Vs. 9-11 ⁹Lord, all my desire is before You;

And my sighing is not hidden from You.

¹⁰My heart pants, my strength fails me;

As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.

¹¹My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague,

And my relatives stand afar off.

In the midst of his despair David again turns his face to the Lord, who knows all his desire, (as He knows ours) He knows his heart. And David also knows that the Lord knows his sighing, it is not hidden from Him. Thus, David is now leaning on the Lord's tender mercies and compassions to heal and restore him. For David’s once sound (i.e., peaceful) heart now pants (i.e., pounds, racing inside him). And as for his strength; which he so often relied upon to lift himself up out of trouble; it now fails him. Even the light of his eyes which once sparkled with life is now gone. As for his loved ones, friends, and relatives they all see what is happening to him, and yet instead of comforting or consoling him, they all just stand afar off, for they don’t want to get involved with him when he is plagued like this. No one then is going to come to his aid or help, for they have all effectively written him off!

Vs. 12-14 ¹²Those also who seek my life lay snares for me;

Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction,

And plan deception all the day long.

¹³But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;

And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.

¹⁴Thus I am like a man who does not hear,

And in whose mouth is no response.

Worse yet, while he is in this weakened state, David’s enemies now feel utterly emboldened, and so they begin to lay snares to take away his life. So sure, are they of his demise that they now even speak openly of his demise and destruction, even while within earshot of him (vs. 12). Yet David retains his composure and remains silent, pretending that he does not hear and does not know, for to rebuke them now might mean that God will not (vs. 13-14). And what can a man say to such people that would change them? It is like trying to negotiate and reason with a shark before it attacks. 

Vs. 15-17 ¹⁵For in You, O Lord, I hope;

You will hear, O Lord my God.

¹⁶For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me,

Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.”

¹⁷For I am ready to fall,

And my sorrow is continually before me.

Therefore, Davids's hope is never found in the people around him, (in trying to build up allies to himself), but only in the Lord. For even in his darkest times, he remains sure of the Lord’s faithfulness. Therefore, he asks the Lord not to let his enemies rejoice over him, not to let them see him fall down, lest they exalt themselves against him. For they are so cruel that they would exude and delight themselves in nothing more than to see his downfall and ruin. Indeed, they can hardly wait to exalt themselves against them. Truly then such people are deserving of all the calamity and troubles that the Lord has reserved for them! Now if you want a Biblical example of such evil people and the Lord’s response to them, consider the Edomites who exalted themselves and rejoiced at Israel’s own downfall when God was chastening them. Therefore, do not be like them lest you end up like them, for as God deals with nations so He deals with individuals (Consider Psalm 137:7; Ezekiel 25:12-14; 35:1-15; Obadiah 10-14 etc.).

Vs. 18 “For I will declare my iniquity;

I will be in anguish over my sin.”

David then was not trying to conceal his iniquity, he was not trying to excuse his sin, indeed he was greatly remorseful about his transgression. For he was grieved by his own sin and what it had done, therefore he would receive the Lord’s mercies, just as you will if you are remorseful about yours.

Vs. 19-20 ¹⁹But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong;

And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.

²⁰Those also who render evil for good,

They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.

In contrast to David’s humility and brokenness before the Lord was his enemies who felt no remorse for all the troubles, grief, and pain they had caused him. Indeed, even while he was in such a terrible state, they were now multiplying themselves against him, and this without any just cause. Even when he did good towards them, they only quickly forgot it, or outright dismissed it, so that they could continue on in their evil ways towards him. And why were they doing this to him? Because he followed what was good, and they didn't, and they couldn’t stand it, couldn’t stand to see him succeed in ways that they were not. Therefore, the more David did what was good and right in the sight of God the more they hated him, for the wicked will always hate the righteous (Pr. 29:27; John 15:18; 17:13; 1 John 3:13-15). 

Vs. 21-22 ²¹Do not forsake me, O Lord;

O my God, be not far from me!

²²Make haste to help me,

O Lord, my salvation!

Therefore, in a final appeal David in all faith and trust now asks the Lord not to forsake him, not to be far from him, to make haste and help him, because He is our salvation!

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson. 

Psalm 37 A Psalm of David

 ¹Do not fret because of evildoers,

Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

²For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,

And wither as the green herb.

³Trust in the Lord, and do good;

Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

⁴Delight yourself also in the Lord,

And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

⁵Commit your way to the Lord,

Trust also in Him,

And He shall bring it to pass.

⁶He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,

And your justice as the noonday.

⁷Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,

Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

⁸Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;

Do not fret—it only causes harm.

⁹For evildoers shall be cut off;

But those who wait on the Lord,

They shall inherit the earth.

¹⁰For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;

Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,

But it shall be no more.

¹¹But the meek shall inherit the earth,

And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

¹²The wicked plots against the just,

And gnashes at him with his teeth.

¹³The Lord laughs at him,

For He sees that his day is coming.

¹⁴The wicked have drawn the sword

And have bent their bow,

To cast down the poor and needy,

To slay those who are of upright conduct.

¹⁵Their sword shall enter their own heart,

And their bows shall be broken.

¹⁶A little that a righteous man has

Is better than the riches 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 upright,

And their inheritance shall be forever.

¹⁹They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,

And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

²⁰But the wicked shall perish;

And the enemies of the Lord,

Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish.

Into smoke they shall vanish away.

²¹The wicked borrows and does not repay,

But the righteous shows mercy and gives.

²²For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth,

But those cursed by Him shall be cut off.

²³The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,

And He delights in his way.

²⁴Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;

For the Lord upholds him with His hand.

²⁵I have been young, and now am old;

Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,

Nor his descendants begging bread.

²⁶He is ever merciful, and lends;

And his descendants are blessed.

²⁷Depart from evil, and do good;

And dwell forevermore.

²⁸For the Lord loves justice,

And does not forsake His saints;

They are preserved forever,

But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.

²⁹The righteous shall inherit the land,

And dwell in it forever.

³⁰The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom,

And his tongue talks of justice.

³¹The law of his God is in his heart;

None of his steps shall slide.

³²The wicked watches the righteous,

And seeks to slay him.

³³The Lord will not leave him in his hand,

Nor condemn him when he is judged.

³⁴Wait on the Lord,

And keep His way,

And He shall exalt you to inherit the land;

When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

³⁵I have seen the wicked in great power,

And spreading himself like a native green tree.

³⁶Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more;

Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.

³⁷Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright;

For the future of that man is peace.

³⁸But the transgressors shall be destroyed together;

The future of the wicked shall be cut off.

³⁹But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;

He is their strength in the time of trouble.

⁴⁰And the Lord shall help them and deliver them;

He shall deliver them from the wicked,

And save them,

Because they trust in Him.

 

Preamble: Psalm 37 is a Psalm of God’s Justice, of what God does and what He will do to uphold it. And so, every Christian who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ and hopes and trusts in His Word should keep this Psalm at ready hand when things go wrongly against them, especially when this comes at the hands of unjust and wicked people whom they see prospering in their ways, while they are doing so. For this Psalm reassures us all that their prosperity is always temporary, that their “peace and safety” is only for a very short season, for their end always comes; and often in ways that they themselves could not foresee nor plan for. For it is always of the Lord to orchestrate or allow their lives circumstances to overtake and overwhelm them, whether this is for their repentance and salvation or their finial end. For in His Perfect timing and in His Perfect way, the Lord always deals justly with all!

Commentary

¹Do not fret because of evildoers,

Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

²For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,

And wither as the green herb.

Because God is Sovereign over all the affairs of mankind, indeed all of creation, we must not fret because of evil doers, we must not let their evil actions and unjust words towards us have control in our thoughts and lives. For this accomplishes nothing, neither justice nor peace do we get from fretting about them, about what they have done, or will do. Instead, we need to go forward in faith and live our lives courageously, and commit these things to the Lord, and not keep reliving the evils and wrongs that have been done to us, over and over again, for none of it can now be changed. And holding onto these things only plays into the Adversary’s hand, it only gives him the upper hand, when they see us broken, or defeated, or dismayed by what they have schemed or done. And for many of us this takes time, takes courage, takes faith, to believe and trust in God’s ultimate Goodness towards us un spite of them (Rom. 8:31-39). Therefore, we must never be envious of the workers of iniquity, of all of those who live brazenly sinful and wicked lives, and yet no evil ever seems to find them, even while the scheme or do harm to others. For though they prosper for a season, and though they seemingly are at ease while troubling others, rest assured when God judges them, as He always does, they will be cut down like the grass, and wither away like the green herb (vs. 2). Woe, woe to them when He judges them!

Vs. 3-4 “Trust in the Lord, and do good;

Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

⁴Delight yourself also in the Lord,

And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Turning then from fretting to trusting in the Lord and doing good, even while evil is being done to us is the Christians calling card, for this is what Jesus Christ Himself always does and wants us all to do. To dwell in the land and remain a viable worker for Him wherever we are, to feed ourselves then on His faithfulness, and always enjoy and delight ourselves in Him regardless of our own trials and tribulations, all which are passing things. For when we do, He shall give us the desires of our heart, so that we can do the desires of His heart.

Vs. 5-6 ⁵Commit your way to the Lord,

Trust also in Him,

And He shall bring it to pass.

⁶He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,

And your justice as the noonday.

Here the Lord promises to bring forth our righteousness as the light and our justice for as the noon day when we commit it all to Him. For this is the pathway of peace, of not seeking vengeance when wronged, but rather of trusting Him and confidently laying it all before Him. Therefore, in prayer we can say to Him here is what they have said or done openly to me, and You know whatever else they have said or done or schemed in secret about me. For You know everything, there is nothing hidden from Your eyes, for You know they have no just grounds for doing so. Therefore, I commit it all to You Lord, for I trust in You alone to bring forth my righteousness as the light and my justice as the noonday. For they have damaged my person and ruined my reputation, and still, they watch for and seek my ruin, and they remain utterly unremorseful and unrepentant in it all! Therefore, I commit all to You, Lord for I know that You will always act in the defense of Your servants who walk with You in truth.  

Vs. 7-8 ⁷Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,

Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

⁸Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;

Do not fret—it only causes harm.

 Resting then in the Lord, is giving Him the burden and letting Him bear it and is the step of faith that restores peace to us. For fretting over him who apparently prospers while wronging you will do you no good. Yea, for a season the wicked persons schemes very likely will come to pass, for their charm and lies will always seduce and deceive others for a season, and so they will apparently succeed and prosper for a season (vs. 7). And so, the natural response to such an injustice is to be angry about it, however anger unchecked can quickly turn into trying to get revenge, and this will not bring you (nor anybody else) justice or peace. Indeed, it is through these unchecked emotions that more harm than good often comes, especially to the bearer of them (vs. 8). Therefore, one must process them, and then willingly put them away. For clarity of thought and clarity of perspective demands such. For holding onto your anger and your wrath will only give the devil a foothold in your life, and then all kinds of bad decisions are sure to follow (1 John 2:11).

Vs. 9 “For evildoers shall be cut off;

But those who wait on the Lord,

They shall inherit the earth.”

This is why we do not need to retain our anger and wrath, for evil doers will be cut off, the Day will come when their “heaven on earth” will be turned into their very own hell, and this will be the work of God who will bring it about. “But those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.” This then is God’s reward for everyone who puts their trust in Him, to give us a future and a hope.

Vs. 10 “For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;

Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,

But it shall be no more.”

What more need be said, the wicked person will come to their end, their place amongst men will end and their name shall rot with them (Prov. 10:7). Their once prosperous place then will end in ruin, their person and name will be forgotten forever. Indeed, you shall look for them, but they shall not be found nor seen, nor heard from ever again!

Vs. 11 “But the meek shall inherit the earth,

And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”

This Promise was reaffirmed by the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 5:5) and is referring to His Reign on earth when He will rule the world in Righteousness. When He does wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of His times (Isaiah 33:6), and there will be an abundance of peace and truth in the earth. 

 Vs. 12-13 ¹²The wicked plots against the just,

And gnashes at him with his teeth.

¹³The Lord laughs at him,

For He sees that his day is coming.

Even though these things are coming, the wicked will not change (even if grace is shown them, in the land of uprightness they will deal unjustly, and not behold the majesty of the Lord, Isaiah 26:10). For they will carry on in their evil plots against the just, they will gnash at us with their teeth (which is an expression of their deep and abiding hatred of us, for they hate us just as fiercely as they hate the Lord). Nonetheless the Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming. On that Day he will tremble in fear and terror when the Lord Jesus Christ confronts him face to face!

Vs. 14-15 ¹⁴The wicked have drawn the sword

And have bent their bow,

To cast down the poor and needy,

To slay those who are of upright conduct.

¹⁵Their sword shall enter their own heart,

And their bows shall be broken.

In this crooked world the wicked is always well armed and equipped, always having so much more power in this life than the poor and needy whom they set up as their target. Indeed, by their power they even seek to slay those who are of upright conduct, and so, they draw their sword, and confidently bend their bow to cast down the poor and needy, to slay those who are of an upright conduct by their cunning and might. Nonetheless the wages of sin is death, for God has ordained that His law rules us all. Therefore, their sword (and their confidence in it) shall be their own undoing, it shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. For God’s Hand shall be against them all!

Vs. 16-17 ¹⁶A little that a righteous man has

Is better than the riches of many wicked.

¹⁷For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,

But the Lord upholds the righteous.

It is far better to live righteously in poverty, than to have the wealth, privileges, and power of the wicked, of those who get their wealth from evil and unjust means. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, the Lord shall bring their might and power down (Isaiah 2:10-12; 3:10-11; Psalm 11:6; Ecc. 8:12-13 etc.)

Vs. 18-19 ¹⁸The Lord knows the days of the upright,

And their inheritance shall be forever.

¹⁹They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,

And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

God always watches over the upright; He secures for us an eternal inheritance because we believe in His Son (1 Peter 1:4-5). Therefore, we shall not be ashamed in the evil time, when all the forces of lies and wickedness have so corrupted the earth that the truth, God’s unchanging, everlasting truth, becomes a real scarcity. For in holding onto His truth, we know that God will uphold us as well. Therefore, in the days of famine (the days of scarcity, which is His Judgment on earth) we shall be satisfied by Him.

Vs. 20 “But the wicked shall perish;

And the enemies of the Lord,

Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish.

Into smoke they shall vanish away.”

All of the wicked then, all of the Lords enemies, everyone who sets themselves against Him, opposing His Gospel, His Word, His Truth shall see their beauty and wealth and whatever else they loved, acquired, or trusted in come to nothing. For by His Hand, it shall all vanish away, like smoke in the meadows (that is so very temporary) so they too shall all vanish away.

Vs. 21-22 ²¹The wicked borrows and does not repay,

But the righteous shows mercy and gives.

²²For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth,

But those cursed by Him shall be cut off.

The wicked person has no integrity, they think nothing of borrowing and not repaying. Again, they have no integrity! For he builds his “empire” by misleading people and by outright deceit. Whether this is his creditors or his investors, or just everyday working people, his concern is not for them, of doing justly towards them, just how he might use them. And so first he charms them with his charismatic nature and speech, and then he seduces them with all kinds of false and misleading claims and promises; and so, they lend to him (or invest in him) believing that they will reap big returns for themselves. But in the end they reap little, for he does not repay his invertors, nor his creditors, as they should be, nor does he intend to, and so even if the investment reaps big gains, trying to secure one’s rightful share for one’s investment and time only becomes a long drawn out and costly legal battle, and that is on the rare occasions that what he has proposed or sold you on has actually succeeded. For, defaulting on loans and making false and misleading claims and promises of high returns is a way of life for him. And so, though he promises great things with his mouth, his hand always delivers very little in the end. Therefore, God’s promise of their being cut off will be their only reward in the end.

In contrast then to that nightmare is the righteous person who steers well clear of him, and all get rich investments and schemes, and instead makes their investments in the Kingdom of heaven by showing mercy and giving to those in need. For we consider the cause of the poor, (we cannot ignore them), for we consider our wealth (whether little or much) as a stewardship that has been entrusted to us by God. Therefore, we strive to make strategic investments in ministries, in outreaches, in people's lives, to bring forth God's life and light through the Gospel. For the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to bring a blessing with any sort of permeance. Therefore, God's blessing also comes to us, to everyone who does so, though that is not our motive, serving Christ with what we have is. For the Lord Jesus Christ sees and knows all things, and He will secure our investments Himself. Therefore, in His Kingdom, we shall inherit the earth, because we have lived justly and want to deal justly with all. 

Vs. 23-24 ²³The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,

And He delights in his way.

²⁴Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;

For the Lord upholds him with His hand.

Those then who deal justly, who walk in step with the Lord, will have their steps ordered by Him, for He will prepare their way before them, He will guide and lead them through this life, far away from the pitfalls reserved for the wicked, for He delights in their way. And though he falls, (for no one is promised a life free from adversity, or troubles, or making mistakes down here), he shall not be utterly cast down, (as the wicked will be), for the Lord will uphold him by His hand!

Vs. 25-26 ²⁵I have been young, and now am old;

Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,

Nor his descendants begging bread.

²⁶He is ever merciful, and lends;

And his descendants are blessed.

Looking back on God’s faithfulness one can see when one has lived their life in step with Him just how faithful He truly is. For God does not forsake the righteous, He does not lead and leave them to squalor and misery. Instead, His eyes are always upon us for our good, He even extends His grace and favor to our descendants; therefore, because a righteous person is ever merciful and lends, his descendants are blessed after him, they won’t be found begging bread. It’s a Biblical principal that just as those who hate the Lord are cursed by Him to the third and fourth generation. so, God shows mercy to thousands, to everyone who loves Him and keeps His commandments (Ex. 20:6; 34:6-7; Num. 14:18; Deut. 5:10; 7:9; Jonah 7:9).

Vs. 27-28 ²⁷Depart from evil, and do good;

And dwell forevermore.

²⁸For the Lord loves justice,

And does not forsake His saints;

They are preserved forever,

But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.

In light of such promises the exhortation goes out to us all to depart from evil and do good, for that is repentance, and those who do so because they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ shall dwell forevermore. For the Lord loves justice, He does not forsake His saints. And so, though we were all once sinners, when anyone repents and believes they shall become God’s saints, they shall be preserved forever! But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off, because they continue in their sins of their forefathers, they shall be cut off.

Vs. 29 “The righteous shall inherit the land,

And dwell in it forever.”

Once again God’s Word promises that the righteous shall inherit the land, the land He promised long ago to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The righteous then shall dwell in it forevermore!

Vs. 30-31 ³⁰ The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom,

And his tongue talks of justice.

³¹The law of his God is in his heart;

None of his steps shall slide.

The righteous person speaks with wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice, for when he speaks, he speaks sound truth by God’s Word. Therefore, he upholds what is good and right in the sight of God. And so, he does not propagate, validate, nor endorse the morally degenerate lies of this world, nor anything that is meant to deceive or mislead or manipulate others. Indeed, on his tongue is justice, which is not just reward for the righteous and punishment for evildoers, but justice for the poor, the oppressed, for everyone who is mistreated and wronged and persecuted in this evil world, he defends.

Vs. 32-33 ³²The wicked watches the righteous,

And seeks to slay him.

³³The Lord will not leave him in his hand,

Nor condemn him when he is judged.

The wicked person watches the righteous, but not to learn from him, but only to seek to slay him. For this is what they did to the Lord Jesus Christ, and this is what they will do to you if you faithfully follow Him and keep His Word. Because the wicked will always feel “threatened” by anyone who believes Him and keeps His Word. Nonetheless the Lord will not allow the righteous person who trusts in Him to be swallowed up by them, nor will He condemn us when we are judged by them. For though they can kill the body they cannot take our souls away from Him. Their unjust actions and judgments then are only possible for them in this life, after that they can do no more (Matt. 10:24-32; Luke 12:4).

Vs. 34 “Wait on the Lord,

And keep His way,

And He shall exalt you to inherit the land;

When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.”

Waiting on the Lord and keeping His way is what we must do when faced with such things. For in due course of time he shall exalt you to inherit the land, when the wicked are cut off your eyes shall see it!

Vs. 35-36 ³⁵I have seen the wicked in great power,

And spreading himself like a native green tree.

³⁶Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more;

Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.

One thing long life teaches us is that though one will see the wicked in great power, spreading himself out like a native green tree as though his tenure and prosperity will never end. Yet he passed away, (like all others before him), he passed away and behold he was no more; no more a threat, nor a terror, nor oppressor to anyone. Indeed, as David says here “I sought him but he could not be found.” The thought here is that not just in this mortal life will his end, come but when God judges him, he will never be seen nor heard from again!

Vs. 37 “Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright;

For the future of that man is peace.”

A Great Truth and Promise in God's Word is that the blameless man and upright person shall have peace. Therefore, mark the blameless man and observe the upright for these are the people to admire and model oneself after, for the future of that man is peace, not only in this life, but for all eternity, peace and everlasting serenity shall be theirs, as it will be for all who follow in their footsteps!

Vs. 38 “But the transgressors shall be destroyed together;

The future of the wicked shall be cut off.”

In contrast all transgressors shall be destroyed, everyone who did not repent and believe, who wouldn’t receive the love of the truth, shall be cut off in the Day of the Lord’s vengeance (Isaiah 1:28; 13:9-11; Malachi 4:1; 2 Peter 3:7-9; also consider Psalm 104:35; Prov. 2:22 etc.). The imperative then to receive and believe the Gospel should not be lost on anyone!

Vs. 39-40 ³⁹But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;

He is their strength in the time of trouble.

⁴⁰And the Lord shall help them and deliver them;

He shall deliver them from the wicked,

And save them,

Because they trust in Him.

The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; from begging to end, He is the One who accomplishes this for us. Therefore, everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ is now declared righteous by God and is being made righteous by Him, by His Spirits renewal of us. For it is He who makes us new creations In Christ the moment we believe in the Lord Jesus giving us a new heart and new desires to do and live righteously for Him! Therefore, He is our strength in time of trouble, He shall deliver us from the wicked and save us for all eternity because we trust in Him!

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.