Psalms 37:39

Psa 37:39 But the salvation of the righteous [is] of the LORD: [he is] their strength in the time of trouble.

Ver. 39. But the salvation of the righteous, &c.] Etenim ut paucis omnia complectar, their salvation, temporal and eternal, is of the Lord; so is also the destruction of the wicked, as is here necessarily implied.

He is their strength, &c.] That they faint not, sink not under the heaviest burden of their light afflictions, which are but for a moment.

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_37:39-40

The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord.

A testimony to free and Sovereign grace

The salvation of the righteous in the broadest sense of the word is of the Lord; and the more breadth of meaning we give to it, the more completely we shall see that it must be divine. At the same time, our life is made up of a series of salvations, and each of these is of the Lord. We are constantly being saved, saved from this and that form of danger and evil. As each daily trouble threatens to engulf us, we are saved from it. As each temptation, like a dragon, threatens to swallow us up, we are saved from it. Our God is the God of salvations.

I. This is the essence of sound doctrine. The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord, even of the Triune Jehovah, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, in--

1. The planning.

2. The providing.

3. The beginning.

4. The carrying on.

5. The completion.

II. This is a necessary fact. The saints recognize it; for--

1. Their inward conflicts make them know that God alone must work salvation. They are too fickle and feeble to save themselves.

2. Their outward temptations drive them to the same conclusion. They are well kept whom God keeps, but none else.

3. The worlds hate drives them away from all hope in that quarter. God is greater than a world in arms.

4. Their daily trials and afflictions would crush them if Omnipotence did not sustain them. Only Gods grace can be all-sufficient.

5. The perishing of hypocrites is a sad proof of how little man can do. Temporary believers perish like blossoms which never knit to fruit, and therefore fail from the tree.

III. This is a sweet consolation. This truth, that unto God the Lord belongeth the salvation of His saints, acts graciously--

1. Leading them to solid trust.

2. Exciting them to believing prayer.

3. Urging them to look out of self.

4. Inspiring them with great thoughts of God, and--

5. Leading them to offer adoring praise unto their Redeemer.

IV. This is a reason for humility.

1. It strips the righteous of all pride in the fact of their being saved.

2. Of all exaltation of self because they continue in their integrity.

3. Of all undue censure of the fallen; for they, themselves, would have failed had not the Lord upheld them.

4. Of all self-confidence as to the future, since their weakness is inherent and abiding.

5. Of all self-glorying, even in heaven, since in all things they are debtors to sovereign grace.

V. This is a fruitful ground of hope.

1. In reference to our own difficulties: God can give us deliverance.

2. In reference to our tried brethren: the Lord can sustain, sanctify, and deliver them.

3. In reference to seeking souls: we may leave their cases in the Saviours hands. He is able to save to the uttermost.

4. In reference to sinners: they cannot be too degraded, obstinate, ignorant, or false; God can work salvation even in the worst. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

Psa_38:1-22

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

39. (Psa 37:39) And the salvation of the righteous, far from being wrought out by themselves, (is) from Jehovah, comes from him as its author and source. See above, on Psa 37:9 (8). (He is) their strength, or stronghold, fortress, place of refuge and defence, as in Psa 27:1, Psa 28:8, Psa 31:3; Psa 31:5 (2, 4). In time of trouble (or distress). See above, on Psa 9:10 (9), Psa 10:1.

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

37:39-40 The Lord provides strength for his people.

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

He showeth that the patient hope of the godly is never in vain, but in the end hath good success, though for a time God prove them by sundry tentations.

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

strength-- (Psa 27:1; Psa 28:8).

trouble--straits (Psa 9:9; Psa 10:1). In trust and quietness is the salvation of the pious from all foes and all their devices.

Next: Psalms Chapter 38

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 39. The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord] It is the Lord who made them righteous, by blotting out their sins, and infusing his Holy Spirit into their hearts; and it is by his grace they are continually sustained, and finally brought to the kingdom of glory: "He is their strength in the time of trouble."

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

39 The salvation of the righteous is from Jehovah The sum of the whole is, that whatever may happen, the righteous shall be saved, because they are in the hand of God, and can never be forgotten by him. This ought to be particularly noticed, that those who are greatly afflicted may be sustained by the assurance that the salvation which they expect from God is infallibly certain, because God is eternal, and governs the world by his power; as Christ said,

“My Father, who gave them me, is greater than all,” (John 10:29.)

David still inculcates this principle, that as righteousness is approved of God, it can never happen that he should forsake his faithful servants, and deprive them of his help. He, therefore, exhorts true believers to depend upon God, not only when things prosper according to their desires, but even when they are sorely afflicted. By these words he teaches that it is enough, if God only impart strength to his servants, so that, when severely afflicted and oppressed with anguish, they may not faint under it, or that, when groaning under the weight of severe afflictions, they may not sink under the burden. To the same purpose also is the expression which David uses twice in the last verse, that God will deliver By this he admonishes the children of God to learn patiently to endure afflictions, and that, if God should prolong them, they should often recall this to their remembrance, that after he has tried their patience, he will in the end deliver them.

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.

39. their strength] R.V. their strong-hold (Psa_27:1); or perhaps their asylum.

39, 40. Stanza of Tav. Jehovah’s faithfulness to His own.

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.

And the Lord shall help them,.... In their distress, and out of their troubles, when none else can, and they themselves cannot; and that seasonably, and sometimes with means, and sometimes without;

and deliver them; out of all their afflictions, which he does sooner or later; if not in life, yet at death;

he shall deliver them from the wicked; this is repeated both for confirmation and explanation sake, showing who they are the Lord will deliver his people from, even from wicked and unreasonable men; he will not leave them in their hands now to do with them as they shall think fit; and he will free them from them to all eternity in the other world, where they shall cease from giving them any trouble;

and save them, because they trust in him; not that there is any saving virtue in faith, or in trusting in the Lord; the saving virtue is in the Lord, the object of faith and trust; but inasmuch as the Lord has appointed salvation to be through faith, or has made that the means of receiving and enjoying salvation, and the blessings of it, and has declared that he that believeth shall be saved, he does accordingly save all such persons; wherefore blessed are they that trust in him. The Chaldee paraphrase is,

"he shall redeem them because they trust in his Word.''

Next: Psalms Chapter 38

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

But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord - Or, salvation comes to the righteous from the Lord. While the wicked are cut off, the righteous shall be safe. There are evidently two ideas here:

(1) that there will be salvation to the righteous, while the wicked are cut off;

(2) that this comes from the Lord, and not from themselves.

It is not owing to any power of their own that they are safe, but is solely because they are kept by the Lord.

He is their strength in the time of trouble - See Psa 9:9, note; Psa 18:2, note.

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

The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord; and therefore it shall certainly come to them.

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

Ver. 39. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord. Sound doctrine this. The very marrow of the gospel of free grace. By salvation is meant deliverance of every kind; not only the salvation which finally lands us in glory, but all the minor rescues of the way; these are all to be ascribed unto the Lord, and to him alone. Let him have glory from those to whom he grants salvation. He is their strength in the time of trouble. While trouble overthrows the wicked, it only drives the righteous to their strong Helper, who rejoices to uphold them.

None

Ver. 39-40.

1. The doctrines of grace condensed.

2. The experience of the gracious epitomised.

3. The promises of grace summarised.

4. The grandest evidence of grace declared: because they trust in him.

Psalms 37:40*

Ver. 39-40.

1. The doctrines of grace condensed.

2. The experience of the gracious epitomised.

3. The promises of grace summarised.

4. The grandest evidence of grace declared: because they trust in him.

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

But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord. (comp. Psa_3:8 Psa_68:20, etc.) He is their Strength in the time of trouble. (see Psa_18:1 Psa_46:1, etc.) The last two verses sum up the teaching of the psalm, and indicate its especial object, which was to encourage and sustain the righteous under their trials, by the assurance that they were under the special protection of God, who, whenever trouble threatened, would stand forth as their Strength and Defence, and would ultimately be their "Salvation." The full meaning of this last expression was left obscure, though enough was said to raise the hope that this world was not the end of everything, but rather the beginning.

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

The salvation of the righteous cometh from Jahve; it is therefore characterized, in accordance with its origin, as sure, perfect, and enduring for ever. מעוּזּם is an apposition; the plena scriptio serves, as in Sa2 22:33, to indicate to us that מעוז is meant in this passage to signify not a fortress, but a hiding-place, a place of protection, a refuge, in which sense Arab. ma'âd‛llh (the protection of God) and m‛âḏwjh‛llh (the protection of God's presence) is an Arabic expression (also used as a formula of an oath); vid., moreover on Psa 31:3. The moods of sequence in Psa 37:40 are aoristi gnomici. The parallelism in Psa 37:40 is progressive after the manner of the Psalms of degrees. The short confirmatory clause kichā'subo forms an expressive closing cadence.

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.)

Salvation of the righteous comes from Yahweh

The abstract noun "Salvation" can be expressed as an action. AT: "Yahweh rescues the righteous people" (See: Abstract Nouns)

the righteous

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

helps ... rescues ... saves

This same idea is repeated in several different ways to emphasize that Yahweh is dependable and able to give aid. (See: Parallelism)

they have taken refuge in him

Going to Yahweh for protection is spoken of as taking refuge in him. AT: "they have gone to him for protection" (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

save

righteous

trouble

save

refuge

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