Psalm 37


Psalm 37 is the 37th psalm of the Book of Psalms. It has the form of an acrostic Hebrew poem, and is thought to have been written by David in his old age.

Interpretation

Psalm 37 is a response to the problem of evil, which the Old Testament often expresses as a question: why do the wicked prosper and the good suffer? The Psalm answers that the situation is only temporary. Catholicism sees, God will reverse things, rewarding the good and punishing the wicked here on earth. This interpretation is shared by Protestants. Matthew Henry calls it David's call to patience and confidence in God by the state of the godly and the wicked. Spurgeon calls it "The great riddle of the prosperity of the wicked and the affliction of the righteous".
It is written as an acrostic and divided into discrete sections. Each section ends with God's resolution of the question.
The psalm has also been understood as a prayer of the persecuted who has taken refuge in the temple or figuratively of refuge in God. The psalm concludes with a plea to God those who honor him, to bless them with his justice and to protect them from the snares of the wicked.
The theme of inheriting the land reoccurs five times in this Psalm. Prior to this in Psalm 25:13 the riches as also said to inherit the land as well. Barnes also compares the wicked being cut off in psalm 37:2 and 10 with the wicked being cut off in Pslam 73:27

Uses

[Judaism]

Verse 11 was cited by Jesus Christ in. The original reads,

Islam

"The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever" is referenced in the Qur'an:

Musical Settings

Verses 30-31 in the Latin were set by Anton Bruckner as "Os Justi" in 1879.