Psalms 37:18

Psa 37:18 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.

Ver. 18. The Lord knoweth the days of the upright] In bonum novit, Psa 1:6 id est prolongat, saith Kimchi; he knoweth, that is, he acknowledgeth, approveth, hath a gracious regard unto, their days and the events thereof; he hath decreed to a minute how long they shall suffer, and what happiness shall succeed their sufferings.

And their inheritance shall be for ever] Here long; and hereafter eternal. What they want here, shall be there made up abundantly.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa_37:18

The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.

The portion of the upright

I. The persons spoken of--the upright, a character equally rare and excellent.

II. The period--their days. These are known of God. He knows them kindly and graciously, and will make them all work together for good. How varied are their days: days of affliction, of danger, etc. But He knows them all.

III. The portion--their inheritance shall be for ever. So was not the inheritance of many of the angels in heaven; nor of Adam in Paradise; nor of the Jews in Canaan; nor of the man of this world. But the Christian inheritance is for ever. In the world we may have many losses, but they cannot affect our state. (W. Jay.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa 37:18-20. The Lord knoweth — Observeth with singular care and affection; the days of the upright — Their condition, and all things which do or may befall them; their dangers, and fears, and sufferings from ungodly men; and therefore will watch over them, and preserve them from all the designs and attempts of their enemies. Days, or years, or times, are often put for things done, or events happening in them. And their inheritance shall be for ever — To them and their seed for ever: see Psa 37:29. When they die the inheritance is not lost, but exchanged for one infinitely better. They shall not be ashamed — For the disappointment of their hopes, but their hopes and desires shall be satisfied; as it follows. But the wicked shall be as the fat of lambs — Which in an instant melteth before the fire. They shall consume into smoke — Utterly and irrecoverably.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18. (Psa 37:18) Knowing, habitually, always knowing, (is) Jehovah, i.e. Jehovah knows.—The days, the life, including both duration and events. Compare Psa 31:16 (15).—Of perfect (men), those free from essential defect or obliquity of character. See above, on Psa 18:24 (23). The epithet is evidently used as an equivalent to the righteous in ver. 17. God knows their days, how long they are to live, and what is to befall them, with an implication that he knows they will be numerous and good days. See above, on Psa 1:3. The same idea is then stated more distinctly in the last clause. And their heritage, their portion, their condition, as God's heirs, to eternity shall be, or shall continue. While this expression would perhaps suggest to a contemporary reader nothing more than an undisturbed possession, on the part of the righteous, as contrasted with the short-lived prosperity of sinners, it necessarily conveys to our minds the idea of a literally everlasting, indefeasible inheritance. See 1Pe 1:4.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

37:18-20 The Lord cares for the blameless in this life and for eternity, but the wicked will perish.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

God knoweth what dangers hang over his, and by what means to deliver them.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

God, who knows His people's changes, provides against evil and supplies all their need.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 18. The Lord knoweth the days of the upright] He is acquainted with all his circumstances, severings, and ability to bear them; and he will either shorten his trials or increase his power. The Lord also approves of the man and his concerns; and his inheritance shall be for ever. He shall have God for his portion, here and hereafter. This is probably another indirect promise to the captives that they shall be restored to their own land. See Ps 37:11.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18 Jehovah knoweth the days of the upright It is not without good reason that David so frequently inculcates this doctrine, that the righteous are blessed because God provides for their necessities. We see how prone the minds of men are to distrust, and how much they are vexed by an excess of cares and anxieties from which they are unable to extricate themselves, while, on the other hand, they fall into another error in being more anxious regarding the future than there is any reason for; and yet, however active and industrious in the formation of their plans, they are often disappointed in their expectations, and not unfrequently fail altogether of success. Nothing, therefore, is more profitable for us than to have our eyes continually set upon the providence of God, which alone can best provide for us every thing we need. On this account, David now says, that God knoweth the days of the righteous; that is to say, he is not ignorant of the dangers to which they are exposed, and the help which they need. This doctrine we ought to improve as a source of consolation under every vicissitude which may seem to threaten us with destruction. We may be harassed in various ways, and distracted by many dangers, which every moment threaten us with death, but this consideration ought to prove to us a sufficient ground of comfort, that not only are our days numbered by God, but that he also knows all the vicissitudes of our lot on earth. Since God then so carefully watches over us for the maintenance of our welfare, we ought to enjoy, in this our pilgrimage on earth, as much peace and satisfaction as if we were put in full possession of our paternal inheritance and home. Because we are regarded by God, David from this concludes, that our inheritance is everlasting. Moreover, in declaring that those who are upright are thus carefully protected by God, he exhorts us to the sincere pursuit of truth and uprightness; and if we desire to be placed in safety under the protection of God, let us cultivate meekness, and reject with detestation this hellish proverb, “We must howl among wolves.”

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(18) Knoweth.—See Psa_1:6, Note.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18. Jehovah knoweth, and the Omniscient is also the All-Sovereign (see on Psa_1:6), the days of the perfect: each fraction of the lives of those who are devoted to Him (see on Psa_15:2), with all that it brings. Cp. my times (Psa_31:15); Mat_6:8.

and their inheritance shall be for ever] The righteous man lives in his posterity, who continue in possession of the ancestral inheritance, while the posterity of the wicked perish (Psa_37:28; Psa_37:38; Psa_34:16). The Psalmist’s view is still limited to earth (cp. Psa_37:19). The eternal inheritance reserved in heaven is beyond his horizon.

18, 19. Stanza of Yôd. Jehovah’s care for the godly.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,.... Of affliction and persecution, or of old age, or in the day of judgment, when it will go ill with others; see Jo1 2:28;

and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied: whether it is understood figuratively of a famine of hearing the word, or literally of a proper famine of bread and water: these God will provide for them, as he did for Elijah, and they shall be sure unto them, and therefore let them not fret nor envy.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The Lord knoweth the days of the upright - See the notes at Psa 1:6. He knows how long they will live, and all that will happen to them. He sees their whole course of life; he sees the end. It is implied here that his eyes are on all the allotted days of their life; on all that has been ordained for them in the whole course of their life; and that nothing can shorten the days appointed to them. The wicked expect to live, hope to live, make their arrangements to live; but their eyes cannot rest on the future, and they cannot see the end - cannot tell precisely when they will be cut off. Some unexpected calamity - something which they cannot foresee - may come upon them, and cut short their days long before the expected thee; but this cannot happen in respect to Him whose eyes are on the righteous. Nothing can prevent their reaching the thee which he has fixed as the termination of their lives.

And their inheritance shall be forever - Shall be permanent, enduring. Perhaps all that was implied in tiffs language, as it was used by the psalmist, was that they would “continue,” or would not be cut off as the wicked are; that is, that righteousness would contribute to length of days upon the earth (compare Psa 37:9); yet the “language” suggests a higher idea, and is applicable to the righteous in respect to the promise that they will be put in “everlasting” possession of that which they “inherit” from God; that is, that they will be literally blessed forever. They will have a sure inheritance on earth, and it will endure to all eternity in another world.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Knoweth; observeth with singular care and affection

The days of the upright, i.e. their condition, and all things which do or may befall them, their dangers and fears, and suffering from ungodly men; and therefore will watch over them, and preserve them from all the designs and attempts of their enemies.

Days, or years, or times are oft put for things done or events happening in them, as Deu 32:7; Psa 31:15; 77:5; 143:5; Isa 63:11.

Their inheritance shall be for ever; to them and their seed for ever: compare Psa 37:29. And when they die, their inheritance is not lost, but exchanged for one infinitely better.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 18. The Lord knoweth the days of the upright. His foreknowledge made him laugh at the proud, but in the case of the upright he sees a brighter future, and treats them as heirs of salvation. Ever is this our comfort, that all events are known to our God, and that nothing in our future can take him at unawares. No arrow can pierce us by accident, no danger smite us by stealth; neither in time nor eternity can any unforeseen ill occur to us. Futurity shall be but a continual development of the good things which the Lord has laid up in store for us. And their inheritance shall be for ever. Their inheritance fades not away. It is entailed, so that none cam deprive them of it, and preserved, so that none shall destroy it. Eternity is the peculiar attribute of the believer's portion: what they have on earth is safe enough, but what they shall have in heaven is theirs without end.

Ver. 18. The Lord knoweth the days of the upright. Deposits their days, lays them up in safety for them: for such is the original idea of (edy). John Fry.

Ver. 18. The Lord knoweth the days of the upright, and they cannot be cut short by the malice of man. W. Wilson.

Ver. 18. The comforts derivable from a consideration of the divine knowledge. The eternity of the righteous man's possessions.

Ver. 18.

1. The persons, "the upright."

2. The period, "their days." These are known to God. (1) He knows them kindly and graciously; (2) He knows their number; (3) He knows the nature of them.

3. The portion, "their inheritance shall be for ever."

William Jay.

Ver. 18 (last clause). What it is. How they come by it. How long they hold it.

Psalms 37:19*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18. Knoweth—See on Psa_1:6.

Their inheritance shall be for ever—A clear pointing to the life to come. The nature of the subject demands this sense of the words, and the argument wholly falls to the ground without it. See on Psa_37:27-29; Psa_37:37

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Lord knoweth the days of the upright; literally, of the perfect those who yield him a complete obedience. God takes loving note of their days, knows their number, and the events which each day will bring. He will cause all things to "work together for their good." And their inheritance shall be for ever (comp. vers. 27, 29, and 37; which all, like this verse, point, albeit vaguely, to a future life). The mere continuance of a man"s posterity in a prosperous condition cannot exhaust the meaning of such phrases as, "Their inheritance shall be for ever;" "Dwell for evermore;" "The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever." If David himself meant no more than this, yet the Holy Spirit which inspired him may have meant more. At any rate, to the Christian the words will always bring up the thought of that "inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, which is reserved for us in heaven". (1Pe_1:4)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Knoweth - Observes with care and affection. The days - All things which befall them, their dangers and fears, and suffering. For ever - To them and their seed forever: and when they die their inheritance is not lost, but exchanged for one infinitely better.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

The life of those who love Jahve with the whole heart is, with all its vicissitudes, an object of His loving regard and of His observant providential care, Psa 1:6; Psa 31:8, cf. Psa 16:1-11. He neither suffers His own to lose their heritage nor to be themselves lost to it. The αἰώνιος κληρονομία is not as yet thought of as extending into the future world, as in the New Testament. In Psa 37:19 the surviving refers only to this present life.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

watches over the blameless

To "watch over" means to protect someone. Here "the blameless" refers to the blameless people. AT: "protects the blameless people" (See: Idiom and Nominal Adjectives)

day by day

This is an idiom that means "continually." AT: "every day" (See: Idiom)

when times are bad

This phrase refers to disasters, such as famine. AT: "when calamities occur" (See: Idiom)

translationWords

watch

blameless

inherit

eternity

shame

famine

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

The Lord knows the days of the innocent He recognizes the deeds of their days,

and their inheritance and the reception of their reward from Him shall be forever.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.