Shīpiān 37

1 ( Dàwèi de shī ) búyào wèi zuò è de , xīnhuái bù píng , yĕ búyào xiàng nà xíng bú yì de , shēng chū jídù .

2 Yīnwei tāmen rú cǎo kuaì beì gē xià , yòu rú qīng caì kuaì yào kū gān .

3 Nǐ dāng yǐkào Yēhéhuá ér xíng shàn . zhù zaì dì shang , yǐ tāde xìnshí wèi liáng .

4 Yòu yào yǐ Yēhéhuá wéi lè . tā jiù jiāng nǐ xīnli suǒ qiú de cìgĕi nǐ .

5 Dāng jiāng nǐde shì jiāo tuō Yēhéhuá , bìng yǐkào tā , tā jiù bì chéngquán .

6 Tā yào shǐ nǐde gōngyì , rú guāng fāchū , shǐ nǐde gōngping , míng rú zhèng wǔ .

7 Nǐ dāng mò rán yǐkào Yēhéhuá , naì xìng dĕnghòu tā . búyào yīn nà dàolù tōngdá de , hé nà è móu chéngjiù de , xīnhuái bú píng .

8 Dāng zhǐ zhù nùqì , lí qì fèn nù . búyào xīnhuái bú píng , yǐzhì zuò è .

9 Yīnwei zuò è de , bì beì jiǎnchú . wéiyǒu dĕnghòu Yēhéhuá de , bì chéngshòu dì tǔ .

10 Hái yǒu piànshí , è rén yào guīyú wú yǒu . nǐ jiù xì chá tāde zhù chù , yĕ yào guīyú wú yǒu .

11 Dàn qiābēi rén bì chéngshòu dì tǔ , yǐ fēngshèng de píngān wéi lè .

12 È rén shè móu haì yì rén , yòu xiàng tā yǎo yá .

13 Zhǔ yào xiào tā , yīn jiàn tā shòu fá de rìzi jiāngyào lái dào .

14 È rén yǐjing gōng shang xián , dāo chū qiào , yào dǎdǎo kùnkǔ qióngfá de rén , yào shāhaì xíngdòng zhèngzhí de rén .

15 Tāmende dāo , bì cī rù zìjǐ de xīn , tāmende gōng , bì beì zhē duàn .

16 Yī gĕ yì rén suǒyǒude suī shǎo , jiàng guo xǔduō è rén de fù yú .

17 Yīnwei è rén de bǎngbì , bì beì zhē duàn . dàn Yēhéhuá shì fú chí yì rén .

18 Yēhéhuá zhīdào wánquán rén de rìzi . tāmende chǎnyè , yào cún dào yǒngyuǎn .

19 Tāmen zaì jí nán de shíhou , bù zhì xiūkuì , zaì jīhuāng de rìzi , bì dé bǎozú .

20 È rén què yào mièwáng . Yēhéhuá de chóudí , yào xiàng yánggāo de zhīyóu . ( huò zu4 xiàng cǎodì de huámĕi ) tāmen yào xiāomiè , yào rú yān xiāomiè .

21 È rén jiè huò ér bú chánghuán . yì rén què ēn dāi rén , bìngqiĕ shīshĕ .

22 Méng Yēhéhuá cì fú de , bì chéngshòu dì tǔ . beì tā zhòuzǔ de , bì beì jiǎnchú .

23 Yì rén de jiǎobù , beì Yēhéhuá lìdéng . tāde dàolù , Yēhéhuá yĕ xǐaì .

24 Tā suī shījiǎo , yĕ bù zhì quán shēn pú dǎo . yīnwei Yēhéhuá yòng shǒu chān fú tā . ( huò zuò chān fú tāde shǒu )

25 Wǒ cóng qiánnián yòu , xiànzaì nián lǎo , què wèi jiàn guō yì rén beì qì . yĕ wèi jiàn guo tāde hòuyì tǎofàn .

26 Tā zhōng rì ēn dāi rén , jiè gĕi rén . tāde hòuyì yĕ méng fú .

27 Nǐ dāng lí è xíng shàn , jiù kĕ yǒngyuǎn ān jū .

28 Yīnwei Yēhéhuá xǐaì gōngping , bú piē qì tāde shèng mín . tāmen yǒng méng bǎoyòu . dàn è rén de hòuyì , bì beì jiǎnchú .

29 Yì rén bì chéngshòu dì tǔ , yǒng jū qí shang .

30 Yì rén de kǒu tánlùn zhìhuì , tāde shétou jiǎng shuō gōngping .

31 Shén de lǜfǎ zaì tā xīnli . tāde jiǎo zǒng bú huá diē .

32 È rén kuītàn yì rén , xiǎng yào shā tā .

33 Yēhéhuá bì bù piē tā zaì è rén shǒu zhōng , dāng shĕnpàn de shíhou , yĕ bù déng tāde zuì .

34 Nǐ dāng dĕnghòu Yēhéhuá , zūnshǒu tāde dào , tā jiù táijǔ nǐ , shǐ nǐ chéngshòu dì tǔ . è rén beì jiǎnchú de shíhou , nǐ bì kànjian .

35 Wǒ jiàn guo è rén dà yǒu shìlì , hǎoxiàng yī gēn qīng cuì shù zaì bĕn tǔ shēng fā .

36 Yǒu rén cóng nàli jīngguò , búliào , tā méiyǒu le . wǒ yĕ xúnzhǎo tā , què xún bù zhe .

37 Nǐ yào xì chá nà wánquán rén , guānkàn nà zhèngzhí rén . yīnwei hépíng rén yǒu hǎo jiéjú .

38 Zhìyú fàn fǎ de rén , bì yītóng mièjué . è rén zhōng bì jiǎnchú .

39 Dàn yì rén déjiù , shì yóuyú Yēhéhuá . tā zaì huànnàn shí zuò tāmende yíng zhaì .

40 Yēhéhuá bāngzhu tāmen , jiĕ jiù tāmen . tā jiĕ jiù tāmen tuōlí è rén , bǎ tāmen jiù chūlai , yīnwei tāmen tóukào tā .

Shīpiān 37 Commentary

Chapter 37

David persuades to patience and confidence in God, by the state of the godly and of the wicked.

Verses 1-6 When we look abroad we see the world full of evil-doers, that flourish and live in ease. So it was seen of old, therefore let us not marvel at the matter. We are tempted to fret at this, to think them the only happy people, and so we are prone to do like them: but this we are warned against. Outward prosperity is fading. When we look forward, with an eye of faith, we shall see no reason to envy the wicked. Their weeping and wailing will be everlasting. The life of religion is a believing trust in the Lord, and diligent care to serve him according to his will. It is not trusting God, but tempting him, if we do not make conscience of our duty to him. A man's life consists not in abundance, but, Thou shalt have food convenient for thee. This is more than we deserve, and it is enough for one that is going to heaven. To delight in God is as much a privilege as a duty. He has not promised to gratify the appetites of the body, and the humours of the fancy, but the desires of the renewed, sanctified soul. What is the desire of the heart of a good man? It is this, to know, and love, and serve God. Commit thy way unto the Lord; roll thy way upon the Lord, so the margin reads it. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, the burden of thy care. We must roll it off ourselves, not afflict and perplex ourselves with thoughts about future events, but refer them to God. By prayer spread thy case and all thy cares before the Lord, and trust in him. We must do our duty, and then leave the event with God. The promise is very sweet: He shall bring that to pass, whatever it is, which thou has committed to him.

Verses 7-20 Let us be satisfied that God will make all to work for good to us. Let us not discompose ourselves at what we see in this world. A fretful, discontented spirit is open to many temptations. For, in all respects, the little which is allotted to the righteous, is more comfortable and more profitable than the ill-gotten and abused riches of ungodly men. It comes from a hand of special love. God provides plentifully and well, not only for his working servants, but for his waiting servants. They have that which is better than wealth, peace of mind, peace with God, and then peace in God; that peace which the world cannot give, and which the world cannot have. God knows the believer's days. Not one day's work shall go unrewarded. Their time on earth is reckoned by days, which will soon be numbered; but heavenly happiness shall be for ever. This will be a real support to believers in evil times. Those that rest on the Rock of ages, have no reason to envy the wicked the support of their broken reeds.

Verses 21-33 The Lord our God requires that we do justly, and render to all their due. It is a great sin for those that are able, to deny the payment of just debts; it is a great misery not to be able to pay them. He that is truly merciful, will be ever merciful. We must leave our sins; learn to do well, and cleave to it. This is true religion. The blessing of God is the spring, sweetness, and security of all earthly enjoyments. And if we are sure of this, we are sure not to want any thing good for us in this world. By his grace and Holy Spirit, he directs the thoughts, affections, and designs of good men. By his providence he overrules events, so as to make their way plain. He does not always show them his way for a distance, but leads them step by step, as children are led. God will keep them from being ruined by their falls, either into sin or into trouble, though such as fall into sin will be sorely hurt. Few, if any, have known the consistent believer, or his children, reduced to abject, friendless want. God forsakes not his saints in affliction; and in heaven only the righteous shall dwell for ever; that will be their everlasting habitation. A good man may fall into the hands of a messenger of Satan, and be sorely buffeted, but God will not leave him in his enemy's hands.

Verses 34-40 Duty is ours, and we must mind it; but events are God's, we must refer the disposal of them to him. What a striking ( psalms 37:35-36 ) But God remarkably blights the projects of the prosperous wicked, especially persecutors. None are perfect in themselves, but believers are so in Christ Jesus. If all the saint's days continue dark and cloudy, his dying day may prove comfortable, and his sun set bright; or, if it should set under a cloud, yet his future state will be everlasting peace. The salvation of the righteous will be the Lord's doing. He will help them to do their duties, to bear their burdens; help them to bear their troubles well, and get good by them, and, in due time, will deliver them out of their troubles. Let sinners then depart from evil, and do good; repent of and forsake sin, and trust in the mercy of God through Jesus Christ. Let them take his yoke upon them, and learn of him, that they may dwell for evermore in heaven. Let us mark the closing scenes of different characters, and always depend on God's mercy.

Chapter Summary

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.