Read Psalm 37 at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraph divisions:
All the psalms have an {s} division at the end of each numbered line, and nearly all conclude with a {p} division at the end of the psalm. Moreover, these numbered lines have an additional division within the line (which the Hebrew scholars mark with {n} to indicate a new line break):
Psa 37:7a Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; {n}
Psa 37:7b, Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
Psa 37:14a The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, {n}
Psa 37:14b, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct.
Psa 37:25a I have been young, and now am old; {n}
Psa 37:25b, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.
Psa 37:28a For the Lord loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, {n}
Psa 37:28b, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
Psa 37:34a Wait on the Lord, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; {n}
Psa 37:34b, When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
Chiastic structure:
1a) Psa 37:1-11, Do not fret because of evildoers, but trust in the Lord:
1a) Psa 37:1-4, Do not fret because of evildoers, they shall be cut off; but trust in the Lord:
1) Psa 37:1-2, 1-Do not fret because of evildoers, 2-for they shall be cut down like the grass;
2) Psa 37:3, Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness;
3) Psa 37:4, Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the petitions of your heart;
1b) Psa 37:5a, Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him;
1c) Psa 37:5b, And He shall bring it to pass;
2c) Psa 37:6, He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday;
2b) Psa 37:7a, Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; {n}
2a) Psa 37:7b-11, Do not fret because of evildoers, they shall be cut off; but wait on the Lord:
1) Psa 37:7b-9a, Do not fret because of the wicked, for they shall be cut off:
2) Psa 37:9b-11a, Those who wait on the Lord shall inherit the earth:
1a) Psa 37:9b, But those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth;
1b) Psa 37:10a, For just a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
central axis) Psa 37:10b, Indeed, you will look carefully for his place;
2b) Psa 37:10c, But it shall be no more;
2a) Psa 37:11a, But the meek shall inherit the earth;
3) Psa 37:11b, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace;
1b) Psa 37:12-20, The wicked seeks to destroy the just, but the Lord will uphold him/ destroy the wicked:
1a) Psa 37:12, The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth;
1b) Psa 37:13, The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming (the Lord knows the days of the wicked);
1c) Psa 37:14-15, The wicked have bent their bow against the upright, but it shall be broken;
central axis) Psa 37:16, A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked;
2c) Psa 37:17, For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous;
2b) Psa 37:18-19, The Lord knows the days of the upright, that their inheritance shall be forever;
2a) Psa 37:20,The Lord plans to destroy the wicked: they shall perish / vanish away like smoke;
central axis) Psa 37:21-31, Three- part theme repeated for emphasis:
1.1) Psa 37:21, The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives;
1.2) Psa 37:22, Those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, but those cursed by Him shall be cut off;
1.3) Psa 37:23-24, The steps of the upright are ordered by the Lord/ He delights in his way/ He upholds him;
2.1) Psa 37:25-28, The righteous is merciful and lends, for the Lord does not forsake him:
1a) Psa 37:25-26, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, He is ever merciful and lends;
central axis) Psa 37:27, Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell forevermore;
2a) Psa 37:28, For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever; {n}
2.2) Psa 37:28b-29, The descendants of the wicked shall be cut off, but the righteous shall inherit the earth;
2.3) Psa 37:30-31, The upright delights in the Lord’s way (law)/ upholds it/ None of his steps shall slip;
2b) Psa 37:32-33, The wicked seeks to destroy the righteous, but the Lord will uphold him;
2a) Psa 37:34-40, Wait on the Lord + keep His way/ you will inherit the land/the wicked shall be cut off:
1a) Psa 37:34a, Wait on the Lord, and keep His way;
1b) Psa 37:34b, He shall exalt you to inherit the land; {n}/ When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it;
central axis) Psa 37:35-36, “I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a native green tree. Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; indeed I sought him, but he could not be found;”
2b) Psa 37:37-38, The future of the upright is peace/ the future of the wicked shall be cut off;
2a) Psa 37:39-40, The Lord will save + deliver the upright in the time of trouble, because they trust in Him.
The theme of the Psalms we have been studying this week has been, that the Lord will preserve the righteous even when trouble and judgment comes because of the wicked. Scripture teaches us this is the case. Noah was preserved through the judgment of the wicked; Lot was preserved through the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; Jacob and his family were preserved in Egypt through the most severe famine the ancient world had ever seen. Israel was not preserved from the Assyrians or Babylonians, because Israel was living wickedly, ignoring the Law of God, just as the nations around them! (Read 1-2 Kings, and 1-2 Chronicles, if you are unfamiliar with that fascinating history.) This history is prophetic and teaches us about the time to come. Not everything we have been told about the end times has been the truth.
The Lord knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. Psa 37:18-19
Which brings me to the central axis. It is a three part theme, which is repeated for emphasis.
1) Psa 37:21 and 37:25-28 pair, The righteous shows mercy and gives/ The righteous is merciful and lends, for the Lord does not forsake him.
2) Psa 37:22 and 37:28b-29 pair, Those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, those cursed by Him shall be cut off/ The descendants of the wicked shall be cut off, but the righteous shall inherit the earth. (Please note that it is those who obey His commandments who are considered righteous and who are blessed, and those who disobey Him are considered wicked and are cursed, no matter what denomination or church they are a member of; see Deu 28).
3) Psa 37:23-24 and 37:30-31 pair.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand. Psa 37:23-24
The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice. The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide. Psa 37:30-31
In other words, it is the Lord who says, This is My way, walk in it. He has given us His way of walking by commandments, explained in the first five books of Moses, in the Law of God. The good man is the one who listens to the Lord, and orders his steps according to His way. He obeys His Law, in other words! He delights in His way, it brings him joy to obey the Lord! Try it and you will see! Do a little experiment. if you have not been resting on the Biblical Sabbath, the seventh day (Saturday), do so this week. Honor the Lord’s day of rest out of a yielded and submitted heart which desires to honor Him, and see what happens. If everything men have told you is true, nothing will happen. If the word of God is true, however, you might be surprised to see God confirm His word and your obedience to it with joy! ♥
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