INTRODUCTION
This teacher was reminded today of Daniel 2:20-22, “¶Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.” Moreover, Romans 13:1&2 tells us explicitly, “¶Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.“
This post is an expansion of the post entitled Biblical Proverbial Wisdom and Truth Applicable to Our World Today. In that compilation, the point is made that Psalm 37 has close correlation with Psalm 73, which together provide God’s instruction and God’s effective remedy for dealing with evil in our world today. They are in effect akin to Biblical Bookends that instruct believers not to worry or fret (be angry) over the evil of evil doers, as they will soon receive justice and sudden destruction. Psalm 37 is a Psalm of instruction and edification for the believer, thereby differing from most Psalms that involve prayer and/or praise.
Psalm 37 offers the comfort of knowing that God has EVERYTHING under His control and that God is totally Sovereign, Being both Omniscient and Omnipotent. Psalm 37 tells the believers that they will be protected, while the wicked will soon perish forever on Judgment Day (but, in any case, this life is but a vapor for everyone James 4:14). Also remembering Romans 8:38, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, northings to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.“
Before looking at each verse individually, please note that each six of the first 8 verses begin with an important directive from God…
- Verse 1 starts with “Fret not thyself because of evildoers…”
- Verse 3 starts with “Trust in the LORD, and do good;…”
- Verse 4 starts with “Delight thyself also in the LORD“
- Verse 5 starts with “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him“
- Verse 7 starts with “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him“
- Verse 8 starts with “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath“
And within those first 8 verses God admonishes us three times to not fret (become angry) with wicked evildoers but rather be patient because God will execute His justice. Then, the subsequent verses (from 9 to the end at 23) compare and contrast the attributes of the righteous with the wicked, while also assuring us that, while God will reward His saints, He will definitely punish the evil doers swiftly and surely on Judgment Day.
Exposition of Psalm 37
Psalm 37:1, ¶[A Psalm of David.] Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
Note that this is the FIRST time (of several) where we are being told not to “fret“! Which can also be interpreted, Do not become angry!
The word “fret” is from the original Hebrew word: חָרָה (ḥārâ)H2734, which has been translated in the King James translation variously in the following ways: kindled (44x), wroth (13x), hot (10x), angry (9x), displease (4x), fret (4x), incensed (2x), burn (1x), earnestly (1x), grieved (1x), very (1x).
Some examples: Genesis 4:6, “And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth (חָרָה (ḥārâ))H2734? and why is thy countenance fallen?” Exodus 4:14, “¶And the anger of the LORD was kindled (חָרָה (ḥārâ))H2734 against Moses, and he said, [Is] not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.“
We can see therefore that to “fret” is to “become angry“. And to be angry about anything will only lead to trouble and pain down the line. We must simply leave it to God to deal with the wicked, as He tells us in Psalm 7:11, “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry [with the wicked] every day.”
Cross-References for correlation Verse 1:
Psalm 73:3, “For I was envious at the foolish, [when] I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”
Proverbs 23:17, “Let not thine heart envy sinners: but [be thou] in the fear of the LORD all the day long.”
*Proverbs 24:19, “Fret not thyself because of evil [men], neither be thou envious at the wicked; For there shall be no reward to the evil [man]; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.“
*James 4:13&14, “¶Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
Anger and Vengeance Belongs to God
Moreover, we know that God will deal with the wicked in short order, and that anger and the accompanying vengeance belongs to God Alone, as we find in many places in the Bible such as Deuteronomy 32:35, “To me belongeth vengeance (נָקָם (nāqām)H5359, and recompence; their foot shall slide in [due] time: for the day of their calamity [is] at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that [their] power is gone, and [there is] none shut up, or left.”
The New Testament reiterates this point in both Romans 12:19, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” and Hebrews 10:30, “For we know him that hath said, Vengeance [belongeth] unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.”
And reading further back in Deuteronomy 32:41, “If I whet my glittering sword (Barak H1300, For more on Barak, please see: https://bereansearching.com/2009/09/19/the-battle-of-armageddon-the-earthly-version-already-happened/), and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance (נָקָם (nāqām))H5359to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.” and Deuteronomy 32:43, “Rejoice, O ye nations, [with] his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance(נָקָם (nāqām))H5359 to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, [and] to his people.“
Deuteronomy 7:9&10, “¶Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he [is] God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.”
Next in Isaiah 34:8, similarly we read where in the context of the end of the world and Judgment Day, “For [it is] the day of the LORD’S vengeance (נָקָם (nāqām))H5359, [and] the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.” Also in Isaiah 63:4, “For the day of vengeance (נָקָם(nāqām))H5359 is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.” Micah 5:15 also says, “And I will execute vengeance (נָקָם (nāqām))H5359 in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.” For more on God’s Vengeance please see the post on the Book of Nahum.
Psalm 37:2, “For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.“
Psalm 90:5&6, “Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are [as] a sleep: in the morning [they are] like grass [which] groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.“
Psalm 92:7, “When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; [it is] that they shall be destroyed for ever: But thou, LORD, [art most] high for evermore. For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.“
James 1:9-11, “¶Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.“
Job 20:5, “That the triumphing of the wicked [is] short, and the joy of the hypocrite [but] for a moment?“
1 Peter 1:24, “For all flesh [is] as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:“
James 4:14, “Whereas ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.“
Psalm 37:3, “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.“
Remember what God said to Moses in the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:12, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.“
2 Samuel 22:31, “[As for] God, his way [is] perfect; the word of the LORD [is] tried: he [is] a buckler to all them that trust in him.“
Psalm 31:1, “[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.]] In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.“
Psalm 31:6, “I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.“
Psalm 34:22, “The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.“
*Psalm 62:8, “Trust in him at all times; [ye] people, pour out your heart before him: God [is] a refuge for us. Selah.“
Psalm 118:8, “[It is] better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”
Psalm 118:9, “[It is] better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.”
Isaiah 26:4, “Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH [is] everlasting strength:“
Nahum 1:7, “The LORD [is] good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.“
Psalm 37:4, “Delight עָנַג (ʿānaḡ)H6026 thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.“
The word delight has been translated variously as delight (7x), delicate (1x), delicateness (1x) but is most consistent in meaning delight.
Isaiah 58:14, “Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it].“
Proverbs 3:13, “Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth understanding.“
Proverbs 28:14, “Happy [is] the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.“
Psalm 37:5, “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring [it] to pass.”
*Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.“
Psalm 55:22, “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.“
Matthew 6:25, “¶Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?“
Psalm 37:6, “And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.“
Job 11:17, “And [thine] age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.“
Psalm 36:6, “Thy righteousness [is] like the great mountains (Mountains of God); thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.“
Isaiah 58:10, “And [if] thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness [be] as the noonday: And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.“
Jesus Christ is the Light! Here we are told that if we have been enlightened φωτίζω (phōtizō)G5461 by the Holy Spirit with the Light φωτισμός (phōtismos)G5462 of Christ dwelling in us, that Light (φῶς (phōs))G5457 will shine forth.
These verses help to underscore this point: 1 John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light (φῶς (phōs)G5457, as he is in the light (φῶς (phōs))G5457, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.“
Genesis 1:3&4, “¶And God said, Let there be light (אוֹר (‘ôr))H216: and there was light (אוֹר(‘ôr))H216. And God saw the light (אוֹר(‘ôr))H216, that [it was] good: and God divided the light (אוֹר (‘ôr))H216 from the darkness.“John 1:4&5,” In him (Jesus, The Word) was life; and the life was the light (φῶς (phōs)) G5457 of men. And the light (φῶς (phōs))G5457 shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.“John 8:12, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light (φῶς (phōs))G5457 of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light (φῶς (phōs))G5457 of life“.
John 9:5, Jesus said, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light (φῶς (phōs))G5457 of the world.” Matthew 5:14-16, “Ye are the light (φῶς (phōs))G5457 of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light (λάμπω (lampō))G2989 unto all that are in the house. Let your light (φῶς (phōs))G5457 so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Luke 2:32, “A light (φῶς (phōs)) G5457 to lighten (ἀποκάλυψις(apokalypsis))G602 (reveal to) the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.“
2 Corinthians 4:3&4, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light (φωτισμός (phōtismos))G5462 of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.“
2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who commanded the light (φῶς (phōs))G5457 to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light φωτισμός (phōtismos)G5462 of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
2 Timothy 1:10, “But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light (φωτίζω (phōtizō))G5461through the gospel:“
Psalm 37:7, “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.“
Note that this is the SECOND time we are being told not to fret! Do not become angry!
Psalm 62:5, “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation [is] from him.“
Lamentations 3:26, “[It is] good that [a man] should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.“
James 1:4, “But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.“
More from the Book of James: James 5:7-9, “¶Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. ¶Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.“
Psalm 37:8, “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.”
Note that this is the THIRD time we are being told not to fret! Do not become angry!
Psalm 73:3, “For I was envious at the foolish, [when] I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”
Proverbs 14:17, “[He that is] soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.”
Proverbs 15:18, “A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but [he that is] slow to anger appeaseth strife.“
*Proverbs 16:32, “[He that is] slow to anger [is] better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.“
Proverbs 19:11, “The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and [it is] his glory to pass over a transgression.“
Proverbs 29:22, “An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.“
Ecclesiastes 7:9, “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.”
However, Ephesians 4:26&27, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.“
*James 1:19&20, “¶Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”
Psalm 37:9, “For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.“
God makes clear that there is a day of reckoning, Judgment Day, coming for the unsaved wicked of the world, while the believers will find rest and comfort in the new heavens and the new earth.
Isaiah 57:13, “When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take [them]: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;“
Isaiah 60:21, “Thy people also [shall be] all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.”
Job 7:9&10, “[As] the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no [more]. He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.“
Hebrews 10:36, “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.“
Isaiah 57:21, “[There is] no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.“
Psalm 37:10, “For yet a little while, and the wicked [shall ]not [be]: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it [shall] not [be].
Jeremiah 51:33, “For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon [is] like a threshingfloor, [it is] time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come.”
Haggai 2:6, “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it [is] a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry [land];“
Hebrews 10:37, “For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” Jesus is coming again soon and the next time will be as the Judge.
Daniel 12:3, “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” and Daniel 12:10, “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.“
Please note how all of the above verses are in perfect harmony with what we read in Exodus 14:13, where we read, “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.“
Psalm 37:11, “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.“
Matthew 5:5, “Blessed [are] the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”
Psalm 72:7, “In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.”
*Psalm 76:9, “When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.“
Jeremiah 33:6, “Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.“
*Zephaniah 2:3, “Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.” That day is Judgment Day and God will protect His elect from His wrath when it comes!
Psalm 37:12, “The wicked plotteth (practiseth) against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.”
Note that this verse is highly Messianic in character because of what we read in both Psalm 31:13, “For I have heard the slander of many: fear [was] on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.” and Psalm 35:16, “With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.” The latter verse refers to the Jews who kept the feasts and yet rejected the embodiment of those feasts, the Lord Jesus Christ!
Psalm 37:13, “The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.“
God knows the end from the beginning. That “day” is Judgment Day!
Psalm 2:4, “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.“
As king David (a portrait of Jesus) said concerning his enemy, king Saul (a portrait of the devil) in 1 Samuel 26:10, “David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.” David knew that Saul’s day of death was surely coming one way or another.
Psalm 37:14, “The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation“
Christians have always suffered persecution and it will not stop until the Lord returns.
Psalm 37:15, “Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.“
Psalm 9:15-17, “The heathen are sunk down in the pit [that] they made: in the net (רֶשֶׁת (rešeṯ))H7568 which they hid is their own foot taken. The LORD is known [by] the judgment [which] he executeth: the wicked is snared (נָקַשׁ (nāqaš)) H5367 in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah. The wicked shall be turned into hell, [and] all the nations that forget God.”
God Is Known by the Judgments He Executes!
It is certainly true that God can be known by the judgment He executes, as we have many examples from the historical accounts in the Old Testament. Notably, we are made aware of God’s judgments against Egypt, as we read in Exodus 7:5, “And the Egyptians shall know that I [am]the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.” and regarding Pharaoh, in Exodus 9:16, “And in very deed for this [cause] have I raised thee up, for to shew [in] thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.“and again in Exodus 14:18, “And the Egyptians shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.”
We also read this in Psalm 106:7&8, “Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked [him] at the sea, [even] at the Red sea. Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.”
Finally, the Apostle Paul was inspired to remind us of the above in his letter to the Romans in Romans 9:17, “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.” and later in Romans 9:22, “¶[What] if God, willing to shew [his] wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,…“
The Wicked Are Caught in Their Own Traps
However, it is also fair to say that God is also declaring, in the second part of that same verse, that God is known for bringing about both temporal and eternal justice and judgment upon the wicked by ensnaring them with their own wicked devices.
Note: “Higgaion” in the original Hebrew is הִגָּיוֹן (higāyôn)H1902 meaning “solemn sound” or “meditation“, suggesting something quite profound that must be meditated upon and carefully considered. “Selah” in the original Hebrew is סֶלֶה (selê)H5542 which is a technical musical term probably relating to a solemn “accentuation”, “pause“, or interruption” and rhetorically also means to “meditate on this“. So we can see that God is effectively saying with regard to this verse that it is especially important that we carefully think about this verse and ponder all of its implications (as well as the implications of the following verse regarding those who are consigned to Hell.
Please note the harmony and consistency of those verses with these found elsewhere in the Psalms and Proverbs:
Psalm 35:8, “Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net (רֶשֶׁת (rešeṯ)) H7568 that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.“
Psalm 57:6, “They have prepared a net (רֶשֶׁת (rešeṯ))H7568 for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen [themselves]. Selah.”
Psalm 69:22, “Let their table become a snare before them: and [that which should have been] for [their] welfare, [let it become] a trap.“
Proverbs 1:18, tells us that the evil, wicked, greedy people actually trap themselves: “And they lay wait for their [own] blood; they lurk privily for their [own] lives.”
Proverbs 26:27, “Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.”
Psalm 64 is a Summary Commentary on Psalm 37:14&15
If we do carefully meditate upon, or “wisely consider“, the implications of Psalm 9:15-17 together with Psalm 37:14&15, one cannot miss the fact that Psalm 64 is a wonderful wrap-up commentary on those very implications. So let us now look closely at that Psalm 64 to see the perfect harmony that it presents. Psalm 64:1-10, “¶[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.]] Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity: Who whet their tongue like a sword, [and] bend [their bows to shoot] their arrows, [even] bitter words: That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not. They encourage themselves [in] an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them? They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward [thought] of every one [of them], and the heart, [is] deep. But God shall shoot at them [with] an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded. So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away. And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing. The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.” (Regarding God’s use of arrows, please see the post “Lightning, Swords, and Arrows: Weapons of Judgment Coming on Judgment Day.“)
Note…God is entirely consistent throughout all time and space, as is shown throughout His Holy Word, the Bible. Not only do we have the above admonitions and warnings as are recorded in the Psalms and Proverbs, but we also have the literal historical examples of such ironic reversals. One historical example that quickly stands out can be found in the Book of Esther, regarding where Haman had built a gallows to hang Mordecai upon, but he instead was hung on the very gallows that he had built to hang Mordecai. Based on the Biblical examples both rhetorical, and literal historical, it is safe to say that this is the modis operandi of God in the way that He executes judgment, and He is therefore “known” by it. Hallelujah! And for more detail on this point with a view to other historical examples, please see this post entitled “Biblical Irony.”
For more on God’s temporal justice and final eternal judgment through God’s use of the allegorical “Snare“, please see the study on the River Kishon.
Psalm 37:16, “A little that a righteous man hath [is] better than the riches of many wicked.“
Psalm 17:13, “Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, [which is] thy sword: From men [which are] thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, [which have] their portion in [this] life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid [treasure]: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their [substance] to their babes. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.“
Proverbs 15:16, “Better [is] little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.“
Luke 6:24, “But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.“
Matthew 19:23, “¶Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.“
But consider that it is not so much that a person is rich or not, but rather…1) How did he or she obtain those riches? and 2) Where is each person’s heart with regard to earthly riches and treasures: Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” and Luke 12:34, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Moreover, Jesus prefaced these words in Matthew 6:20, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:” and Luke 12:32&33,”¶Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.“
In general, people who are wealthy, are never satisfied and only are greedy for more. For what purpose? It is all vanity. And consistent with the above admonition from Jesus, the gatherings of the rich are, as we read in Haggai 1:6, nothing but “a bag with holes.”
Honoring God by always being ready to distribute to others is a source of peace.
Note the harmony of what the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:17, “¶Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” with what Jesus said to the rich man who thought that he was righteous before God in Luke 18:22, “Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.“
Distributing to the Poor and Needy: The Spiritual Dimension Should Not Be Missed
In Ephesians 4:28, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with [his] hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” As Jesus said to distribute to the poor while in the case of the self righteous rich man there was no question that Jesus was addressing the temporal, earthly world. However, just as in the case of many of Jesus’ parables, there is also a spiritual intent. The Believer’s Treasure in Heaven is Jesus Christ as Savior. And the poor and needy are the unsaved of the world who have yet to hear the Good News of the Gospel of Salvation through the Person and Work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please review the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the Parable of the Talents to see how this is the case.
Psalm 37:17, “For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
Psalm 10:15, “Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil [man]: seek out his wickedness [till] thou find none.“
Psalm 119:116, “Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.”
Psalm 145:14, “The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all [those that be] bowed down.”
And this Messianic verse: Isaiah 42:1, “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, [in whom] my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.”
Psalm 37:18, “The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.”
Psalm 1:6, “For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”
Isaiah 60:21, “Thy people also [shall be] all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.”
Psalm 37:19, “They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.“
Isaiah 45:17, “[But] Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.” (remembering Romans 9:6, “¶Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel:“)
Amos 8:11&12, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find [it].“
Psalm 33:18&19, “Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.“
Psalm 37:20, “But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD [shall be] as the fat (יָקָר (yāqār))H3368 of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.” The “fat” could also be translated as “preciousness” (being “precious” or “costly”.
Ezekiel 39:17-21, “¶And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings (מְרִיא (mᵊrî’))H4806of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat (חֵלֶב (ḥēleḇ))H2459 till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD. ¶And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.” [NOTE: (מְרִיא (mᵊrî’))H4806 means in the original Hebrew “fat cattle” or “fat beasts“.]
Isaiah 34:8-10, For [it is] the day of the LORD’S vengeance, [and] the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.” and what we read in Revelation 14:9-11, “¶And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
Psalm 37:21, “The wicked borroweth (לָוָה (lāvâ))H3867, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.” (The original Hebrew word translated as “borroweth” can also mean “lendeth” and in both cases means to be “joined”, please see verse 26.)
Psalm 112:5, “A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.”
Psalm 112:9, “He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.“
Regarding Mercy and Forgiveness there is also the Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor.
Psalm 37:22, “For [such as be] blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and [they] that be cursed of him shall be cut off.“
Matthew 5:5, “Blessed [are] the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”
Proverbs 3:33, “The curse of the LORD [is] in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.“
Psalm 37:23, “The steps of a [good] man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.”
1 Samuel 2:9, “He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.“
Psalm 18:36, “Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.”
Psalm 25:15, “Mine eyes [are] ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.” (For more on the meaning of “the net”, please see the post on Numbers in the Bible and the historical account of the 153 fishes caught in the net by Jesus’ instruction to the Apostles). We should also remember Ecclesiastes 9:12, “For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net (מָצוֹד (māṣôḏ))H4685, and as the birds that are caught in the snare (פַּח (paḥ))H6341; so [are] the sons of men snared (יָקֹשׁ (yāqōš))H3369 in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.“
Psalm 56:13, “For thou hast delivered my soul from death: [wilt] not [thou deliver] my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?“
Psalm 66:8&9, “O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.“
Psalm 73:2, “But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.”
*Psalm 94:18&19, “When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.“
Psalm 119:105, “NUN. Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.“
Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!“
Psalm 37:24, “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth [him with] his hand.“
Psalm 63:8, “My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.“
*Again, as above with verse 23…Psalm 94:18, “When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.“
Psalm 145:14, “The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all [those that be] bowed down.“
Proverbs 24:16, “For a just [man] falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.“
Psalm 37:25, “I have been young, and [now] am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.“
Deuteronomy 8:6-10, “¶Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any [thing] in it; a land whose stones [are] iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.”
3 John 1:2, “¶Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.“
In Matthew 6:25, Jesus said, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?“
Matthew 6:31, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?“
Psalm 37:26, “[He is] ever merciful, and lendeth (לָוָה (lāvâ))H3867; and his seed [is] blessed.“
Deuteronomy 15:7, “¶If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend עָבַט (ʿāḇaṭ))H5670 him sufficient for his need, [in that] which he wanteth.“
Remembering also what we read in Acts 20:35, where the Apostle Paul wrote, ” I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” together with what Jesus said in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.“
2 Corinthians 9:7, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, [so let him give]; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.“
NOTE: This teacher would be remiss in not bringing attention to the reader the Christology inherent in Psalm 37:25&26. Clearly, there is this most important spiritual aspect, where we can see the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Is The Righteous One Whom God The Father resurrected from the dead and Who’s seed is blessed. Jesus’ seed are the believers. This was covered in the Book of Esther study, in Chapter 10:3, where we see Mordecai, used by God as a “Type” of the Lord Jesus Christ, “speaking peace to all his seed.” The believers are continually fed with the Bread of Life, God’s Word, Who is Jesus. And this is, and will be, true even in a time of great spiritual famine, when there is a famine of “hearing the words of the LORD.” as we read in Amos 8:11. The believers are all like Mephibosheth who, despite being “lame in his feet“, “…did eat continually at the king’s table.” Moreover, Jesus gave up His All for His saints, His spiritual “seed”, and they are blessed because of Jesus’ Sacrifice of Himself!!
Psalm 37:27, “Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.”
Job 28:28, “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom; and to depart from evil [is] understanding.“
Psalm 34:14, “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.“
Proverbs 16:17, “The highway of the upright [is] to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.“
Regarding eternal life, remember when Peter asked Jesus regarding salvation and giving up all to follow Him, Jesus replied in Mark 10:29-31, “¶And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. But many [that are] first shall be last; and the last first.“
Psalm 37:28, “For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.”
This verse assures and comforts the believer and makes clear that the enemies of God, the unsaved, will come under judgment similar to what we are told in Psalm 9:16, “The LORD is known [by] the judgment [which] he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.”
Isaiah 30:18, “And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD [is] a God of judgment: blessed [are] all they that wait for him.“
Psalm 21:8-10, “Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them. Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.“
Proverbs 11:21, “[Though] hand [join] in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.“
Psalm 37:29, “The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.”
Pro 2:21&22, “For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.“
Matthew 5:5, “Blessed [are] the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”
Psalm 37:30, “The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.”
Ecclesiastes 8:5, “Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.”
Matthew 12:35, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.“
Psalm 37:31, “The law of his God [is] in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.”
Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.“
Psalm 40:8, “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law [is] within my heart.“
Psalm 119:34, “Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with [my] whole heart.“
Proverbs 3:1&2, “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.“
And What a Comfort to read this!!! Isaiah 51:7, “Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart [is] my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.“
Psalm 18:36, “Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.” (please see again what was posted above regarding Psalm 37:23)
Psalm 37:32, “The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.“
Psalm 10:8, “He (the wicked) sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.”
John 5:16, “And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.“
Ezekiel 22:27, “Her princes in the midst thereof [are] like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, [and] to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.” Compare with Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.“
John 7:1, “¶After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.“
Acts 9:29, “And he (Paul) spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.”
Psalm 37:33, “The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.“
2 Peter 2:9, “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:“
Psalm 109:31, “For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save [him] from those that condemn his soul.“
Psalm 37:34, “Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see [it].“
Lamenations 3:22-25, “[It is of] the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. [They are] new every morning: great [is] thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD [is] good unto them that wait for him, to the soul [that] seeketh him.“
Matthew 5:5, “Blessed [are] the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”
As for the “thou shalt see”….please review this post on how the Saints will be with Jesus in Judgment on Judgment Day.
Psalm 37:35, “I have seen the wicked in great power (עָרִיץ (ʿārîṣ))H6184, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.”
NOTE: “great power” in the original Hebrew עָרִיץ (ʿārîṣ)H6184 can also be viewed as meaning “tyrannical:—mighty, oppressor, in great power, strong, terrible, violent.”, which is consistent with being diabolical or of the devil.
Job 5:3, “I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.“
Job 24:20, “The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.“
Psalm 37:36, “Yet he passed away, and, lo, he [was] not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.“
Job 20:4-7, “Knowest thou [not] this of old, since man was placed upon earth, That the triumphing of the wicked [is] short, and the joy of the hypocrite [but] for a moment? Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds; [Yet] he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where [is] he?“
James 1:9, “¶Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.“
Psalm 37:37, “Mark (שָׁמַר (šāmar))H8104 the perfect (תָּם (tām))H8535 [man], and behold the upright (יָשָׁר (yāšār))H3477: for the end of [that] man [is] peace (שָׁלוֹם (šālôm))H7965.”
NOTE: This section is also posted separately as a Christian Word Study Lesson here: https://bereansearching.com/2024/12/19/psalm-3737-a-christian-word-study/
The word in the original Hebrew that is translated as “Mark”(a verb, and not a name) is שָׁמַר (šāmar)H8104 which has been translated into English variously as keep (283x), observe (46x), heed (35x), keeper (28x), preserve (21x), beware (9x), mark (8x), watchman (8x), wait (7x), watch (7x), regard (5x), save (2x), miscellaneous (9x). So it can be fair to say that in this instance the word could therefore also be translated as be to be aware of, observe, and heed The One Who is Perfect. And only Jesus Is Perfect.
Jesus Is “Perfect“!
The word in the original Hebrew is תָּם (tām)H8535 that is found only a few times in the Old Testament which has been translated into English variously as perfect (9x), undefiled (2x), plain (1x), upright (1x).
Some of the times that it was translated as “perfect” are found in the following verses:
Job 1:1, “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name [was] Job; and that man was perfect H8535 and uprightH3477, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” and Job 1:8, “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect H8535 and an uprightH3477 man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” and again in Job 2:3, “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect H8535 and an uprightH3477 man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.“
Proverbs 29:10, “The bloodthirsty hate the upright (תָּם (tām))H8535: but the just seek his soul.“
Jesus Is “Upright” (Righteous)!
Note that the word translated as “upright“, found also three time in the book of Job together with “perfect“, could also be translated “righteous” as in the original Hebrew the word is יָשָׁר (yāšār)H3477, which is translated into English variously as right (53x), upright (42x), righteous (9x), straight (3x).
And also note the use in the following verses: Psalm 92:15, “To shew that the LORD [is] upright: H3477 he [is] my rock, and [there is] no unrighteousness in him.” and Psalm 107:42, “The righteous H3477 shall see [it], and rejoice:and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.” and Psalm 112:4, “Unto the upright H3477 there ariseth light in the darkness: [he is] gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.” [and that last word translated as “righteous” is from the original Hebrew word צַדִּיק (ṣadîq)H6662, which can also be translated as “just”.]
Proverbs 2:7, “He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: H3477 [he is] a buckler to them that walk uprightly.” (note that the word translated here as “uprightly” is another Hebrew word, תֹּם (tōm)H8537, which is more often understood to mean “integrity“. The King James translators interpreted variously as in the following manner: integrity (11x), upright (2x), uprightly (2x), uprightness (2x), venture (2x), full (1x), perfect (1x), perfection (1x), simplicity (1x).)
The only time that the original Hebrew word תָּם (tām)H8535 was translated as “plain” was in the contrasting between Esau and Jacob in Genesis 25:27, “And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob [was] a plain H8535 man, dwelling in tents.”
In the New Testament, we see this use of the Greek word, τέλειος (teleios)G5046…
which is also translated into English as “perfect” [perfect (17x), man (1x), of full age (1x)] in these example verses:
Matthew 5:48, “Be ye therefore perfect G5046, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect G5046.“ Reminding us similarly of Luke 6:36, “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” But the key point to remember here is not that this is a “command” from Jesus, but a “pronouncement” from Jesus upon all believers who are made perfect in Him because He Is Perfect. No human can have the power to become perfect apart from being given the Good and Perfect Gift from God The Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and His Salvation.
1 Corinthians 13:10, “But when that which is perfect G5046 is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” (Please review this further within the context of 1 Corinthians 13:9-12.)
1 Corinthians 14:20, “Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men G5046.” …hence this verse could also be read as “in understanding be perfect“.
Ephesians 4:13, “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect G5046 man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:“
Philippians 3:15, “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, G5046 be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.“
Colossians 1:27&28, “To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect G5046 in Christ Jesus:”
Hebrews 5:14, “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, G5046 [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” “Full age” is actually the same word as “perfect”.
James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect G5046 gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.“
Jesus Is the Prince of “Peace“!
The word for peace in the original Hebrew of the Old Testament is שָׁלוֹם (šālôm)H7965 which is found ~276 times and has been translated by the King James translators variously as peace (175x), well (14x), peaceably (9x), welfare (5x), salute (with H7592) (4x), prosperity (4x), did (3x), safe (3x), health (2x), peaceable (2x), miscellaneous (15x).
Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace (שָׁלוֹם (šālôm))H7965.“
And the end of Jesus’ Work is Peace! Isaiah 32:17, “And the work of righteousness shall be peace (שָׁלוֹם (šālôm))H7965; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.“
Psalm 37:38, “But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.”
Psalm 1:4, “The ungodly [are] not so: but [are] like the chaff which the wind driveth away“.
We can find in many places the Judgment and “destruction” to come, such as we read in Jude 1:15, “To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard [speeches] which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.“
And we were warned back in Genesis of the first destruction of the world in “Genesis 7:23, “And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained [alive], and they that were with him in the ark.“
Psalm 37:6, “And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.“
Job 11:17, “And [thine] age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.“
Psalm 36:6, “Thy righteousness [is] like the great mountains (Mountains of God); thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.“
Psalm 37:39, “But the salvation of the righteous [is] of the LORD: [he is] their strength (מָעוֹז (māʿôz))H4581 in the time of trouble.“
Psalm 3:8, “Salvation [belongeth] unto the LORD: thy blessing [is] upon thy people. Selah.“
Psalm 28:7&8, “The LORD [is] my strength (עֹז (ʿōz))H5797 and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. The LORD [is] their strength (עֹז (ʿōz))H5797, and he [is] the saving strength (מָעוֹז (māʿôz))H4581 of his anointed.“
Psalm 33:20, “Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he [is] our help and our shield.”
Psalm 46:1, “[[To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.]] God [is] our refuge and strength (עֹז (ʿōz))H5797, a very present help in trouble.“
Psalm 146:5-10, “Happy [is he] that [hath] the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope [is] in the LORD his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein [is]: which keepeth truth for ever: Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners: The LORD openeth [the eyes of] the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.“
Proverbs 10:29, “The way of the LORD [is] strength (מָעוֹז (māʿôz))H4581 to the upright: but destruction [shall be] to the workers of iniquity.“
Psalm 37:40, “And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.“
Isaiah 31:5, “As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver [it]; and passing over he will preserve it.“
1 Chronicles 5:20, “And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that [were] with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him.“
*Philippians 4:6&7, “¶Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.“
Conclusion
In Psalm 37, believers are admonished by God to trust in the Lord and to have no fear and no envy of the wicked, and to not “become angry” with them!…Jesus will save His Elect no matter what trials and tribulations that that they might encounter! And the end of the wicked will be swift from both temporal and eternal perspectives. We know that the Law of God is immutable and will demand full payment for sin, requiring an eternity in Hell.
The bulk of Psalm 37 is “black and white” in contrasting the righteous versus the wicked. The righteous (whose righteousness is imputed by Jesus’ Righteousness) are blessed of God and they will find eternal peace with Him, while the wicked are under judgment and condemned. The unrighteous may flourish for a moment in this temporal physical life, but they will ultimately be cut off and cast into Hell forever.
The Lord Jesus Christ will save His saints…He will not only keep them safe, but will comfort them in times of tribulation, not because they have merited His grace, but because God The Father chose them from before the foundations of the world and entrusted them to His Beloved and Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
Psalm 31:23, “O love the LORD, all ye his saints: [for] the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.“
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