Psalms 37:28

Psa 37:28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

Ver. 28. For the Lord loveth judgment] See Psa 11:7.

But the seed of the wicked shall be cut off] See Job 18:19, {See Trapp on "Job 18:19"}

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_37:28

The Lord forsaketh not His saints: they are preserved for ever.

Secure property

A religion of contingencies and uncertainties deserve not the name of Christianity, and it is perfectly a misnomer to call it Christianity.

I. The property of jehovah is his saints. Not the angels, the heavens, or the earth, but His saints. I mean real, not hypocritical saints. Let me describe them a little.

1. They were once vile and full of sin: but they are transformed and they know it. They are created anew in Christ.

2. Moreover, they are consecrated, or they could not be saints, and God claims such as His own.

3. They have been eternally set apart as such: and for God Himself, as His sons, His servants, and His especial treasure. You must be a son before you can be a servant of God.

4. And they are manifestly Gods saints both in creed and in conduct.

II. The Lords unchanging love for them. He forsaketh not His saints.

III. The triumphs of his grace in them. They are preserved for ever. (Joseph Irons.)

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

28. (Psa 37:28) For Jehovah (is) loving, he habitually loves, judgment, i.e. justice actually exercised, he doing of justice. The for assigns a reason for the strong assurance a the close of the preceding verse. No one need fear to lay hold of the promise in its widest sense; for it is not an arbitrary one, but a spontaneous expression of Goa's natural essential love of moral rectitude. And, as a necessary consequence of this, he will not forsake his gracious ones, the objects of his grace or favour. For the true sense of the Hebrew word, see above, on Psa 4:4 (3), Psa 12:2 (1), Psa 18:26 (25), Psa 30:5 (4), Psa 31:24 (23.) Those whom he once favours he will not forsake. For ever, to eternity, they are kept, kept safe, preserved. The past tense of the verb is peculiarly appropriate to describe their preservation as already secured. So certain is it, that he seems to look back upon the future as already past, and says, they have been kept for ever. Here again, although a Jewish reader might have been inclined to put a lower sense upon for ever, as denoting nothing more than permanency in contrast with the fluctuations of secular prosperity, it is neither right nor possible for us to give it any but its strongest and its most extensive application. (See above, on Psa 37:18, and compare 1Pe 1:5.—Equally certain is the fate of the ungodly: And the seed of wicked men (is) cut off, has already been cut off, in the divine prescience and purpose, from all participation in the blessings of the righteous. See above, on Psa 37:22.

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

Verse 28. Forsaketh not his saints] את חטידיו eth chasidaiv, his merciful or compassionate ones; those who, through love to him and all mankind, are ever ready to give of their substance to the poor.

But the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.] The children who follow the wicked steps of wicked parents shall, like their parents, be cut off. God's judgments descend to posterity, as well as his mercies.

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

28 For Jehovah loveth judgement. This, it ought to be observed, is a confirmation of the doctrine contained in the preceding sentence; and it is here made to rest upon a higher principle, namely, that God takes pleasure in righteousness and truth. The argument indeed appears to be incomplete; but as David takes for granted — what ought to be deeply fixed in the hearts of all the faithful — that the world is directed by the providence of God, his conclusion is admirable. In the first place, then, it must be admitted that the condition of the human race is not under the direction of chance, but of the providence of God, and that the world is conducted and governed by his counsel: so that he regulates according to his pleasure the issue of all things, and controls them by his power; and, secondly, to this it must be added what David here states, that righteousness and truth are pleasing to God. Hence it follows, that all who lead an upright and blameless life among men shall be happy, because, enjoying the favor of God, every thing at length must in regard to them have a happy and successful result. But let us bear in mind, that the promise which is spoken of in this verse is to be understood in this sense, that while God has undertaken the preservation of the godly, it is not to cherish them continually in retirement and ease, but after he has for a time exercised them under the cross, at length to come to their help: for the language here employed, Jehovah forsaketh not his meek ones, is tacitly very emphatic. Those, therefore, who separate the exercise of patience from the favor which God bestows upon the godly in this life, misinterpret this psalm. On the contrary, lest any one should hastily and rashly pronounce judgment, the prophet entreats the faithful to suspend their judgment, until God manifest his displeasure after the death of the wicked, in inflicting punishment upon their posterity: The seed of the wicked shall be cut off This is of the same import as if he had again asserted, that although the judgements of God are not immediately executed upon the wicked and ungodly, yet they are not on that account anything the better of it, since the punishment justly due to them will extend to their children. If then the curse of God is not forthwith inflicted upon them, it need not surprise us if he delay for a time to manifest the favor which he bears towards the faithful.

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.

(28) For the Lord.—In the Hebrew the stanza that should begin with the letter ayin is wanting, but may be restored by a very slight change, to agree with the Codex Alex., of the LXX., the Vulg. and Symmachus. “The unjust shall be punished.”

Probably the transcriber was misled by the tsaddê of the next verse, since that letter and ayin were often interchanged. (See Note, Psa_34:14.)

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

The righteous shall inherit the land,.... See Gill on Psa 37:9 and See Gill on Psa 37:11;

and dwell therein for ever; See Gill on Psa 37:27.

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

For the Lord loveth judgment - That is, God loves that which is right; he loves to do right. The idea is, that such a recompense as is here adverted to - that on the one hand, in rewarding with prosperity a pure and upright life - and that, on the other, in cutting off the wicked - is right and proper in itself; and that as God loves to do right, these consequences respectively may be expected to follow in regard to the righteous and the wicked. Compare Psa 11:7.

And forsaketh not his saints - He manifests his sense of that which is right, by not forsaking His saints.

They are preserved forever - They are ever under his paternal eye, and he will keep them. It will be literally true that they will be preserved “forever,” that they will never be suffered to perish.

But the seed of the wicked shall be cut off - See the notes at Psa 21:10. Compare Psa 37:22.

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

Judgment, i.e. just judgment, or righteousness, as that word is oft taken, as hath been showed again and again; either,

1. In himself, i.e. he loveth to execute judgment upon the wicked, and for the righteous; which he doth in the manner expressed in this Psalm. Or,

2. In the righteous themselves, whose justice, and piety, and charity he sees and loves, and will reward it.

His saints; or, his favourites; or, they to whom he hath a good will; or, his bountiful ones, who exercise benignity and charity to others.

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

Ver. 28. For the Lord loveth judgment. The awarding of honour to whom honour is due is God's delight, especially when the upright man has been traduced by his fellow men. It must be a divine pleasure to right wrongs, and to defeat the machinations of the unjust. The great Arbiter of human destinies is sure to deal out righteous measure both to rich and poor, to good and evil, for such judgment is his delight. And forsaketh not his saints. This would not be right, and, therefore, shall never be done. God is as faithful to the objects of his love as he is just towards all mankind. They are preserved for ever. By covenant engagements their security is fixed, and by suretyship fulfilments that safety is accomplished; come what may, the saints are preserved in Christ Jesus, and because he lives, they shall live also. A king will not lose his jewels, nor will Jehovah lose his people. As the manna in the golden pot, which else had melted, was preserved in the ark of the covenant beneath the mercyseat, so shall the faithful be preserved in the covenant by the power of Jesus their propitiation. But the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. Like the house of Jeroboam and Ahab, of which not a dog was left. Honour and wealth ill gotten seldom reach the third generation; the curse grows ripe before many years have passed, and falls upon the evil house. Among the legacies of wicked men the surest entail is a judgment on their family.

Ver. 28. For the Lord...forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever. How? since they die as others do. Mark the antithesis, and that will explain it. They are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. They are preserved in their posterity: children are but the parents multiplied, and the parents continued; it is nodosa aeternitas; when the father's life is run out to the last, there is a knot tied, and the line is still continued by the child. I confess temporal blessings, such as long life, and the promise of an happy posterity, are more visible in the eye of that dispensation of the covenant; but yet God still taketh care for the children of his people, and many promises run that way that belong to the gospel administration, and still God's service is the surest way to establish a family, as sin is the ready way to root it out. And if it doth not always fall out accordingly, yet for the most part it doth; and we are no competent judges of God's dispensations in this kind, because we see providence by pieces, and have not the skill to set them together; but at the day of judgment, when the whole contexture of God's dealings is laid before us, we shall clearly understand how the children of his servants continue, and their seed is established. Ps 102:28. Thomas Manton.

Ver. 28.

1. The Lord's love of right.

2. His faithfulness to the righteous.

3. Their sure preservation thus doubly guaranteed.

4. The doom of the wicked thus certified.

Psalms 37:29*

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

For the Lord loveth judgment. (comp. Psa_11:7) "Judgment fpvm is here "justice," "righteousness;" as in Psa_33:5 Psa_99:4 Psa_103:6, etc. And forsaketh not his saints. (see ver. 25; and comp. Isa_41:17 Isa_42:16, etc.) They are preserved for ever. Something has probably fallen out at the commencement of this line, which ought to begin with the letter ain. But the seed of the wicked shall be out off. The wicked shall perish, not only in their own persons, but in their posterity, who shall be "cut off from the land of the living", (Isa_53:8) and have "their name blotted out". (Psa_109:13)

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

They are preserved forever

This can be stated in active form. AT: "Yahweh will protect them forever" (See: Active or Passive)

will be cut off

The destruction of the wicked is spoken of as if they were a branch of plant that was cut off and thrown away. See how you translated this in Psalms 37:9. (See: Metaphor)

the righteous

This refers to the people who are righteous. AT: "the righteous people" (See: Nominal Adjectives)

will inherit the land

The possession of the land is spoken of as if it had been received as an inheritance. See how you translated this in Psalms 37:9. AT: "will receive the land as their own possession" or "will be allowed to live safely in the land" (See: Metaphor)

The mouth of the righteous person

Here "mouth" represents the whole person who speaks. AT: "The righteous person" (See: Synecdoche)

speaks wisdom

The abstract noun "wisdom" can be stated as "wise." AT: "gives wise advice to others" (See: Abstract Nouns)

increases justice

The abstract noun "justice" can be stated as an action. AT: "encourages other people to live rightly" (See: Abstract Nouns)

translationWords

love

just

faithful

eternity

descend

cut off

righteous

life

wise

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