Commentary - Psalm 37:7

Bird's-eye view

Psalm 37 is an alphabetic acrostic psalm, a structured meditation from a seasoned David on one of the oldest theological conundrums: the apparent prosperity of the wicked. This is not the cry of a young man shocked by his first encounter with injustice, but the settled wisdom of an old saint who has seen it all before. The central exhortation running through the entire psalm is a call to patient faith. David repeatedly commands the righteous not to "fret" or be envious of evildoers, because their success is a flash in the pan. Their green grass will wither, their schemes will unravel, and they will be cut off. In contrast, the righteous, who trust in the Lord and do good, are promised a lasting inheritance: they will inherit the land. This verse, verse 7, sits at the heart of this exhortation, providing the practical mechanism for obeying the command not to fret: be still, wait patiently, and anchor your soul in Yahweh, not in the fluctuating fortunes of wicked men.

The verse breaks down into three movements. First, there is the positive command: "Be still in Yahweh and wait patiently for Him." This is not a call to passive inactivity but to a quiet, confident, and active trust in God's timing and justice. Second, there is the negative prohibition, the thing to be avoided: "Do not fret." This fretting is a spiritual acid, a corrosive anxiety born of comparing our lot with that of the ungodly. Third, the verse identifies the two primary triggers for this sinful fretting: the man who "prospers in his way" and the man who "carries out schemes of wickedness." David tells the believer to look at the slick, successful schemer and, instead of boiling with indignation or envy, to consciously and deliberately be still before the Lord.

Outline

Context In Psalms

Psalm 37 belongs to the category of wisdom psalms, much like Psalms 1, 49, and 73. These psalms grapple with the practical realities of living a godly life in a fallen world. Specifically, it tackles the same problem Asaph wrestles with so intensely in Psalm 73: "For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." But where Asaph's psalm is a deeply personal and emotional testimony of his near-fall and recovery, David's psalm is more of a didactic, fatherly instruction. He is teaching the younger generation the long-term patterns of God's providence. The recurring promise of inheriting the land connects this psalm to the foundational covenant promises God made to Abraham and to Israel. The "land" is not just a patch of dirt; it represents stability, blessing, security, and a place in God's kingdom. David's point is that the flashy, short-term gains of the wicked are a mirage, while the inheritance of the righteous is as solid and lasting as God's covenant faithfulness.

Key Issues

The Still Point of a Turning World

The world is a noisy, bustling, agitated place. And the wicked are often the ones making the most noise and commotion. Their projects are grand, their way seems to prosper, their schemes appear to be working. They are men of action, men who "get things done," and the world is impressed. In the face of all this, the temptation for the righteous is to get caught up in the frenzy. We can either become agitated with envy, wanting what they have, or agitated with indignation, demanding that God do something now. Both reactions are a form of fretting, and both are forbidden.

The divine alternative is a radical one: be still. This is not the stillness of apathy or resignation. It is the stillness of a gyroscope, spinning so fast at its center that it is perfectly stable, no matter how much the world pitches and yaws around it. That center is Yahweh. To be still in Yahweh is to have your soul's equilibrium entirely dependent on Him, on His character, His promises, and His timetable. It is a profound act of faith to look at the man carrying out his wicked schemes, the man whose every move seems to be a success, and to refuse to let his story dictate your emotional or spiritual state. He is a whirlwind of activity, but his foundation is sand. The righteous man is called to be still, because his foundation is the Rock.

Verse by Verse Commentary

7a Be still in Yahweh and wait patiently for Him;

The first command, "be still," could be translated "be silent" or "rest." It is the opposite of the internal turmoil and agitation that David is addressing. But notice the location of this stillness: it is "in Yahweh." You are not commanded to find some zen-like stillness within yourself. That is the counsel of the world. The biblical command is to find your rest in God. This is a relational quietness. It is the quietness of a child who has stopped fussing because he is now secure in his father's arms. He may still be in the middle of a thunderstorm, but the location of his trust has changed everything. This stillness is then coupled with the command to "wait patiently for Him." The Hebrew word for wait here has the sense of longing, of looking forward with expectation. It's not the passive waiting of a man in a doctor's office; it is the active, eager waiting of a bride for her groom. We wait, not because we are uncertain of the outcome, but because we are utterly certain of the One for whom we wait. Patience is required because God's timetable is not ours. He is working all things together for good, and that process cannot be rushed. Faith is content to let God be God, which means letting Him be the master of the clock.

7b Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,

Here is the prohibition that flows from the command. Because you are stilled and waiting in the Lord, you are therefore forbidden to fret. To fret is to be consumed with a heated, anxious, irritated agitation. It is a sin because it is a practical denial of God's sovereignty and goodness. When we fret over the prospering wicked, we are essentially telling God that He has made a mistake, that His management of the world is incompetent, and that if we were in charge, this sort of thing would not be happening. It is a vote of no confidence in the Almighty. David identifies the first cause of this temptation: seeing the wicked man who "prospers in his way." His "way" is his course of life, his chosen path of godlessness. And from all outward appearances, it is working. His business is booming, his influence is growing, his life looks comfortable. The world sees this and calls it success. The believer is commanded to see it and call it temporary.

7c Because of the man who carries out schemes of wickedness.

David adds a second description of this man. He is not just prospering; he is prospering by means of his "schemes of wickedness." He is a man of evil devices, a plotter, a manipulator. This is what makes his prosperity so galling to the righteous. It is not just that he is successful; it is that he is successful because of his sin, not in spite of it. His corruption is the very engine of his success. He cheats, he lies, he oppresses, and he gets ahead. This is the ultimate test of faith. Can we see this man, this monument to the apparent profitability of sin, and still "be still in Yahweh"? Can we trust that God's moral order is still in effect, even when the daily evidence seems to scream otherwise? David, speaking by the Spirit, says that we can and we must. To fret over this man is to let his wickedness set the agenda for our hearts. To be still is to let God's righteousness be our anchor, regardless of the storm.

Application

This verse is a direct command to every Christian who has ever scrolled through social media, read a news headline, or simply looked out his window and felt that hot rush of indignation or envy at the success of the ungodly. The world is full of men who carry out wicked schemes and appear to get away with it, and even to prosper by it. They are celebrated in our culture. Their way is presented as the smart way, the effective way.

The application for us is profoundly counter-cultural and counter-intuitive. We are not to organize our lives around reacting to them. We are not to let their apparent success dictate our peace. Our central task is to cultivate a deep, abiding, quiet trust in God. This is not easy. It is a discipline. It means that when you see the wicked prospering, you must have a category for it. That category is "grass that will soon wither." You must consciously refuse to grant them the real estate in your head and heart that they are trying to occupy. You must turn your gaze from their fleeting success to the eternal God and His unshakable promises.

Practically, this means steeping your mind in the whole counsel of God. When you see a wicked man prosper, you must preach Psalm 37 to yourself. You must remind yourself of Asaph's conclusion in Psalm 73: their end is destruction. You must look to Christ, who did not fret when the wicked schemed against Him, but who entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. He was still and waited for His Father, and the result was resurrection and exaltation. His path is our path. So be still. Wait. Do not fret. The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.