Psalm 37:5 Komentář

This psalm is a sermon, and an excellent useful sermon it is, calculated not (as most of the psalms) for our devotion, but for our conversation; there is nothing in it of prayer or praise, but it is all instruction; it is "Maschil - a teaching psalm;" it is an exposition of some of the hardest chapters in the book of Providence, the advancement of the wicked and the disgrace of the righteous, a solution of the difficulties that arise thereupon, and an exhortation to conduct ourselves as becomes us under such dark dispensations. The work of the prophets (and David was one) was to explain the law. Now the law of Moses had promised temporal blessings to the obedient, and denounced temporal miseries against the disobedient, which principally referred to the body of the people, the nation as a nation; for, when they came to be applied to particular persons, many instances occurred of sinners in prosperity and saints in adversity; to reconcile those instances with the word that God had spoken is the scope of the prophet in this psalm, in which, I. He forbids us to fret at the prosperity of the wicked in their wicked ways (Psa 37:1, Psa 37:7, Psa 37:8). II. He gives very good reasons why we should not fret at it. 1. Because of the scandalous character of the wicked (Psa 37:12, Psa 37:14, Psa 37:21, Psa 37:32) notwithstanding their prosperity, and the honourable character of the righteous (Psa 37:21, Psa 37:26, Psa 37:30, Psa 37:31). 2. Because of the destruction and ruin which the wicked are nigh to (Psa 37:2, Psa 37:9, Psa 37:10, Psa 37:20, Psa 37:35, Psa 37:36, Psa 37:38) and the salvation and protection which the righteous are sure of from all the malicious designs of the wicked (Psa 37:13, Psa 37:15, Psa 37:17, Psa 37:28, Psa 37:33, Psa 37:39, Psa 37:40). 3. Because of the particular mercy God has in store for all good people and the favour he shows them (Psa 37:11, Psa 37:16, Psa 37:18, Psa 37:19, Psa 37:22-25, Psa 37:28, Psa 37:29, Psa 37:37). III. He prescribes very good remedies against this sin of envying the prosperity of the wicked, and great encouragement to use those remedies (Psa 37:3-6, Psa 37:27, Psa 37:34). In singing this psalm we must teach and admonish one another rightly to understand the providence of God and to accommodate ourselves to it, at all times carefully to do our duty and then patiently to leave the event with God and to believe that, how black soever things may look for the present, it shall be "well with those that fear God, that fear before him." A psalm of David.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 37 A Psalm of David. This psalm, it is very probable, was written at the same time, and upon the same occasion, with the former; and describes the different states of good and bad men; and is full of exhortations, instructions, and advice to the people of God; intermixed with various encouraging promises. A late learned writer (h) thinks it was written for Mephibosheth's consolation under Ziba's calumny. (h) Delaney's Life of King David, vol. 2. p. 219.

And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light,.... That is, the good man having committed his cause to him that judgeth righteously, he will, in his own time, clearly make it appear that it is a righteous one, both to himself and others, in whatsoever obscurity it may have lain; and thy judgment as the noonday; the same as before, unless rather the righteousness of Christ, which is the believer's by imputation, and is a justifying one in the judgment of God, should be meant; see Mic 7:9; and the phrases may denote not barely the revelation of it in the Gospel, but the more clear manifestation of it to the believer himself, from faith to faith; or as it will be still more clearly revealed and declared at the day of judgment, when those who are clothed with it shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, and be clear of all those charges and imputations which they have lain under in this life.

(Vers. 5, 6.) Reveal your way to the Lord, and hope in Him, and He will act. And He will bring forth your righteousness like the light, and your justice like the noonday. This single verse declares what kind of person you should be. For who reveals their way, except those who confess to God, the arbiter of their hidden secrets within their heart? Reveal, blessed one, this is, open your conscience, so that it may not be burdened by the shadow or flesh of this world. For seeds, when they burst forth, if they are shaded, they become weak; exposed to the sun, they thrive. But what about the seeds themselves? The woody shade itself inhibits the young plants from reaching upward and prevents their branches from spreading out. Beautifully said: Disclose your way to the Lord, for the inclination of human nature covers our minds like a kind of veil; that we may not confess our sins to the Lord, who can heal our wounds: so that one may be ashamed to ask for medicine with his own mouth, lest his disgrace be exposed before others. Therefore, conscience presses upon itself, since it cannot hide; and it delays as long as the wound festers, so that it is revealed not by the healthiness of faith, but by the unhealable atrocity of the ulcer. 'Reveal,' he says, 'your way to the Lord'; that is, open your way, do not hide it, as Cain desired to hide; for everyone who does evil hates the light. David revealed his way, who said: 'I declare my works to the King' (Psalm 44:2). Open your mind, so that there is nothing to be afraid of being condemned. Paul also revealed: I am not aware of anything against me (I Cor. IV, 4). Let your actions, your life be such that your way may shine before your Father who is in heaven. But because the condition of every human being is subject to fragility, and it is not within our power to direct our own path at will; therefore, it says to you: Hope in the Lord, and He Himself will act; that is, to open your way, and not allow you to be such that you flee from the light while you are afraid to come forward, and love darkness so that you can hide your own wickedness, saying: Darkness covers me, who knows if the Most High sees (Eccli. XXIII, 6)? For how can one who is planning adultery, not seek out a suitable night for his temptations? And who thinks to employ a false witness to his deceit, who seeks to corrupt the judge in order to oppress the innocent, does he not explore the secret of wickedness? The thief lurks in the darkness of solitude, awaiting the shadows of the night to carry out his wickedness. Therefore, wickedness is darkness: God is light. Even if you wish to conceal your justice, God will bring it forth into the light; He does not allow judgment to remain hidden by which you have chosen what is good and rejected what is evil. Not only does your judgement shine; but it shines like midday. When the sun pours out its whole brightness, it is midday. It was midday when Joseph feasted with his brothers, not seeking revenge, but forgetting the wrong.

"Behold" (you say), "I do long after it, I do ask for it, I do desire it. Shall I then accomplish it?" No. Who shall then? "Reveal your way unto the Lord: trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass" [Psalm 37:5]. Mention to Him what you suffer, mention to Him what thou dost desire. For what is it that you suffer? "The flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh." [Galatians 5:17] What is it then that you desire? "Wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" [Romans 7:24] And because it is He "Himself" that "will bring it to pass," when you shall have "revealed your ways unto Him;" hear what follows: "The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord." What is it then that He is to bring to pass, since it is said, "Reveal your way unto Him, and He will bring it to pass"? What will He bring to pass?

"Behold" (you say), "I do long after it, I do ask for it, I do desire it. Shall I then accomplish it?" No. Who shall then? "Reveal your way unto the Lord: trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass" [Psalm 37:5]. Mention to Him what you suffer, mention to Him what thou dost desire. For what is it that you suffer? "The flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh." [Galatians 5:17] What is it then that you desire? "Wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" [Romans 7:24] And because it is He "Himself" that "will bring it to pass," when you shall have "revealed your ways unto Him;" hear what follows: "The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord." What is it then that He is to bring to pass, since it is said, "Reveal your way unto Him, and He will bring it to pass"? What will He bring to pass? "And He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light" [Psalm 37:6]. For now, "your righteousness" is hid. Now it is a thing of faith; not yet of sight. You believe something that you may do it. You do not yet see that in which you believe. But when you shall begin to see that, which you believed before, "your righteousness will be brought forth to the light," because it is your faith that was your righteousness. For "the just lives by faith."

Be sincere in pursuing good, not pretending to be honest while being evil; instead, be good openly and as it were without disguise so that God may openly repay you with good.

Offer up to God, he is saying, both yourself and your actions, and expect grace from him; for his part he will bring forth a just verdict like a judge, will extol you and make you famous to the extent of being known to everyone, like the light at midday.

"Delight." And regarding this he does two things, inasmuch as the joy of this delight consists in two things: namely, in attaining one's desire and in fulfilling one's purpose; the second is at "Reveal." He says therefore of the first, "Delight," etc. Prov. 13: "A desire fulfilled delights the soul." If you cling to God, your desire is fulfilled. But because for this it is required that the desire be just -- for God is not the author of injustice -- therefore he first sets forth the root of just desire, namely that a person should delight in God through love; hence he says, "Delight in the Lord," that is, let all your love be in God. Phil. 4: "Rejoice in the Lord always." In the Greek it reads "take your delight," as if to say: do not be content with what is necessary for salvation, but seek superabundant and exquisite things, just as delicate persons are not content with common foods. Job 22: "Then you shall abound in delights over the Almighty." And then, "He will give you the petitions of your heart" -- he does not say "of your flesh." For the petitions of the heart, according to Origen, are what the heart desires: for example, according to him, if the eye could ask, it would desire beautiful colors, and hearing would desire sweet sounds. So the heart's object, since it is truth and justice, these are desired by it. And these, he says, "he will give you." Mt. 7: "Ask and it shall be given to you." Or he says "of the heart," that is, when they are petitions of the heart, God hears them before one cries out. Is. 65: "Before they cry out, I will hear them." Regarding the second he says, "Reveal," etc. For when one's purpose is fulfilled, then one rejoices. To fulfill this, two things are prerequisites. First, that one turn to God. Second, that one have confidence in him; and thus, third, it is fulfilled. He says therefore, "Reveal your way to the Lord," namely your purpose, as for the first. But does not God know, he who knows the thoughts of men? The Psalmist speaks by way of a simile, "Reveal to the Lord," etc., that is, turn to him for the fulfillment of your purpose, and this in prayer. Ps. 118: "I declared my ways to you," etc. For every undertaking should begin with prayer, as even Plato says, and as Scipio used to do. But to your petition add hope; and therefore he says, "Hope in him," as for the second. And thus, third, your petition will be fulfilled. And this is what he adds, "And he himself will act," that is, he will fulfill your ways. Or otherwise, "Reveal your way to the Lord," that is, your sins. Job 13: "I will argue my ways in his sight, and he himself will be my savior." And therefore he rightly says, "Hope in him," namely for the forgiveness of sins, "and he himself will act," that is, he will remit your sins.

A composed and uniform trust in God and a constant course of integrity are urged in view of the blessedness of the truly pious, contrasted in various aspects with the final ruin of the wicked. Thus the wisdom and justice of God's providence are vindicated, and its seeming inequalities, which excite the cavils of the wicked and the distrust of the pious, are explained. David's personal history abundantly illustrates the Psalm. (Psa. 37:1-40) The general sentiment of the whole Psalm is expressed. The righteous need not be vexed by the prosperity of the wicked; for it is transient, and their destiny undesirable.

Commit thy way-- (Pro 16:3). Works--what you have to do and cannot set forth as a burden. trust . . . in him--literally, "on Him." He will do what you cannot (compare Psa 22:8; Psa 31:6). He will not suffer your character to remain under suspicion.

The lxx erroneously renders גּול (= גּל, Psa 22:9) by ἀποκάλυψον instead of ἐπίῤῥιψον, Pe1 5:7 : roll the burden of cares of thy life's way upon Jahve, leave the guidance of thy life entirely to Him, and to Him alone, without doing anything in it thyself: He will gloriously accomplish (all that concerns thee): עשׂה, as in Ps 22:32; 52:11; cf. Pro 16:3, and Paul Gerhardt's Befiehl du deine Wege, "Commit thou all thy ways," etc. The perfect in Psa 37:6 is a continuation of the promissory יעשׂה. הוציא, as in Jer 51:10, signifies to set forth: He will bring to light thy misjudged righteousness like the light (the sun, Job 31:26; Job 37:21, and more especially the morning sun, Pro 4:18), which breaks through the darkness; and thy down-trodden right (משׁפּטך is the pausal form of the singular beside Mugrash) like the bright light of the noon-day: cf. Isa 58:10, as on Psa 37:4, Isa 58:14.