John Calvin Commentary Psalms 37

Fret not thyself because of the wicked. David lays down this as a general principle: that the prosperity of the wicked, in which they greatly rejoice, should on no account vex or disquiet the children of God, because it will soon fade away. On the other hand, although the people of God are afflicted for a time, the outcome of their afflictions will be such that they have every reason to be contented with their lot.

Now all this depends upon the providence of God; for unless we are persuaded that the world is governed by Him in righteousness and truth, our minds will soon stagger, and eventually entirely fail us. David then condemns two sinful emotions of the mind, which are indeed closely allied, and one of which is generated by the other.

He first enjoins the faithful not to fret on account of the wicked, and secondly, not to indulge an envious spirit towards them. For, in the first place, when they see the wicked enjoying prosperity, from which it might naturally be supposed that God does not regard the affairs of men, there is a danger lest they shake off the fear of God and apostatize from the faith.

Then another temptation follows: namely, that the influence of the example of the wicked excites in them a desire to involve themselves in the same wickedness with them. This is the natural sense. The Hebrew words, אל-תתחר, al-tithechar, which we have translated Fret not thyself, are by some translated Do not mingle thyself with. But this interpretation is too forced and may be disproved by the context. For in the eighth verse (Psalms 37:8), where mention is expressly made of wrath and anger, it would surely be absurd to interpret in another sense the same verb which immediately follows these two words and which is used there in the same sense and for the same purpose as in this first verse.

In the second place, the order which David observes is very natural. When the prosperity of the wicked has irritated our minds, we very soon begin to envy them their happiness and ease. First, then, he exhorts us to be on our guard, lest a happiness that is only transitory, or rather imaginary, should vex or disquiet us; and secondly, lest envy should lead us to commit sin.

The reason by which he enforces this exhortation is added in the following verse (Psalms 37:2): for if the wicked flourish today like the grass of the field, tomorrow they will be cut down and wither. We need not wonder that this comparison is often found in the sacred writings, since it is so very appropriate. We see how soon the strength of the grass decays; when blown down by a blast of wind, or parched with the heat of the sun, even without being cut by human hands, it withers away. In like manner, David tells us that the judgment of God, like a scythe in human hands, will cut down the wicked, so that they will suddenly perish.

Put your trust in Jehovah, and do good. The inspired writer now goes on, in the second place, to say, that everything in the end will be well with the righteous, because they are under the protection of God. But as there is nothing better or more desirable than to enjoy the fostering and protecting care of God, he exhorts them to put their trust in Him, and at the same time to pursue goodness and truth.

It is not without good reason that he begins with the doctrine of faith, or trust in God; for there is nothing more difficult for people than to preserve their minds in a state of peace and tranquility, undisturbed by any disquieting fears, while they are in this world, which is subject to so many changes.

On the other hand, while they see the wicked becoming rich by unjust means, extending their influence, and acquiring power by unrestrained indulgence in sin, it is no less difficult for them to persevere steadily in a life of piety and virtue. Nor is it sufficient merely to disregard those things that are commonly sought after with the greatest eagerness.

Some of the philosophers of antiquity were so noble-minded that they despised riches unjustly acquired and abstained from fraud and robbery; indeed, they held up to ridicule the vain pomp and splendor of the wicked, which the common people look upon with such high admiration. But as they were destitute of faith, they defrauded God of His honor, and so it happened that they never knew what it was to be truly happy.

Now, as David places faith first in order, to show that God is the author of all good, and that by His blessing alone prosperity is to be expected, so it should be observed that he connects this with a holy life. For the person who places his whole confidence in God, and gives himself up to be governed by Him, will live uprightly and innocently, and will devote himself to doing good.

Dwell in the land. This language is much more expressive than if he had promised that the righteous should dwell securely in the land. It is just as if he had led them to the place and put them in possession of it. Moreover, by these words he declares that they will long enjoy it.

They are, it is true, only strangers or sojourners in this world, yet the hand of the Lord is stretched out to protect them, so that they live in security and peace. This David again confirms by the following clause: You will be fed in truth. Assured of the protection of God, he exhorts them to place entire and unsuspecting confidence in Him.

It is surprising to find how interpreters have twisted, and as it were, mangled this clause by the different meanings they have put upon it. Some take the verb to feed in an active sense, and others understand the expression to feed on faith as denoting to cherish within the heart the promises of God.

Others believe that David exhorts us to feed our fellow believers with faith by ministering to them the pure word of God, which is the spiritual food of the soul. Others render the term for faith in the sense of sincerity, so that the expression to feed on faith would signify to behave in an upright and honest manner among others.

But the scope and connection of the passage necessarily require, and it is quite in accordance with the nature of the Hebrew language, that the verb רעה, re-eh, should be taken in a passive sense: Be fed. This is also the opinion of most commentators, who, nevertheless, later differ in explaining its meaning.

Some of them adopt the interpretation that we are fed with faith when the promises of God suffice us, and we are satisfied with them. Others give this explanation: Feed yourself with the fruit of faith, because God will indeed show that we have not believed His word in vain.

Others explain it in this way: Let truth be your food, and let nothing give you greater pleasure than to converse sincerely and frankly with your neighbors. There is still another interpretation which, although in some respects different, is similar to the preceding, namely: Live not upon spoil, but be content with lawful sustenance; that is to say, with that which is lawfully acquired.

It is certainly a shameful and disgraceful thing that so many learned people should have erred in a matter so plain and obvious. If each one had not been led by his own ambition to seek for something new, the true and natural meaning of the prophet would have occurred at once.

This meaning is: Dwell in the land, that you may enjoy it in sure and lasting repose. The Hebrew word אמונה, emunah, not only signifies truth or faith, but also secure continuance for a long period.

And who does not see that since the possession of the land was given to the righteous, this latter clause was added by way of exposition?

And delight yourself in Jehovah. This delight is set in opposition to the vain and deceitful allurements of the world, which so intoxicate the ungodly that, despising the blessing of God, they dream of no other happiness than what is currently before their eyes.

This contrast between the vain and fickle joys with which the world is deluded, and the true repose enjoyed by the godly, should be carefully observed. For whether all things smile on us, or whether the Lord tests us with adversities, we should always hold fast to this principle: since the Lord is the portion of our inheritance, our lot has fallen in pleasant places, as we have seen in Psalm 16:5, 6.

We must therefore constantly recall to our minds this truth: it can never be well with us except insofar as God is gracious to us, so that the joy we derive from His fatherly favor towards us may surpass all the pleasures of the world.

To this injunction, a promise is added: if we are satisfied in the enjoyment of God alone, He will liberally bestow on us all that we will desire: He will give you the desires of your heart.

This does not imply that the godly immediately obtain whatever their imagination may suggest to them; nor would it be for their profit that God should grant them all their vain desires. The meaning is simply that if we focus our minds wholly on God, instead of allowing our imaginations like others to roam after idle and frivolous fancies, all other things will be bestowed on us in due season.

Roll thy ways upon Jehovah. Here David illustrates and confirms the doctrine contained in the preceding verse. For God to accomplish our desires, it is necessary for us to cast all our cares upon him in the exercise of hope and patience. Accordingly, we are taught from this passage how to preserve our minds in tranquility amidst anxieties, dangers, and floods of trouble.

There can be no doubt that by the term ways we are here to understand all affairs or businesses. Therefore, the person who leaves the outcome of all his affairs to the will of God, patiently waiting to receive from his hand whatever he may be pleased to send (whether prosperity or adversity), is one who casts all his cares and every other burden he bears into God's bosom. In other words, by committing all his affairs to him, such a person rolls his ways upon Jehovah. Therefore, David again emphasizes the duty of hope and confidence in God: And trust in him. By this he intimates that we render to him the honor to which he is entitled only when we entrust to him the government and direction of our lives. Thus, he provides a remedy for a disease with which almost all people are infected.

Why is it that the children of God are envious of the wicked, are often in trouble and perplexity, yield to excessive sorrow, and sometimes even murmur and complain? Is it not because, by involving themselves excessively in endless cares and cherishing too eagerly a desire to provide for themselves apart from God, they plunge, so to speak, into an abyss, or at least accumulate for themselves such a vast load of cares that they are finally forced to sink under them?

Desiring to provide a remedy for this evil, David warns us that we are greatly deceived when we presume to take upon ourselves the government of our own lives and to provide for all our affairs as if we were able to bear so great a burden. Therefore, our only remedy is to fix our eyes upon the providence of God and to draw from it consolation in all our sorrows. Those who obey this counsel will escape that horrible labyrinth in which all people labor in vain, for once God has taken the management of our affairs into his own hand, there is no reason to fear that prosperity will ever fail us. Why is it that he forsakes us and disappoints our expectations? Is it not because we provoke him by pretending to greater wisdom and understanding than we possess? If, therefore, we would only permit him, he will perform his part and will not disappoint our expectations—which he sometimes does as a just punishment for our unbelief.

And he will bring forth thy righteousness as the light. This David says, to anticipate the misgivings that often trouble us when we seem to lose our labor in faithfully serving God and in dealing uprightly with our neighbors; indeed, when our integrity is either exposed to the slander of the wicked or leads to us being harmed by others; for then it is thought to be of no account in the sight of God.

David, therefore, declares that God will not allow our righteousness to be always hidden in darkness, but that He will maintain it and bring it forth to the light; namely, when He will bestow upon us such a reward as we desire. He alludes to the darkness of the night, which is soon dispelled by the dawning of the day; as if he had said, We may often be grievously oppressed, and God may not seem to approve our innocence, yet this adversity should no more disturb our minds than the darkness of the night which covers the earth, for then the expectation of the light of day sustains our hope.