Psalm 37
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 37[a]
Fate of the Wicked and Reward of the Righteous
1 Of David.
Do not fume because of evildoers
or envy those who do wrong.
2 They will wither quickly like the grass
and fade away like the green herb.[b]
3 Put your trust in the Lord and do good,
that you may dwell in the land[c] and be secure.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will grant you what your heart[d] desires.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
place your trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause, like the noonday.[e]
7 Wait quietly for the Lord
and be patient until he comes.
Do not fret over the man who prospers
because of his evil schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn away from wrath;
do not fret—it does nothing but harm.
9 For evildoers will be destroyed,
but those who wait for the Lord will inherit the land.[f]
10 In a short while, the wicked will be no more;
no matter how diligently you search, you will not be able to find him.
11 But the meek[g] will possess the land
and enjoy an abundance of peace.
12 The wicked man plots against the righteous
and grinds his teeth at the sight of them.
13 But the Lord laughs at them,
knowing that their day[h] is approaching.
14 The wicked draw their swords
and string their bows
to bring down the poor[i] and the needy
and to slaughter those who are upright.
15 Their swords will enter their own hearts,[j]
and their bows will be shattered.
16 Preferable is the little that the righteous possess
than the great wealth of the wicked.
17 For the power of the wicked will be overcome,
but the Lord protects the righteous.
18 The Lord looks after the lives of the upright,[k]
and their heritage will last forever.
19 They will not be confounded in times of evil,
and in days of famine they eat their fill.
20 But the wicked will perish,
all those who are enemies of the Lord.
Like the beauty of the meadows[l] they will wither away;
like smoke they will disappear.
21 The wicked man borrows but neglects to repay,
whereas the righteous man is generous in giving.
22 For those blessed by the Lord will possess the land,
but those who are cursed will perish.
23 The Lord makes a man’s steps secure
when he approves of his conduct.
24 Even if he stumbles, he will never fall headlong,
for the Lord holds him by the hand.[m]
25 From my youth until my present old age,
I have never seen the righteous man abandoned
or his children reduced to begging for bread.
26 He is always compassionate and generous in lending,
and his children will be blessed.[n]
27 If you shun evil and do good,
you will dwell in the land forever.
28 For the Lord loves the just,[o]
and he will not forsake his faithful ones.
Those who follow evil paths will be destroyed,
and the children of the wicked will be cut off,
29 whereas the righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.[p]
30 [q]The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks what is right.
31 The law of his God is in his heart,
and his steps do not waver.
32 [r]The wicked man keeps close watch on the righteous
and seeks an opportunity to kill him.
33 But the Lord will not abandon the righteous
to the power of the wicked,
nor will he allow him to be condemned
when he is brought to trial.
34 Wait for the Lord
and follow the path he has laid out;
then he will exalt you to inherit the land,
and you will see the destruction of the wicked.
35 [s]I have seen a wicked man inflicting terror
and towering like a verdant tree.
36 I passed by again, and he was gone;
I searched for him, but he was not to be found.
37 [t]Pay attention to the innocent and behold the upright,
for the man of peace will have a future.
38 But the wicked will be completely destroyed,
and their children will be cut off.
39 [u]The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
he is their refuge in times of trouble.
40 The Lord will help them and deliver them;
he will rescue them from the wicked and save them
because they flee to him for refuge.
Footnotes
- Psalm 37:1 A peaceful, aged psalmist strings together, in alphabetical order, sayings about the opposing lots of the righteous and the wicked. It is a fine lesson in wisdom for those who grow angry at the successes of evildoers: their triumph is ephemeral. Experience and meditation on the word of God have revealed to this sage the happy destiny that the Lord has reserved for his friends; each of the righteous is called to enjoy the promises made to the people of Israel as a reward for their faithfulness: to dwell in the holy land in peace (vv. 3, 11).
The horizon remains limited to this world. Hence, it is a modest happiness if it were not irradiated by the nearness of the Lord and did not contain the still hidden promise of a love that cannot be extinguished, of an eternal joy.
Christ will reveal this infinite perspective: eternal happiness in the Kingdom of God, the true Promised Land, belongs to the poor, those who forgive and thirst for righteousness and peace (Mt 5). - Psalm 37:2 See notes on Pss 5:11; 35 (this also applies to vv. 9f, 15, 20, 35f).
- Psalm 37:3 The land: the Promised Land (Ps 25:13; Deut 16:20), which in the New Testament became a type of heaven (see Mt 5:3-12; Lk 6:20-26; Heb 11:9, 13-16). This word is also used in verses 9, 11, 22, 27, 29, 34.
- Psalm 37:4 Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
- Psalm 37:6 Dawn . . . noonday: light and brightness symbolize truth, well-being, and happiness (see Job 22:28; Song 1:7; Wis 5:6).
- Psalm 37:9 Those who hope only in the Lord for their sustenance and their well-being (i.e., “the poor”) will inherit the land, while those who bypass God and by wicked means try to take hold of it will come to naught (see notes on Pss 5:11; 35).
- Psalm 37:11 The meek: another word for the poor, those who count solely on God and follow his law (see Mt 5:5). Indeed, the promises of the Lord are only for the meek who depend solely on him (v. 9) and will enjoy an abundance of peace. “Peace” symbolizes the beneficence of the godly (see Ps 72:7) in contrast with the life of suffering (v. 12; see Ps 119:65f).
- Psalm 37:13 Their day: the time for their ultimate defeat, their death (see 1 Sam 26:10, where “his day” is translated as “his time”).
- Psalm 37:14 The poor: see note on Ps 22:27.
- Psalm 37:15 Hearts: see note on Ps 4:8.
- Psalm 37:18 Upright: those who are God’s faithful and obedient servants as was Abraham (see Gen 17:1).
- Psalm 37:20 Beauty of the meadows: the beauty of grass and flowers that comes and goes every year (see Pss 90:5f; 102:12; 103:15f; Job 14:2; Isa 40:6-8; Jas 1:10f).
- Psalm 37:24 See Prov 24:16.
- Psalm 37:26 Blessed: see note on Ps 1:1.
- Psalm 37:28 The psalmist insists that the Lord loves the just (see Prov 2:8) who are his faithful ones, and he will never forsake them. Hence, Paul could say with complete confidence: “[Nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38f).
- Psalm 37:29 The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever through their descendants (see Mt 5:5).
- Psalm 37:30 The wise man reveres the Lord and desires to do his will. God’s law is written on his heart (see Ps 40:9; Deut 6:6; Isa 51:7; Jer 31:33; Ezek 36:27). He speaks wisely (see Ps 49:4) and establishes peace (see Ps 36:7). Heart: see note on Ps 4:8. His steps do not waver: from the way of the righteous (see 1:6).
- Psalm 37:32 The righteous need not fear the machinations of the wicked, for the Lord has promised to come to their assistance. He gave Canaan to Israel and the earth to all who love him (see Isa 65:17-25; 66:22; Rev 21:1).
- Psalm 37:35 God confounds the proud (see Job 20:6f; Isa 2:12; 14:13-15; Ezek 31:10f). Verdant tree: or “cedar of Lebanon.”
- Psalm 37:37 The righteous have a bright future; the wicked have no future at all (see Prov 23:18; 24:14). A future: or “descendants.”
- Psalm 37:39 The Lord is the protector of all who take refuge in him, all who call upon him for protection, deliverance, and victory (see Pss 9:10; 12:2; 34:7f).
