Catholic Commentary on Psalm 37

"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture." (Psalm 37:3)

Do Not Fret

Psalm 37 is a wisdom psalm, one of the longer acrostic compositions in the Psalter, and its opening advice is given twice for emphasis: do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong. The fretting and the envy are understandable. The wicked prosper. They seem to get away with everything. They green like flourishing grass and thrive like well-watered plants. And then they wither and vanish like grass cut down, like smoke that dissipates. The long perspective of wisdom sees the end of the wicked as well as their present flourishing, and this changes how their success looks.

The positive commands that follow the "do not fret" are a summary of the life of trust: trust in the Lord and do good, take delight in the Lord, commit your way to the Lord, be still before him and wait patiently. The sequence is important: trust first, then delight, then commit, then wait. The person who has not trusted cannot delight. The person who has not committed cannot wait patiently. Each step makes the next one possible.

The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth

But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. Jesus quotes this verse directly in the Beatitudes: blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. The meek person is not the passive, spineless person who gets walked over. The Hebrew word anav describes the person who is humble before God, who does not press their own claims or demand their own way, who waits for God to act on their behalf. This person inherits the earth not by taking it but by receiving it. They are strong enough to wait and humble enough to receive.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, if you are fretting today about someone who seems to prosper by wrongdoing, Psalm 37 has a prescription. Not an argument. Not a plan. A practice: trust in the Lord and do good. Delight yourself in the Lord. Commit your way to him. Be still and wait patiently. These are not easy instructions. They are the most demanding things you can do when injustice surrounds you. But they are the way of the one who will still be standing when the wicked grass has withered.

Prayer

Lord God, we commit our way to you and trust in you to act. We take delight in you and rest in your faithfulness. When the wicked prosper and we are tempted to fret, be still our anxious hearts. Give us the meekness that waits and the trust that does not envy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

37
Delight Yourself in the LORD
(1 Kings 2:1–9)
Of David.* 37:0 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
1 Do not fret over those who do evil;
do not envy those who do wrong.
2 For they wither quickly like grass
and wilt like tender plants.
 
3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD,
and He will give you the desires of your heart.
 
5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn,
your justice like the noonday sun.
 
7 Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for Him;
do not fret when men prosper in their ways,
when they carry out wicked schemes.
 
8 Refrain from anger and abandon wrath;
do not fret—it can only bring harm.
9 For the evildoers will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
 
10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land † 37:11 Or the earth; see Matthew 5:5.
and delight in abundant prosperity.
 
12 The wicked scheme against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them,
13 but the Lord laughs,
seeing that their day is coming.
 
14 The wicked have drawn the sword
and bent the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
 
16 Better is the little of the righteous
than the abundance of many who are wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.
 
18 The LORD knows the days of the blameless,
and their inheritance will last forever.
19 In the time of evil they will not be ashamed,
and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.
 
20 But the wicked and enemies of the LORD
will perish like the glory of the fields.
They will vanish;
like smoke they will fade away.
 
21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous are gracious and giving.
22 Surely those He blesses will inherit the land,
but the cursed will be destroyed.
 
23 The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD
who takes delight in his journey.
24 Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed,
for the LORD is holding his hand.‡ 37:24 Or upholds him with His hand
 
25 I once was young and now am old,
yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned
or their children begging for bread.
26 They are ever generous and quick to lend,
and their children are a blessing.
 
27 Turn away from evil and do good,
so that you will abide forever.
28 For the LORD loves justice
and will not forsake His saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.
29 The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.
 
30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not falter.
 
32 Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
and seek to slay them,
33 the LORD will not leave them in their power
or let them be condemned under judgment.
 
34 Wait for the LORD and keep His way,
and He will raise you up to inherit the land.
When the wicked are cut off,
you will see it.
 
35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man
flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,
36 yet he passed away and was no more;
though I searched, he could not be found.
 
37 Consider the blameless and observe the upright,
for posterity awaits the man of peace.§ 37:37 Or for there is a future for the man of peace
38 But the transgressors will all be destroyed;
the future of the wicked will be cut off.
 
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
He is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The LORD helps and delivers them;
He rescues and saves them from the wicked,
because they take refuge in Him.

*^ 37:0 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

†37:11 37:11 Or the earth; see Matthew 5:5.

‡37:24 37:24 Or upholds him with His hand

§37:37 37:37 Or for there is a future for the man of peace

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