Psalms 37:21

_THE WICKED BORROWETH, AND PAYETH NOT AGAIN: BUT THE RIGHTEOUS SHEWETH MERCY, AND GIVETH._ The wicked borroweth ... the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth - not so much a representation of what the wicked and the righteous respectively are willing, or not willing, through injustice, to do, as of what they respectively are able, or unable, through poverty, to do. The "for" in Psalms 37:22 presumes that it is of ability and inability, not of willingness and unwillingness, that Psalms 37:21 speaks. So, too, Psalms 37:26. "He (the righteous man) is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed." The ground passage is...

21_The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again _Those are mistaken who suppose that the wicked are here blamed for their treachery in carrying off the goods of others by fraud and deception; and that, on the other hand, the children of God are commended for their kindness in being always ready to relieve the wants of their poorer brethren. The prophet rather extols, on the one hand, the blessing of God towards the godly; and declares, on the other, that the ungodly never have enough. The meaning therefore is, that God deals bountifully with his own people, that they may be able to aid others; but that the ungodly are always in want, so that their poverty leads them to have recourse to fraud and rapine. And were we not blinded by insensibility and indifference, we could not fail to perceive the many proofs of this which are daily presented to our view. However great the abundance of the un...

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...

Verse Psalms 37:21. _THE WICKED BORROWETH_] Is often reduced to _penury_, and is obliged to become debtor to those whom he before despised. _AND PAYETH NOT AGAIN_] May _refuse_ to do it, because he is a _wicked man_; or be _unable_ to do it, because he is reduced to _beggary_. _BUT THE RIGHTEOUS SHOWETH MERCY_] Because he has received mercy from God, therefore he shows mercy to men. And even to his enemies _he showeth mercy, and giveth_; his _heart_ being disposed to it by the influence of _Divine grace_, and his hand being enabled to do it by the blessing of God's _providence_....

THE WICKED BORROWETH, AND PAYETH NOT AGAIN - This is probably intended here, not so much to describe the “character” as the “condition” of the wicked. The idea is, that he will be in such a condition of want that he will be under a necessity of borrowing, but will not have the means of repaying what he has borrowed, while the righteous will not only have enough for himself, but will have the means of showing mercy to others, and of “giving” to them what they need. The ability to lend to others is referred to as a part of the promise of God to his people, and as marking their condition as a prosperous one, in Deuteronomy 15:6 : “And thou shalt lend unto many nations, and shalt not borrow.” Compare Deuteronomy 28:12,...

EXPOSITION THIS is another of the alphabetical psalms (see above, Psalms 9:1; Psalms 25:1; and 34.), and, though more free from irregularities than the previous ones, is not altogether without them. While, generally, each letter heads a stanza consisting of two verses, there are three occasions on which the stanza assigned to a letter is formed of only one verse (see Psalms 37:7, Psalms 37:20, and Psalms 37:34). Further, there are two occasions when the stanza begins with a wrong letter, לtaking the place of ,ע and וof .ת The

THE WICKED BORROWETH, AND PAYETH NOT AGAIN,.... While the wicked live, they are scandalous; they live by borrowing, which was always reckoned mean; see Deuteronomy 28:12; and what is worse, as they borrow, they do not design to repay; they take no care nor thought about that, but live upon what they borrow: for this either expresses their incapacity that they cannot pay; or the evil disposition of their mind, which rather seems to be the sense, that they will not pay; BUT THE RIGHTEOUS SHOWETH MERCY, AND GIVETH; which not only argues capacity and ability, but a kind, merciful, and tender spirit to persons in distress, and is expressive of a generous action....

It may be, beloved friends, that there is a word of comfort for some of you in this «Psalm of David.» If any of you have been perplexed and worried, and there has been a stern conflict within your spirit, here are some cheering words which will bring a message from God to you.It may be worth your while to remember that the 37 th Psalm and the 73 rd are upon the same subject. They are the same figures reversed, but they both deal with the great mystery which has vexed the hearts of godly men in all generations. Psalms 37:1. _Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb._ What a contrast there is between the grass before the mower comes with his scythe, and that same grass when it is cut down; and there is the same kind of difference between the

Psalms 37 The Blessed Lot of the Righteous Contrasted with the Wicked _ 1. Waiting for Jehovah and His promise (Psalms 37:1)_ 2. The doom of the wicked and the portion of the righteous (Psalms 37:12) 3. The ways of the righteous and the wicked (Psalms 37:21) 4. God's gracious ways with the righteous (Psalms 37:30) This Psalm is also alphabetical in structure and somewhat proverbial in character. It is full of sweet comfort and encouragement to faith. All the saints of God have fed on its beautiful statements,

XXXVII. An acrostic poem. Its object is to teach patience and hope. The pious Jews, the Hasidim of Psalms 4:3 * who observe the Law strictly, are at present poor and oppressed. They are to wait for the end, when God will separate the good from the bad and will recompense men according to their deserts. PSALMS 37:1 agrees almost verbally with Proverbs 29:14. For the envy intended, see Psalms 73:3. Psalms 37:4_ a_. Render as _mg._ Godly men find their delight in Yahweh because they do His will, and He in return answers their praye